MINK 95 



a litter. The young minks had litters of from two to four and the 

 older breeders sometimes had six. With such satisfactory results, 

 when every pair raised could be sold for $40.00 and food could be procured 

 freely, it is inconceivable why development of the business did not 

 proceed. The managers were continually selling off their stock and 

 capturing more wild ones. They also admitted that they would not 

 again use board floors for mink, but would have pens enclosing a large 

 area of ground. From these facts, it may readily be concluded that 

 there were considerable difhculties of some kind. 



T, c- '"^ study of the literature available leads to the conclusion 



for Pens t^^^t it will be possible to rear mink in secluded wooded 

 areas on the banks of a stream or pond. The method adopted 

 at Lac Chaud is sure to be, at least, partially successful and may prove 

 to be profitable. The cost of building a mink-proof fence in the water 

 is high, compared with the cost of building on land. For this reason 

 a site on an island is not considered as good as a site on a pond; for 

 the whole pond or lake can be enclosed with a land fence. Thus a 

 small lake, a dam, or a stream can be utilized for a ranch of any of 

 the above-mentioned types. A shed could be built on the banks 

 of a stream and the pens extended outside the walls of the building 

 across the stream. The pens need not be wider than 3 or 4 feet nor 

 longer than 5 or 6 feet inside the building, but should be twice as long 

 outside. To prevent burrowing, the outside walls should be sunk in 

 the ground about 18 inches, except where in the water. If the natural 

 method of ranching is used, two water areas would be necessary to 

 provide two fenced areas. 



It is advisable to double fence a mink ranch, similarly to a fox 

 ranch, in order to prevent their escape and to keep off intruders, es- 

 pecially dogs and other wUd animals, the smell or sight of which seems 

 to inspire the mink with great fear. 



In the natural method of ranching, the sexes seek each other out, 

 but, when one animal is placed in each pen, the keeper has to be very 

 watchful during the latter part of February and up to the middle of 

 March. The male mink can be admitted through chutes or by a box 

 trap and has to be withdrawn at once if the two begin to quarrel and 

 returned at intervals of two days. If no quarrelling occurs, the male is 

 not withdrawn for two days. When as many males as females are 

 kept they are placed in the same pen about the last of February and 

 left together until about April 15th. Single mating is preferable. 

 Mating usually takes place in March, and constant watchfulness has to 

 be exercised to prevent fights when the male is admitted at the wrong 

 time. Some males are very vicious and wEl fight other animals of 



