Almost every woman dreams of a mink coat or at least a collar. And today, the fur of these animals is most often used to create beautiful products that emphasize respectability, status, and wealth. It is valued above any other materials for tailoring, so this direction is very attractive.

Animal Features

Minks belong to the mustelid family and by their nature are characterized by aggressive behavior, because they are predators. Their appearance is quite cute and attractive. But the main value for a person is fur. It is pleasant to the touch, smooth, soft, silky, shiny and has many natural beautiful shades.

Due to the adaptability of these animals, they are suitable for artificial rearing on a farm or even at home. But for this, it is imperative to provide them with everything they need - space, nutrition, vitamins, cleanliness of premises, etc. Only through careful care can one achieve High Quality fur and livestock health.

Popular varieties

Today there are more than 300 shades and subspecies of mink. The most common for growing on fur are:

1. Dark brown - is considered the main one for obtaining any other individuals, its prevalence reaches 33.7%.
2. Black (jet) - originates from Canada, but appeared only due to artificial breeding, does not occur naturally.
3. Silver-blue - a very beautiful shade of fur, the population of these animals reaches almost 40% of all species.
4. Sapphire - by crossing the previous representatives with the Aleutian breed, an even more attractive and expensive color is obtained, it looks like a smoky blue.
5. Pastel - similar to simple brown individuals, but differs in light and soft shades.

It should be remembered that as a result of the extermination of the European mink, their breeding and slaughter for skins is prohibited by law. This type animals are listed in the Red Book. Therefore, today only American breeds are used for such a business. They have a fairly high fertility - 4-15 puppies per year and a relatively good survival rate - 87-90%, depending on the breed.

Business registration

To get started, you need to register as farming, IP or LLC. Each of the cases has its pros and cons. For example, breeding minks at home in the form of personal subsidiary plots makes it possible not to pay high taxes, but at the same time significantly limits the number of animals for a one-time maintenance.

If you decide to earn a substantial amount by growing and reselling several thousand minks, then it makes sense to create entity. And although this will require the collection of a whole package of documents, the payment of a high state duty and lengthy processing, nevertheless, as a result, you will be able to sell products in large volumes and even work with foreign clients.

Of the OKVED codes, 01.49.22 is applicable in this case, which refers to the breeding of various fur-bearing animals in artificial conditions. Mandatory item is to obtain a license and a number of permits from regulatory authorities to conduct activities. So, you will have to file papers with the Ministry Agriculture:

• a statement of a certain form;
• copies confirming the registration of the taxpayer;
• founding documents firms;
• pay the license fee;
• qualification certificates from the owner and people working on the farm.

The application can be considered for up to two months and only then give the result. In addition, take care of compliance with other important requirements:

1. Veterinary confirmation of the health of all breeding individuals.
2. Annual peer review animals.
3. An entrepreneur or his employees must have a certificate of education in the profession of "livestock specialist" or "zooengineer".

Also, representatives of the sanitary and epidemiological station, the fire inspectorate and a veterinarian should check the farm before opening. Only having received all the permits, you can engage in the cultivation of animals. But even after registration, licensing and various kinds control, all the requirements must be strictly observed, since periodically the farm is re-checked by certain services.

Animal room

When looking for a site for breeding minks, pay attention to the remoteness of the territory from residential buildings and the water protection zone. The distance between them is at least 100 meters. The arrangement of the sheds must meet the needs of the animals, give them freedom of movement, and at the same time take into account the convenience for the work of the personnel.

For young and toddlers, a separate room is set up where they will be taken care of. After all, these individuals are born blind and deaf, that is, completely helpless. But since their size is much smaller than adult minks, the fence for such cells is made with small cells.

The floor can be concrete, but it is desirable to cover it with sawdust, straw or hay. They must not be damaged by rodents! It is important to place the sheds in the shade, in a cool place, as the minks do not tolerate heat. In winter, do not heat the room much, it is better to leave the air temperature low.

To be able to take full care of the animals on the farm, make sure that all the necessary communications are available - ventilation, sewerage, plumbing, electricity, etc. When organizing a large complex for growing several thousand animals, you should install and automated systems for feeding, drinkers and even purchase a special apparatus for sanding.

Do not forget to build a warehouse on the farm where tools, inventory, feed, hay, etc. are stored. They also equip separately special place for slaughter and preparation of skins. In each of the premises, sanitary standards must be observed, as well as the protection of feed and bedding material from rodents.

Feeding

Minks are classified as predators, so the basis of their diet is:

• small animals;
• meat;
• fish;
• bird.

Also, the diet should be diversified with cereals, dairy products, grass and other plant foods. It is not recommended to feed them with waste, otherwise the fur will be Bad quality, the desired shade will not be preserved and there are risks of epidemics. Therefore, it is important to take care of proper nutrition and care of animals.

Even with a complete diet, you need to add vitamin and mineral complexes in the form of supplements. After all, minks are distinguished by poor health. And if something happens to one individual, the disease will quickly spread throughout the farm and most of the animals will die out.

Breeding and reproduction

Minks reach sexual maturity by 10 months. You can keep them in such a combination - up to five females are planted with 1 male. Usually mating occurs in March, and after 1.5-2 months helpless babies are born. At first they are kept together with their mother, who feeds them with her milk. And only upon reaching 40 days of age, the young are planted in separate cells.

The fertility of each breed may vary. The most common option is considered to be 4-6 puppies from one individual per year, but some varieties can produce up to 14 pieces. A pregnant female is very difficult to distinguish from a simple one. Her tummy appears only two weeks before the birth.

These animals grow quickly and gain weight. The active appearance of wool falls on September-November. But winter fur is considered the most valuable. For slaughter, they try to select young individuals of the first year of life, preferably females. It is this product that is valued above all. But individuals older than 6 years are considered unsuitable either for skins or for providing offspring.

Direction of activity

Before registering and purchasing breeding individuals, decide why you will be raising minks. This is done for the following purposes:

1. For the sale of adult males and females - both for home content, and for the organization of new farms.
2. Realization of finished skins.
3. Creation of fur products.

The second option is considered the most common and profitable, for which they start such a business. But tailoring is preferred only by large farms that are able to hire additional staff for this activity. This comes at a high cost and organizational issues.

To prepare the skins, you need to hire a separate specialist who slaughters animals, skins and processes them. Please note that before you start selling, the material must be cooled, dried and sprinkled with salt, otherwise the wool will quickly begin to fall out, and the skin itself will rot and decompose.

Staff

A small farm does not need many employees. Usually such work is performed by the entrepreneur himself or members of his family. Larger and more voluminous complexes will require workers for the daily care of the animals.

Separately, it is worth noting that the farm should have its own veterinarian. If it is impossible to hire one, you will have to invite a specialist from the outside to regularly monitor the health of minks. A separate person is also hired for the sanding process.

Sales of products

The main clients will be:

• other livestock farms;
• salons and factories for tailoring fur clothes;
• individuals who wish to keep minks as pets, although this is rare.

It is important to establish distribution channels even before the season for fur pelts begins. To do this, you need to actively seek out suitable customers and establish contacts with them. It is considered more profitable to conclude long-term contracts for the constant supply of fur to specialized salons and factories.

Here you can download a free summary as a sample.

Financial part

This direction is associated with high costs, so it is worthwhile to initially draw up a business plan, which will indicate all the steps for organizing and developing activities, as well as taking into account the costs and income of the enterprise.

Initial costs vary significantly depending on the estimated farm volume, the number and breed of animals, the chosen methods of feeding them, and other nuances. We present the average figures in the table.

The maintenance of one mink takes about 1300 rubles per year. When selling finished skins at a price of 2000-2500, you can count on the full payback of the project in a year and a half. If you focus on rarer and more valuable species, then the profitability of the project increases significantly. In any case, this direction is very profitable and attractive.

Video: breeding and keeping minks - fur farm.

At home, the American mink breeds well. Pregnancy lasts 35-72 days. Cubs are born in April - May, in a brood there are on average 4-5 cubs. Minks reach sexual maturity at 9-11 months. Their life expectancy is 8-10 years, but they are culled and slaughtered as soon as their fertility begins to decline (usually at 3-4 years).

PREPARATION FOR ROUTING

The main condition for proper preparation for the rut is the full feeding of animals and their proper maintenance. The period of preparation for the rut is characterized by the development of the genital organs. By this time, the minks should be in good condition so that preparations for the new breeding season are not delayed.

Adult females after the end of lactation, especially if they have raised large litters, are exhausted. In order to continue preparing for the rut normally, they are given an increased diet for 10-15 days. When the fatness of the females becomes normal, they are transferred to the diet adopted during the preparation for the rut.

In the period of preparation for the rut, it is necessary to monitor the state of health and the course of the molting of animals. On January 1, replacement young animals are transferred to the main herd, in addition, a marketable herd is left in the amount of 5% of the main herd. In February, the minks of the main herd are tested for plasmacytosis, animals with a positive reaction are culled and slaughtered.

It is necessary to control the fatness of animals, since obesity or malnutrition are undesirable, both of which are badly reflected in the results of the reproduction of animals.

Minks are weighed before feeding on children's or trade scales, which are installed on the platform of the overhead road or on a portable table. It is more convenient for three or four workers to do this. Moving along the shed, one of them catches the animals in portable cages, another weighs them, the third releases the weighed animals and checks that the cages are well closed, and the fourth records the weighing data in a log.

The fatness of an animal can be established by eye and with the help of a weight index, that is, the ratio of the mass of the animal to the length of its body. Animals are measured with a centimeter tape from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail. The fatness of all animals in the breeding farm and animals of the control groups in the commercial farm is determined monthly.

During January - February, the fatness of females should be brought to factory standards. All females are weighed on January 1, February 1 and March 1. Think that good results in terms of reproduction, females give with indices before the rut of 23-27. Studies have shown that among overly well-fed animals, the number of unsuccessful puppies increases - more stillborn and weak puppies, which often die before registration.

During the period of preparation for the rut of breeding animals, fur breeders should carefully monitor them and regulate their feeding, increasing or decreasing portions of feed depending on the fatness of the animal, and also ensure that there is always clean water in the drinkers.

Deviations from the normal state (refusal of the animal from food, poor consistency of feces, lethargy, slow molting of the hairline, etc.) are noted on a stencil hung on the house. With the onset of damp cool weather, the houses must be insulated to prevent colds in minks. To do this, use a litter of hay, shavings, etc.

Particular attention should be paid to the good preparation of young females and males for the rut. This period in them coincides with the final formation of the body, which requires an increased amount of nutrients compared to adult animals. Well, if on January 1, the average weight of young animals does not differ from the weight of adult animals.

Importation of breeding animals, and their seating should be completed as soon as possible, preferably in November. Changing the conditions of keeping and feeding at a later time can adversely affect the course of the rut.

During the preparation for the rut, the workers carefully check the cages in which the breeding animals will be kept. Faulty cells must be repaired. Veterinary activities are carried out on the farm: cages are disinfected, etc. It is necessary to check the animals by sex, as there are times when a male is mistakenly placed in a cage instead of a female. They look through the stencils for adult breeding animals, fill in the stencils for the first years. After the livestock specialist draws up a pairing plan in the male stencil, the cell numbers and serial numbers of the females attached to each male are recorded. The numbers of backup males are also supplied in the stencil, that is, those males that, by their qualities, can replace the main one; the relevant information about the males is entered into the stencils of the females.

At the end of February, before the start of the rut, the condition of the testes in males should be checked. As it turned out, about 4% of males do not fertilize females, some of these males actively and well cover them, but females do not become pregnant. Check the testicles by probing. One or both testicles may not be palpable or may be smaller than normal. Animals with poorly developed testicles are not allowed to breed.

Before mating, the female has estrus and hunting. Estrus is a period of sexual arousal of the beast. Hunting is part of estrus, which is characterized by the female's readiness to mate. By changing the external genital organs - the genital loop (vulva) - determine the readiness of the female for mating.

The first signs of the onset of the rut in minks are noted in February. At this time, females and males show interest in each other and can mate. You finish the rutting season in the first days of April, but at this time there can only be separate matings. Minks show the greatest sexual activity from March 5 to March 20, when the maximum number of eggs matures in females.

They usually start the rut from March 1-5. Experiments have shown that females covered in February and, again, in early March, often do not fertilize, so the rut should not begin before March.

Minks during estrus have 3-4 periods of hunting. The hunting period is repeated most often after 7-10 days, hunting continues for 1-2 days.

Breeding females and males are usually kept separately. At the beginning of the rut, the male and female are placed in pairs daily or every other day. The presence or absence of hunting is determined by the behavior of animals. When the female is not hunting, the minks are hostile to each other, fights arise between them. In this case, the animals should be seated. A female in heat does not resist when the male tries to mate. Mink mating lasts an average of 30-40 minutes, but there are also short (2-3 minutes) and very long (up to 2-3 hours) mating. Experiments show that interruption of coitus after 10-20 minutes leads to a decrease in the yield of puppies. The interruption of very long matings does not affect the fertility of females.

It may happen that the female is in the hunt, but the male assigned to her cannot cover her. In this case, the female should be placed with another male, an understudy. They catch and carry minks during the rutting period by hand or using portable cages. Together with the female, her stencil is necessarily transferred. The date of each landing of the female to the male is recorded in the male's stencil, the date of mating is circled. As a rule, during the "descent" of pairs, the female is transferred to the cage to the male. In some farms, females are transported using carts or a cableway.

In the stencil, females must mark the number of the male who covered the female and the date of mating. Replanting is carried out in the morning, 30-40 minutes after feeding, and in the afternoon. A male can cover two or three females per day.

Depending on the method of rutting, the minks are seated differently. Females attached to him are planted next to the male. Females are planted in turn to the male assigned to them. If the female is not in heat, another one sitting in the next cage is placed next to the male. With this method of rutting, the fur breeder walks around the shed, observing the behavior of the pairs.

Sometimes all the males are planted in the center of the shed, and the females are kept separately. The fur breeder places one of the females assigned to each male and observes their behavior. In the event of a fight or prolonged inattention of animals to each other, the female is seated and another is planted in her place.

During the bush rut, he himself - understudies, similar in their qualities, sit in a group of 5-7 heads, and the females attached to them - in cages located nearby and on opposite side sheda.

The so-called pipe method of rutting is also used in mink breeding. Its essence lies in the fact that six cells along the aft passage are connected by a pipe made of a regular mesh. The cross section of the pipe is 15x15 cm. In the house of each cell, a hole (manhole) is made leading to the pipe, which can be closed with a metal valve. A male is placed in one of the cages, and the females assigned to him are placed in the other five.

During the rut, the breeder opens the valve and releases the male into the pipe, and then, one by one, opens the valves of the houses in which the females are located. If the female is in heat, then mating occurs. After mating, the male and female are herded into their own house. If the female does not come to hunt, she is closed in the house, and another is allowed to the male.

In a number of farms, the fur breeder pairs half of the males and females daily, and with the other half he works the next day (“intermittent rut”).

The concentration of males in one place in the shed allows the worker to simultaneously control the behavior of all deflated pairs, however, the delivery of females to males, especially from distant cages, requires high costs time and labor.

The dispersed placement of males inside the shed reduces the cost of labor and time for the transfer of females, but makes it difficult to control the behavior of animals.

With the pipe system of the rut, the need for catching and transferring females is eliminated, and the worker pays the main attention to observing the animals.

After mating, a fight may arise between the animals, so they should be seated. The male is given a rest for 1.5-2 hours, and then he can again be planted with the females. It happens that part of the females or all, covered by one male, remain without offspring, so a number of farms have organized a test for the activity of the male's sperm. It is controlled several times during the rut, as some males at the beginning of the rut, while others at the end of the rut, may increase the number of inactive sperm.

Ovulation in minks is provoked. It is provoked by mating, but occurs only if the follicles have reached the stage of maturity. Very important correct system mating minks. It should ensure full ovulation in females and maintain the viability of sperm in her genital tract by the time of ovulation of the egg.

Previously, there were a number of mating systems in mink breeding. Thus, the females were placed with the male every day or every other day during the entire rutting period, regardless of whether there was mating, or after mating - on the second day, and then on the 7-10th and 14-15th. Currently, the following system is considered the most rational: the descent of pairs begins on March 3-5, the females are covered once, 7 days after the first mating, that is, in the second period of the hunt, the females are blocked, and preferably two days in a row. After this, mating is stopped - the female is considered fertilized.

Females that mated for the first time after March 16 are covered on the second or fourth day. Experience has shown that one covering of females entails an increase in the number of omissions.

A rutting method has been developed based on the synchronization of the females' hunting and covering them in one hunting period. The first ovulation in females is caused without mating - by injection of 10-20 units of gonadotropic hormone. 7-8 days after the injection, the females are placed next to the males for mating for two days in a row. Six females are assigned to one male, which are treated with a hormone from March 3 to March 7 (two females every other day). The output of puppies under such a system is not reduced.

It is very important that the females are covered by the male to whom each of them is assigned. Compliance with the mating plan contributes to the improvement of the herd, helps to get good offspring. Coverage by an occasional male may adversely affect the quality of the offspring. Puppies may develop a combination of undesirable traits from their parents. If the female and male are closely related, ugly puppies may appear among the offspring or the female's fertility will decrease. From crossing two colored minks, sometimes even close or identical in color, puppies of a standard dark brown color can appear. When pairing, the livestock specialist takes into account the qualities of the parents and their family ties, so you should not violate the selection options he has chosen.

Coating of the female must be avoided different males. In each period of the hunt, the female ovulates, that is, leaves the ovaries, several eggs, so she can give birth to both males, while it is not possible to establish which of them is the father of the puppies. However, at the end of the rut, when the risk of missing females, covered once due to poor sperm production of the male, increases, overlapping by different males can be resorted to. All puppies obtained in this case are considered commercial.

Most of the time during the rut is spent on catching animals, transferring females to the male’s cage and back, observing the behavior of pairs, recording in stencils, checking the male’s sperm, etc. Until April 1, all uncovered females of the commercial herd are slaughtered.

PREGNANCY AND WEEPING

The gestation period for minks is 36-80 days from the first coat. Differences in terms depend on the duration of the latent period - the period when the eggs lie freely in the horns of the uterus, without attaching. Early-coated females have a longer pregnancy than late-coated ones. Most females covered at the height of the rut whelp on the 50-54th day after the first mating.

The gestation period to some extent depends on the size of the litter. On average, in infertile females, bringing one or two puppies, it is longer (50-55 days), than in more prolific females - 5-11 puppies (47-48 days).

Pregnant females remain without offspring for a number of reasons. Abortion can be caused by the disease of the female, the presence of low-quality products in the feed, a lack of vitamins, poor conditions content, rough handling. The fact that an abortion has occurred is indicated by the presence in the cell, house or under the cell of the remains of the fetus and traces of blood. The female is depressed, refuses to feed. Early abortion is difficult to establish.

Females can remain without offspring and as a result of untimely coverage. In this case, their eggs ovulate before mating or much later, after the death of the sperm. The reason may be the inferiority of the male sperm or the abnormal structure of the female genital organs. Often, emptying is the result of death and resorption of the fetus. In different farms, the number of females without offspring ranges from 5-8 to 20% or more.

By appearance pregnancy in minks is difficult to determine. 10-15 days before whelping, the belly of females increases, they move carefully, in pregnant females earlier than non-pregnant ones, molting begins on the muzzle. When caring for them during this period, it is necessary to regularly change the litter, provide water, monitor their behavior and eating food.

Mink whelps in houses, so the houses should be prepared for the start of whelping. They are thoroughly cleaned and filled with dry bedding. As bedding, you can use hay, straw of awnless cereals, soft shavings.

In the future, it is necessary to systematically inspect the houses. Smoke and, if necessary, change soiled bedding. The amount of litter should be adjusted depending on the breeding area and weather conditions. In the case of an early warm spring, less is required, and in cold weather, more.

Mink whelping takes place actively, in a relatively short time. Due to the presence of a latent stage, the timing of whelping is not related to the timing of coverage, and it is difficult to predict them. Most females mate in the second half of April - the first decade of May.

It is better to prepare for whelping for all females at the same time and finish 5-6 days earlier than the expected whelping period.

Mink puppies are born blind, deaf, with a fat mass of 9-12 g, and a length of 5-8 cm. Sometimes puppies pulled out of the nest for walking by the female fall through the mesh floor of the cage. On the ground, they can freeze, they can be dragged by birds. Therefore, under the mesh floor, pallets are strengthened or mats are placed on the floor. They can be different: from plywood, fine mesh or burlap.

Females whelp at different times, but more often at night and in the morning. You learn about whelping by the behavior of the female. She does not leave the house, where the squeak of puppies is heard. If the birth went well and everything is fine in the house, the squeak quickly stops, a long drawn-out squeak indicates trouble in the litter.

When whelping, the birth of weak or dead puppies is possible. Inspect puppies as early as possible, usually on whelping day. It is better to do this during feeding, when the female goes out to paddock the cage, at other times the female can be carefully driven out of the house and the entrance to it closed with a valve. On examination, pay attention to the condition of the female, puppies, as well as the sanitary condition of the house. If you find dirt or dampness in it, you need to change the litter. Each puppy should be taken in hand so as not to miss the weak.

In a litter, minks can have from 1 to 10-16 puppies, more often 5-9. They are born naked, on the surface of the body they have only separate tips of guard hairs. Normal puppies lie in a pile, they are warm and dry. If the puppies are wet, cold and scattered around the house, then there is some kind of trouble in the litter and emergency measures must be taken.

The puppies are counted and the dead are removed from the house. The litter may be large, some of the puppies may be weak. It is recommended to wean several puppies from a large litter, as the female will not be able to provide them all with milk. More than 7-8 puppies are usually not left under the female. The puppies are placed with dairy females with less than five puppies. Weak ones, who are lagging behind in growth compared to littermates, are also removed. Nurse's puppies should not be larger than those being planted.

Usually female nurses accept puppies from another mother well. Having driven the female out for a walk, one or more puppies are placed in the house among the rest. If the female does not leave the house, it is not worth disturbing the puppy, you can put it at the entrance to the house. Hearing the puppy squeak, she herself drags him inside. Before moving away from the cage, the fur breeder needs to make sure that the female has taken the puppy to the house.

In the mother's stencil, the number of puppies taken from her, their gender, the date of jigging, the number of the female nurse, and the puppy's mark are necessarily noted. Similar information is entered into the nurse's stencil. The tip of the ear cut off with scissors can serve as a mark for puppies. Minks easily tolerate this operation.

During the whelping period, duty is established on the farm. The attendant walks around the territory, observing the behavior of whelping and whelping females, listens to the squeak of puppies, determines their state of health.

During the whelping period, in addition to caring for animals and feeding them, the breeder regularly examines females and young animals. Having timely identified weak and low-milk females, as well as weak and sick puppies, he puts the puppies to other mothers, takes sick animals for treatment, writes down the results of whelping and moving animals in stencils and in a notebook.

CULTIVATION OF YOUNG SUCKS

Young animals are registered and come on the tenth day after his birth. When registering, the number of puppies and their gender are set. The breeder must constantly monitor the condition of females and offspring. The female may have little milk. The reason may be the heredity of the animal, its poor health, poor feeding.

Even if the female is in a normal condition, some of the puppies may be stunted or die. Therefore, it is necessary to look at the litters and take measures to preserve the young and females: organize treatment, improve the diet, start additional feeding, put weak puppies to the wet nurse, etc.

Mink puppies are covered with hair at the age of 3-4 days, at the age of one month, males weigh -170-200 g, females - 150-180 g (Fig. 1 9). The eyes of the Norchs open on the 30th-32nd day, they begin to hear on the 25th day, the teeth erupt on the 16th-26th day.

In the first one and a half to two weeks of life, puppies are always in the house and eat only mother's milk. The females eat the puppies' feces, so during this period the house is relatively clean. From 18-20 days of age, the female begins to carry food to the nest, and even blind puppies try to eat it. Young animals at this time begin to be taught to feed, so they improve the food intended for females.

When accustoming puppies to feeding, food is placed in the house. When the puppies start eating food, the females no longer eat their feces. The house can be dirty, so you need to change the bedding more often. The amount of bedding in the house is regulated depending on the weather. On warm days, it should be reduced, in hot weather, completely removed.

The period from the 20th to the 40th day of lactation is very responsible. Mink females can lose their appetite, they carry most of the food to puppies, even if they have food in the house, and as a result they become very depleted, which can cause their death. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly monitor the condition of the females.

In the stencil, females during the period of rearing offspring make marks about the quality of puppies (good, weak), about the case, jigging and replanting of puppies. Much of this information is then transferred to the production log and taken into account when selecting females and young animals for the tribe.

GROWING YOUNG WEED

Young animals are planted at 40-45 days of age. From females that have lost a lot of weight, prone to exhaustion - on the 32-35th day. Jigging is carried out with litter, using carts and special boxes, each of which is designed for 4-5 litters.

After jigging, the young animals are regrouped in the main herd, the females culled according to the results of breeding are concentrated in one place.

In a number of farms, after jigging, puppies are kept in litter and after a while they are seated in pairs. It is believed that in this case, puppies are less bored without a mother. Usually, puppies are immediately put into a cage two by two in opposite-sex (male and female) or same-sex (two females or two males) pairs. Young animals left for the tribe after the first stage of selection (from the time of birth to jigging of puppies), and young animals intended for slaughter, are placed in different sheds or different places one shed, feed the puppies in the paddock.

Before the start of seating, they clean, wash and disinfect all cages and houses in a shed intended for keeping young animals. The litter is laid so that the young can go out into the hole. During jigging, a stencil prepared in advance for each animal is hung on the cage. When jigging, it is necessary to identify the placed puppies by the label and assign them the appropriate numbers. If there is no firm certainty about which puppy is planted and which are born by this female, the use of young animals from this litter for the tribe is not allowed. The origin of each breeding puppy should not be in doubt. Puppies from different litters can be placed in one cage during jigging, if one of them is female, the other is male, otherwise the origin of the puppies cannot be established.

As a rule, puppies planted in pairs get along well. Pugnacious couples must be seated to avoid injury. Aggressiveness or significantly better development in one of the puppies can lead to malnutrition and stunting in the other.

Until August, young animals are fed twice a day. Food is placed on the mesh ceiling of the cage near the entrance to the house. Minks grow very quickly, and by the age of five months they reach the size of adult animals. To control the development of young animals, weighing should be carried out monthly. Not all herd animals are weighed, but control groups, and before feeding.

It is necessary to control the development of animals separately by sex. Studies have shown that at birth the mass of males and females is almost the same, at the age of one month, males weigh about 9%, and at the age of six months - 80-100% more than females. So, standard black, dark brown, pastel, soklopastel, palomino, silver-blue and white by the end of growth weigh 200-300 g more than minks of other types. Minks grow especially intensively until September, and then their growth rate decreases significantly.

At the beginning of August, the puppies finish their summer hair growth and start laying their winter hair. The endocrine and reproductive systems are developing. At this time, it is important to monitor the fatness of the animal, since underfeeding can affect the course of molting, winter pubescence of animals, and the formation of the reproductive ability of the young animals left for the tribe. From the second half of August, young animals are preliminarily selected for the tribe, taking into account the development, physique of animals and their pubescence.

From September, one should carefully monitor the course of molting, especially during the autumn culling period, since the course of molting reflects the state of health of the animal and its readiness for reproduction. On October 15, all replacement young animals are weighed.

During the growth period of winter pubescence, it is very important to keep the house clean. With the onset of cold weather, animals must be provided with good bedding. This helps to keep the pubescence clean, especially in colored minks, to avoid colds.

Caring for the separated young animals does not differ from caring for adult animals: they are regularly fed, watered, and their cages are cleaned. On hot days, special attention is paid to drinking. Minks do not tolerate high temperatures well, so on hot days I open the wooden lid of the house so that air circulates in it. In addition, they monitor the presence of water in the drinkers, sometimes water the sheds and the ground around them. Failure to take precautions can lead to heat stroke and death of minks.

At the end of October - beginning of November, young animals are assessed, and the final selection of breeding animals is carried out. Slaughter begins November 8-10. First, white minks and minks assigned to the blue group are slaughtered, then the minks of the brown group and - standard. A delay in slaughter leads to a deterioration in the quality of the skins: undesirable tones appear, especially in the color of colored minks, their hair becomes dull, the number of animals with defects in the pubescence structure increases, primarily with thinning hair on the abdomen.

The timing of the maturation of the skins of individual animals varies significantly, therefore, in order to obtain skins best quality, the slaughter begins after an individual inspection of the animals. The number of animals to be slaughtered is determined based on the possibilities of processing furs, but the slaughter cannot be delayed. Minks intended for slaughter are not fed; slaughter is carried out in the morning. Then the remaining animals are fed and watered. During the slaughter period, it is important to properly organize work on the farm. Slaughter must be carried out in a short time. To do this, they resort to freezing carcasses or skins that have been removed but not processed. Many fur farmers during this period are involved in the processing of furs.

At the same time, breeding animals require great attention. Deterioration of maintenance can affect their reproduction, lead to diseases and mortality, especially among young animals.

Mink breeding - where to start own production

One of the promising areas of business development is the opening of a fur farm for breeding mink in artificial conditions. At the beginning of 2012, 27 companies were breeding mink. Their activities covered 14 regions. The total number of queens was approximately 343 thousand heads. At the same time, mainly mink of three colors is grown - Sapphire, STK, Pastel. The rest of the colors are almost ignored.

In order to make yourself known in the fur market, you have two options:

• Buy queens and males of common colors, but then there should be a large number of them;
• Stop your choice on those that have a rare color, for example, pearl. These skins are much more expensive.

The next thing to decide is what kind of work you are going to use, manual or mechanized (automatic drinker, feeding, etc.). Depending on this is how many employees you will need in the future. That is, you need to decide what size enterprise you want to open. If a small farm (up to 50 heads), then you can serve it yourself. The presence of a veterinarian in the state, also in the latter case is not required, his visits are enough.

The arrangement of a fur farm for breeding mink is regulated by technological design standards, according to them:

• The recommended basic stock of the main females on the farm is from 20 to 500 heads.
• The herd is formed on the basis of the following coefficients: females - 1, males - 0.2, young animals - 5.1.
• A young animal is considered an animal that has not reached the age of 8 months.
• The rutting time falls on the second half of February - the beginning of March.
• Whelping occurs in late April - early May.
• The duration of pregnancy varies from 30 to 80 days.
• Young animals are weaned from females at the age of 35-45 days.
• The main herd is kept in individual cages. Young growth can be planted in pairs in one cage.
• In the event that in your area the summer temperature rises above +30 degrees, then it is not recommended to breed mink. Or use air cooling equipment. This significantly raises the cost of skins.
• The animal lives in a cage, consisting of two parts - a house and a paddock. The building in which they are located must have central and transverse aisles, a room for storing inventory (for this purpose, you can use a closet).
• Depending on which skin processing technology you have chosen, animals can be kept in multi-row or double-row sheds, single-tiered cages.
• The mink cage must be at least 45 cm high.
• The area of ​​the house for the main herd is 0.15 sq.m., and the walking area is 0.338 sq.m. for one animal, young animals are housed in pairs in a house with an area of ​​0.039 sq.m. and walking 0.098 sq.m.
• For the manufacture of the cage, a metal mesh with a cell size of 25x25 mm is used.

To ensure high-quality breeding of animals, you will need the following:

• Room for food preparation;
• Slaughter room (primary processing of skins);
• Fencing of the territory of the economy;
• Arrangement of heat and power supply, water supply (you can use both centralized and water from artesian wells), sewerage system;
• Internal passage with access to the state road;
• Storage room, it will store bedding and feed;
• Household premises;
• Special sheds, it is possible to store manure, peat.

The choice of a site for the construction of a fur farm is coordinated with the sanitary and epidemiological control body, veterinary supervision, fire supervision, etc. It is forbidden to place farms in a water protection zone.

At present, the norm of mechanization of labor in 50% of the total volume has been adopted. But this applies to large farms. On smaller ones, it is more economically feasible to use manual labor.

For the manufacture of bedding, the following materials are used:

• Straw, only from awnless cereals;
• Hay;
• Small wood shavings.

It is changed as it gets dirty. For comparison, female foxes and arctic foxes change their bedding once a year. At the same time, at least 30 kg should be prepared for one adult animal. bedding material for a year. For young animals it is less, only 4 kg. You can store it in a barn, stack, under a canopy. It is forbidden to use material damaged by rodents, having moldy areas, old.

Also, when caring for an animal, water is consumed. Approximate norms of its consumption for one day are as follows:

• For drinking an adult animal 0.5 l.;
• For drinking young animals 0.7 l.
• For one female (production needs, train) 7 liters.

The norms of manure output per year per animal have the following indicators:

• Adult animal 38 kg.;
• Young growth 16 kg.

Placing a fur farm next to residential buildings is unacceptable. In the case when the number of females is from 20 to 50, then the room should be located at a distance of at least 30 meters from the house. With a livestock size of 51 to 250 individuals in 60 meters. With a larger number of animals no closer than 90 meters.

To feed animals, you will need the following products:

• Meat and fish;
• Grain, compound feed;
• Fish, meat and bone or meat meal;
• Milk and dairy products;
• succulent feed;
• Feed yeast, meal, cake;
• Fish or combined fats;

Before starting the calculation of profitability, it is required to calculate all the expenses necessary for arranging the animals' accommodation, feeding them, disposing of waste products, etc. When paying back, the following indicator of the number of skins per female per year is taken - 4 or 5 pieces.

After removing the skins, it is difficult to make their high-quality dressing on your own; this requires expensive equipment. Therefore, fur farms most often harvest raw skins. They are prepared in the following way. After it is removed from the animal, its inner surface (mezdra) must be thoroughly cleaned of internal fat and meat. Lay it out on a flat surface, skin side up, and wait for it to cool. When this moment comes, well fill its surface with salt. Now you should wait a few days for drying. In the second method of processing, the skins are dipped in a strong saline solution for several hours and then put to dry. The drying process takes several days.

It is not allowed to store skins without salt treatment. In the absence of this procedure, they may begin the process of decay, hair loss. Further, independent dressing of skins is undesirable. To get really quality goods requires strict adherence to the technology of work, the use of special substances and equipment.

One factory-made mink skin costs 4,000 rubles. - male and 3000 r. - female. If you are not going to do this work yourself, you can order it from a specialized company. If an undressed skin is sold, then the price is an average of 120 rubles. for 1 dm. sq.

The price of an adult female mink is approximately 3000 rubles, and a male 2300 rubles. That is, only the purchase of animals will require at least 60 thousand rubles. The maintenance of a smaller amount is simply unprofitable. 16 females will bring offspring in 80 puppies. If everything is perfect and not one of them dies, reaches adulthood, you can sell them for about 220 thousand rubles. It is optimal to breed livestock at least 4 times more.

Sales of products are carried out in retail network shops selling furs, to factories for tailoring fur products.

Mink breeding is not required a large number funds. If you do not initially have enough money to buy a large number of animals, you can not slaughter young females, but leave them for breeding. Of course, in this case, the time for making a profit from the project is delayed by one year. The first skins will pay only for the maintenance of animals, and even then not completely.

Breeding mink in your own backyard is indeed a real and promising investment. The main thing is to fully comply with the technology of growing and feeding animals, vaccination. Remember that these animals should not be kept near living quarters, and even more so, inside them. Do not let children play with them.

Keeping minks can be a really profitable activity. There are not so many farmers in our country who breed these fur-bearing animals. At present, there are only about 30 farms of this specialization in Russia. In principle, the maintenance of such fur-bearing animals is a relatively simple matter. However, successful breeding of minks in Russia, as in any other country in the world, is possible, of course, only if the farmer has certain knowledge and skills.

The value of mink skins

At the moment, farms specializing in the cultivation of these animals are the main suppliers of material for the country's fur industry. It is the mink that most often goes in Russia for tailoring fur coats, hats, collars, scarves and even mittens. The demand for such fur is actually very high. This is explained primarily by its truly unique qualities.

AT wild nature minks, which must be bred and maintained, of course, taking into account the biological characteristics of their organism, live mainly in the northern regions of Russia. Thick fur helps these animals to keep warm in winter. A thick air layer is created between the hairs of the animal's skin, which does not let the cold through. However, density is not the only advantage of mink fur. All hairs of the skin of these animals have exactly the same length. Therefore, mink fur looks velvety and noble.

The price for one such raw skin is about 120 rubles per 100 cm 2. But this figure is, of course, approximate. The real cost of mink skins depends on two main factors - the quality of the fur itself and its shade.

Breeds and varieties

Most often, in artificial nurseries, including in Russia, breeding it is a simple task, since this variety is very unpretentious. In the wild, there are only two groups of minks - European and American. Scandinavian, in fact, is a variation of the latter. As for the breeds, their breeders bred just a huge amount. On farms, for example, mink can be bred:

piano pastel (brown);

Finnish topaz (light brown);

American palomino (beige), etc.

Especially valuable breeds among farmers are silver-blue, sapphire, iris and the like. The skins of rare white hetlunds are also very expensive. Mink breeding at home will be most beneficial when choosing blue and white breeds. But the purchase of such manufacturers, of course, will cost more.

What a novice farmer needs to know

They contain minks, like rabbits, most often in cages installed in special open spaces- shedah. The latter are, in fact, a simple canopy without any fence. In winter, minks should be kept in conditions as close to natural as possible. That is, simply put, in the cold. Otherwise, their fur will not be so beautiful and thick. Since in the wild these animals live in burrows, small insulated houses are installed for them in each cage.

Unlike the same rabbit, the mink is a predatory animal. This, of course, should be taken into account when choosing feed. As the latter, farmers usually use fish, meat and chicken waste mixed with various kinds of premixes.

Minks breed fairly quickly. A good female can bring up to 16 cubs at a time. But most often there are 5-7 kids in the litter.

How to make calculations

The breeding of minks will be successful, of course, only if the entrepreneur first draws up detailed business plan farms. Initial capital who wants to organize such an enterprise should be large enough. The construction of the shed itself will not cost too much. But for the manufacturers, of course, you have to pay a tidy sum.

It is believed that domestic mink breeding as a business can only be profitable if the farm has at least 20 females. The cost of one such individual of the usual brown color is approximately 3000 rubles. For each male, you will have to pay about 2300 rubles. Of course, there should be several such producers on the farm. In one day during the rut, the male can cover no more than three future queens. Thus, a novice farmer will have to spend at least 60-70 thousand rubles just for the purchase of producers.

Mink food, of course, will also be quite expensive. In fact, the success of the enterprise will depend on whether the farmer manages to find their cheap supplier or not. Most often, entrepreneurs involved in breeding minks enter into agreements with poultry farms for the supply of offal. Calculations should be made based on the fact that one female should receive 40-60 g of meat with bones per day, and a male - 60-80 g.

Very often, farmers add mink and fish to feed. This allows you to somewhat reduce maintenance costs. However, when using such an additive, it should be borne in mind that its total share in the diet of animals should not exceed 40%.

Where should the mink farm be located?

When choosing a place to build a shed, an entrepreneur should, of course, comply with certain SES standards. Of course, a mink is not a pig. But the smell from a farm that specializes in breeding these animals can be quite unpleasant. According to the regulations, if the farm contains up to 50 females, the distance from it to the nearest residential building should be at least 30 m. With a larger number of animals, this figure increases to 60 m.

Of course, a shed should be built where it is possible to connect to power lines. Also, the farm will need a large amount of water. Therefore, choosing a shed is a place where it does not lie too deep. In this case, drilling a well will be cheaper.

Of course, the farm should be located in a place with convenient access roads. After all, breeding minks involves the delivery of a large amount of feed, hay, sawdust, etc. to the farm. Also, skins will need to be taken out of the farm.

Construction works

To build, in fact, the shed itself, of course, will not be difficult. To build this structure, you just need to put the pillars and cover them with a two- or one-slope canopy. However, a shed is not the whole farm. A novice fur farmer will also need to build structures designed for slaughtering animals and storing equipment and feed. You will also have to build a small quarantine block.

If the farm contains 20 animals, the owner will, of course, be able to take care of them on his own. For more animals, you will most likely have to hire additional staff. In this case, the farm will need to provide, among other things, a change house with a changing room and a shower room.

Breeding minks at home: what should be the cells?

The size of the shed, of course, will depend primarily on the number of animals reared. Cells in such structures are installed close to each other, in one tier, in several rows. The sizes of such dwellings for minks can be different. But in any case, the length of the cage should not be less than 70 cm, and the width - 30 cm. The most comfortable frame height for the mink is 45 cm.

In most cases, farm owners purchase ready-made mink cages. However, if desired, such equipment can be made independently. They make cages for these animals from timber and metal mesh with a cell size of 25x25 mm. Mink houses are most often knocked down from boards or plywood. A feeder and a drinking bowl are hung on the door of each cage.

Minks are not afraid of cold weather. However, in order for the animals to feel comfortable, bedding must be placed at the bottom of each cage. It is usually made from an equal amount of wood shavings, hay and straw. In the future, the litter, of course, will have to be changed periodically. On average, one mink requires about 40 kg of a mixture of hay, straw and shavings per year.

Mink feeding features

Mink breeding as a business will bring tangible profits, of course, only if the animal's diet is properly developed. Meat and fish of any kind are given to these animals exclusively with bones and veins. Adult animals are usually fed twice a day. Young animals are given food 3-4 times a day. The simplicity of feeding minks lies primarily in the fact that these animals never overeat. You should not be afraid to overfeed them.

In addition to fish and poultry waste products, minks can be given specially prepared factory-made dry food, beef, lamb, game and mice. Do not feed these animals sausages, sweets, salty foods, canned food, citrus fruits, dairy products, and anything fried. Only sea fish can be given to minks.

Reproduction of animals

Mink breeding will not be successful if the owner of the farm does not take care of periodic renewal and increase in his livestock. The mink rut begins in March. It is possible to determine that an individual is ready for mating by its characteristic rumbling. The mating of these animals is allowed from the age of 11 months. The offspring of the queens, covered in March, appears by the beginning of May. During pregnancy, females eat much more than in the normal state. of course must be taken into account. If a pregnant mink does not receive enough nutrients and vitamins, her cubs will be born weak and sickly. It will be impossible to get good skins from them in the future. Pregnant minks should be fed ad libitum. Of course, you need to pay maximum attention to the development of the menu of male producers. It should be as varied as possible.

Owners of mink farms usually start preparing for childbirth from April 15th. At this time, the houses of the females are cleaned, treated with flea products and disinfected. Further, a larger mixture of hay, straw and sawdust is placed in the female's cage.

Mink cubs are born completely naked. Valuable fur they begin to grow only after a while. Therefore, the female house in the cage must be well insulated. Only in this case, breeding mink at home will be successful. In a cold nest, puppies can easily catch a cold and die.

Young Animal Care

At first, mink puppies feed exclusively on mother's milk. The eyes of the cubs open approximately on the 25-30th day. On the 20th day, the teeth erupt in puppies. It is by this time that well-chopped food on a small metal plate should begin to be placed in the cage. The uterus will independently carry it to the babies in the nest.

When the puppies are one month old, the female will begin to pull them outside to the feeder. After a while, the cubs get used to going to the tray themselves.

At 5-7 weeks of age, mink puppies become very voracious. If they do not have enough food at this time, they can gnaw each other or even kill and eat the female herself. This, of course, must be taken into account by the owner of the farm.

Lunge of young animals in minks is usually small. Some puppies die, mostly only in the first week after birth.

Young minks are weaned from the uterus most often at the age of 1.5 months. Cells for young animals are prepared in advance. Puppies are seated one by one or in pairs. Minks born in May are usually slaughtered in November.

Possible profit and reviews

You can get income from a farm of this specialization mainly in two ways - by selling animal skins, as well as thoroughbred producers. Some owners of mink breeding farms also sell some of the young as pets. With the proper organization of the farm, mink breeding can bring really big profits.

Example of Cost and Revenue Calculation

So how profitable can a mink farm be? Further, for clarity, we present to the reader's attention a few figures for a nursery for 240 females and 60 males. The organization of the farm in this case usually costs about 4,200,000 rubles. At the same time, annual expenses amount to about 2,891,000 rubles. Skins and producers for the year in such a nursery can be sold for about 4,000,000 rubles. Thus, net profit farmer is 1,109,000 rubles / year.

Instead of a conclusion

Of course, 240 heads of females is a lot. In most cases, entrepreneurs initially purchase much fewer manufacturers. But even a farm of 20 heads can become quite profitable. It is believed that with just one pair of minks, you can get up to 120,000 rubles of income per year. Thus, this business is really quite profitable - breeding minks as a business. Reviews of such farms, of course, are mostly only good. But, according to farmers, efforts to maintain such a nursery will have to be made very, very much. Otherwise, of course, it will not work to make a profit from breeding minks.

What woman does not dream of a mink coat? The fur of this animal is highly valued in the market, so the cultivation of mink is becoming quite profitable business. Over the past five years, the number of mink farming firms has increased five-fold, from seven to thirty-five organizations in sixteen regions of the country. There are over 300 different colors of mink fur. The most popular are products of black, brown and sapphire animals.

Today, together with our readers, we will consider mink breeding as a business, give all the numbers of interest and advice from experienced professionals.

First you need to prepare a business plan for breeding minks. In order not to waste your savings or investor money, calculate all the necessary expenses to start a business . According to statistics, 80% of business failures are caused by incorrect calculations or ignoring them altogether.

After you have seen all the items of expenditure and measured them with your budget, go to register your activities. To conduct this kind of business, it is necessary to register as a farm with a traditional form of taxation. This form allows you not to limit yourself in amounts and types of activities, plus it is beneficial for the buyer to purchase goods from a VAT payer for large deliveries.

After registration, you need to choose a room for your farm. Before that, you should estimate the scale of your business, that is, how many heads you are going to keep - five hundred or tens of thousands. At the first stages, it is recommended to purchase no more than two hundred minks, for this you will need to hire only a few assistants, which will reduce the initial costs. Automation is not needed at the first stages, professionals recommend purchasing equipment after purchasing one or two thousand animals (it is not profitable to maintain such a number of employees).

Mink breeding - profitable business, but a large start-up capital is required to start it

room

When choosing a room, it is necessary to take into account the recommendations of the fire department, veterinary service, sanitary and epidemiological stations, that is, bodies that oversee the activities of the farm. It is necessary to bypass the territory near the water protection zone and residential buildings. With a population of two hundred heads, the minimum distance to the dwelling should be one hundred meters.

When choosing a room, it is also necessary to take care in advance how the animals will eat, how the household waste will be disposed of.

Minks should be kept in special cages. The size of the cages should be enough for the free movement of the animal, because the mink leads an active lifestyle. In the cage you need to place a house where the animal can hide. Near the house there should be a drinking bowl, a bath (minks love to swim) and a feeder. All items must be fixed, otherwise the active mink will turn everything upside down with pleasure.

The lattices of the cage should be 2-2.5 centimeters in diameter, adult minks will not crawl into such holes, and young animals can slip through. Therefore, young minks are planted in cages with small cells, boxes.

Minks do not tolerate heat, so the room should be located in the shade and not heated in winter.

Mink Care

Minks in the wild are excellent hunters, they feed on small rodents, birds, and fish. Therefore, it is imperative to include fresh meat, fish, dairy products, dry food and cereals in the diet of domestic minks.

Remember: Do not feed the mink with waste, this will affect the color and quality of its fur.

Proper nutrition will protect the animal from disease and accelerate growth. Laboratory mice are considered to be their ideal food product, which can be grown on the same farm on their own or purchased. To count the number of mice, it is necessary to understand that the mink masters one or two mice per day. Cheap fish is also a good option for their diet. In the event of the death of a mink, it can also be given to relatives for lunch.

In addition to the main food, animals need vitamins and supplements, because their body cannot cope with possible diseases, and they can easily infect other individuals. In the event of an epidemic, your business will fail, so be safe, consult with veterinarians about vaccines and vitamins.

The amount of waste from an adult animal per year is thirty-eight kilograms, from young animals - sixteen kilograms.

Bedding (hay, straw, sawdust) for an adult animal takes up to 30 kilograms per year, for young animals - no more than 4 kilograms.

Remember: It is necessary to store the material under the litter in a place inaccessible to rodents. Do not use material damaged by pests or mold as a bedding for minks.

• Minks reach sexual maturity by 10 months;
• Animals mate in March, and whelp in late April - early May;
• To determine pregnancy in females, pay attention to their abdomen, it increases about two weeks before birth;
• The ideal bedding for offspring will be hay and soft shavings;
• The offspring is born helpless, deaf and blind. Therefore, for the first 20 days, the mother must be with the brood in the nest, feeding the animals with her milk;
• The greatest value is the winter fur, which grows from November to December. At this time, animals are selected for slaughter to obtain skins.
• The selection of individuals for breeding is carried out in the fall, competent breeding work will help maintain the mink population, as well as preserve the breed;
• Minks older than six years are not used for breeding, as the quality of their fur is deteriorating.

Skin preparation

It is unprofitable for the owner of a small farm to carry out dressing on his own, because this requires expensive equipment. Therefore, farmers often harvest raw skins. But you need to prepare the skin of a mink in a certain way. To do this, it is necessary to separate the inner part of the skin from meat and fat, spread it on a flat surface with the fur down and fill the mezdra (inner part) well with salt. After that, you need to leave the skin to dry for one or two days.

Remember: You cannot store the skin without salt treatment! The process of rotting and hair loss will begin.

Sales routes

There are several types of mink marketing:

• Sale of live animals (as pets);
• Realization of mink skin (for factories that deal in fur products);
• Independent production of fur products.

For an average farm with a thousand or fewer animals, it is more promising to sell skins and live animals, this will not require large cash injections. Large farms are beginning to manufacture fur products on their own, which have automated work with animals, have equipment for dressing skins, and there is the possibility of hiring personnel for sewing fur products.

Farm expenses and income

In order to consider the profitability of this business, let's turn to the costs of starting the project and possible income.

The price of an adult female ranges from three to four thousand rubles, the male will cost two and a half thousand. The ratio of the number of males and females is one to five (there can be five females per male). That is, out of 200 minks purchased in our example, 35 can be males, and 175 females. In total, six hundred and twelve and a half thousand rubles are needed for the purchase of livestock.

One cage for a mink costs about two thousand rubles, which is another half a million rubles in addition to the starting costs. The rent of the premises is on average - thirty thousand per month, which is three hundred and sixty thousand per year. According to experts, on average, one mink a month costs one hundred rubles. That is, the cost of annual livestock maintenance is two hundred and fifty thousand.

One female a year gives offspring up to 5 puppies, that is, in a year the farmer has the opportunity to increase the livestock four times. Some of the resulting offspring can be sold, and some can be used for skinning. The price of mink skins is two hundred rubles per square decimeter, a whole young skin costs about two thousand rubles. The young animal itself is usually sold for seven hundred to eight hundred rubles.

The salary of the workers who will feed the animals and clean the cages will take two hundred to two hundred and fifty thousand rubles a year.

That is, when selling the first offspring of young animals and their skins, the farmer will gain from one to one and a half million rubles. This means that the business will pay off after two years of operation of the farm.

Summarizing all of the above, it should be noted that the mink breeding business requires a large initial capital and compliance with breeding and cultivation technology. The biggest risk of failure in this business lies in the death of animals with improper care. Therefore, if you decide to start breeding minks, then be patient and hire a veterinarian on staff who will keep the offspring healthy.