Humane Care is the Right Thing To Do

Humane care also makes good business sense since the healthiest animals produce the finest furs.

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A vast majority of the fur sold today comes from farms where mink can be raised in optimum conditions. This guarantees best levels of animal care and top quality furs.

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Animal husbandry is paramount to mink farmers because, as any pet owner knows, an animal’s coat shows the first sign that there is something wrong.  Because U.S. mink farmers are so vigilant about the health and well being of the animals, the U.S. produces the finest pelts in the world.

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As with all America’s livestock producers, mink farmers are regulated by state departments of agriculture. In addition to meeting state requirements, mink farmers have developed a comprehensive set of their own standards, in consultation with veterinarians and animal scientists, to ensure the highest quality of animal husbandry. These standards cover factors such as protection, handling, food and water, cage size, transportation and euthanasia. These standards are administered by Fur Commission USA (FCUSA). FCUSA is also responsible for ensuring these standards are revised and updated according to current knowledge of animal care and farm management techniques. FCUSA standards meet Furmark global standards for animal welfare and traceability

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Farmers are responsible for their animals’ care from birth to death. When harvest time comes around, a mobile unit is brought to the cages to eliminate stress that might be caused by transporting them long distances (loading, unloading and transporting animals is generally much more stressful for them than the actual harvesting operation.) This mobile unit includes a specially designed airtight container that has been pre-filled with cooled carbon monoxide gas. The animals are placed inside and immediately rendered unconscious, and die quickly and humanely.

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Read about the Fur Commission Humane Care Farm Certification Program and watch the video below to learn more about the standards of humane care in mink farming.