FUR-FARMING IN CANADA eae 
In one case the canine teeth of a vicious male were cut off and he 
became quite docile. Mink may be safely handled if two pairs of 
woolen mitts are worn. 
The period of gestation is about six weeks. The tiny young, which 
are blind for about five weeks, should not be handled. Before they are 
six weeks old, the mother leads them out and they begin eating solid 
food. At six or seven weeks of age they should be taken from the 
mother, unless she is of a very quiet and gentle temperament. Most 
of them will become quite tame. 
The following practical hints on mink-farming have 
Practical Hints been recently published in circular form by the 
on Mink-Farming _. g é 
Biological Survey of the United States Depaitment 
of Agriculture: 
(1) Minks should be kept in the proportion of one male to five or 
six females. 
(2) Each breeding female should have a separate pen. The male 
should be kept by himself except at mating time. The females begin to 
rut about the middle of February. The male should be admitted to the 
female for about one day. The young are born about the middle of April. 
(3) The females must be kept alone or they will be likely to kill 
each other’s young. The male would also kill them if he had an oppor- 
tunity. 
(4) Food: The best steady food for minks is bread and sweet 
milk, corn-mush and milk, or corn-mush cooked with bits of meat in 
it. The animals should have meat or fish about twice a week. The 
meat may be a very cheap kind. Keep pans clean and feed only as 
much as the milk will eat up clean at each feeding. Feed once a day, 
except females that are suckling young. These should be fed twice. 
Provide fresh water regularly. Do not salt the food. 
(5) Pens: Pens should be 5 or 6 feet square, the sides of smooth 
wide boards cut 4 feet long and set up with the lower end resting on a 
footing of stone or concrete 18 inches in the ground. The floor of the 
pen should be the bare ground. The pens can be built economically in 
groups of four or more. The sides can be of heavy wire netting instead 
of boards, but in that case the top would need to be netted or the ani- 
mals would climb out. 
(6) Boxes: Boxes about 2 feet by 14 feet by 14 feet im size 
should be provided for nests. They should have hinged lids so as to 
allow their being opened and examined. Fine straw or hay should be 
