Analysis of body type evaluation of different color variants of farmed mink (Mustela vison Sch.) against current evaluation standard

Abstract

The aim of the study was to comparatively analyze the body type traits in mink of different color variants, over a period of a few years, compared against the current mink evaluation standard. The mink were managed on mink farms located in northwestern Poland. The analysis covered the years 2011-2018. A statistically significant effect of color variant, year of assessment and farm, on which the license took place, was found. The highest average grades for the type were achieved by the mink in 2014, while the color variant achieving best grades was Standard mink. Sapphire mink attained a similar rating. The variability of the assessment of the mink type, measured by the coefficient of variation, ranged within 24.86-33.99%, depending on the adopted criterion. The mink with grade B were characterized by the highest percentage share among the tested animals. These represented 45% of all mink assessed.

Nursing of mink in nest boxes insulated with different materials

“…The mortality rate of young mink during the period of maternal nursing ranges from 13 to as much as 27% [Lagerkvist et al 1994], and the highest mortality is recorded in the first week after birth [Felska-Błaszczyk 2021]. The survival rate of the young is determined by many factors, including color variety, age of the mother, and litter size Kołodziejczyk 2006, Kołodziejczyk andSocha 2012]. Schou and Malmkvist [2017] and Seremak et al [2013] found that litters that were too numerous had a higher mortality rate than litters that were less numerous, which was due to the fact that pups in larger litters (more than 9 young) are much smaller and the mother has limited feeding capacity.…”