Furbearing animals have been raised on farms in North America since shortly after the Civil War. Today's farm-raised furbearers are among the world's best cared-for animals. Good nutrition, comfortable housing and prompt veterinary care have resulted in domestic animals very well suited to the farm environment. Precise attention to animal care has enabled North American farmers to produce the finest quality fur in the world.

In 1994, family fur farms in North America produced approximately 3.8 million mink and fox pelts with a value of nearly $113 million. The U.S. produces about 10% of the world's mink supply, while Canada accounts for another 4%. Much of this fur is exported to other parts of the world.

There are about 1,200 mink and fox farms in North America. Many more mink are raised than foxes, and mink farms are generally larger operations than fox farms.

Fur farms in North America were the first in the world to develop black mink. This color is quite rare in nature. Breeding stock was sold to Scandinavian countries, the Soviet Union and countries in the Far East. Using special selective breeding programs designed for domestic mink and fox, North American fur farmers have developed the wide variety of pelt colors used in manufacturing fur garments today, including many shades of brown, gray, blue and white to complement the black (standard) pelts which are popular through the world.
Most fur farms in North America are family businesses, often operated by two or three generations of the same family. Today's young fur farmer generally has a college or university degree in agriculture, biology or business. Virtually every fur farmer begins by serving at least a one-year apprenticeship on a well-established farm to learn the complete annual fur production cycle.

QUALITY FUR FROM QUALITY CARE

North American mink and fox farmers are strongly committed to the ethic of human care. To promote good animal husbandry and humane farm management practices, they have developed comprehensive standards of practice. Created in consultation with veterinarians and animal scientists, the standards contain guidelines for:

  • Farm Management
  • Accommodations (Site, Sheds and Pens)
  • Food (Nutrition, Preparation, Distribution)
  • Watering Systems
  • Health and Disease Control
  • Environmental Quality (Sanitation, Water Quality)
  • Transport of Live Mink
  • Euthanasia

The standards are administered in the United States by the Animal Welfare Committee of Fur Commission USA (FCUSA), and in Canada by the Canadian Mink Breeders Association. They are periodically revised to reflect the most current knowledge of animal care and the most humane management techniques.

HUMANE EUTHANASIA

Humane euthanasia techniques practiced of fur farms are those recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association in the United States and by the Guelph University Research Facility in Canada.

The only method of euthanasia for mink certified by the FCUSA Animal Welfare Committee is pure carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide bottled gas. The animals are placed in a special airtight container which has been prefilled with gas. The unit is mobile and is brought to the cages to minimize any stress form handling. The animals are immediately rendered unconscious and die without stress or pain.

Due to the larger physical size of fox, the American Veterinary Medical Association approves lethal injection as the most humane method. This method causes instant cardiac arrest. Lethal injections is the only fox harvesting method recommended by FCUSA Animal Welfare Committee.

FUR FARMING'S ROLE IN AGRICULTURE

In the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) includes fur farming in annual agriculture production statistics and reports, as do most state agriculture departments. In Canada, fur farming is licensed and regulated by the provincial departments of agriculture.

Fur farming plays an important role in the agriculture chain. Furbearers are fed mixtures of fresh meats and meat byproducts, fish, eggs, poultry and pork byproduct, and grains. Over a billion pounds of these byproducts are consumed each year on fur farms. In coastal regions with access to fish processing plants, diets are likely to be based more extensively on fish. In other areas, there is more reliance on byproducts from meat and poultry processing facilities. Mink and fox also consume prepared rations produced by commercial animal feed companies.

The feed byproducts described here are inappropriate for human consumption. If they weren't consumed by furbearers, they would require disposal, probably in scarce landfill space, as solid waste. By purchasing offal which would otherwise be discarded, fur farmers provide a source of revenue for other agriculture producers, effectively subsidizing lower food costs for consumers.

Beautiful, warm, durable fur is just one of the byproducts of fur farming. After fur pelts are harvested, carcasses are processed to become protein meal, a basic ingredient in pet and animal feeds. In mink, the layer of fat between the pelt and the carcass produces mink oil, an important ingredient in hypoallergenic soaps, cosmetics and hair care products. Mink oil is also used as a lubricant for fine leathers to keep them soft and supple. Nutrient rich manure from fur farms, an environmentally preferable alternative to chemicals, is in heavy demand as a natural fertilizer for crop fields.

THE ROLE OF FARMER ASSOCIATIONS

State and provincial fur farming associations, together with the Fur Commission USA, Canada Mink Breeders Association, the U.S. Fox Shippers Council and others, promote sound and humane farming practices. They accomplish this by administering comprehensive standards for farm management and organizing seminars, field days, local meeting and live mink and fox shows.

Gunnar Jorgenson, head of research for the State Animal Husbandry Station in Hilleroed, Denmark, where many mink and fox are raised, has written;

"Farm produced furbearing animals are for the most part beasts of prey, namely mink and foxes. It is characteristic of beasts of prey that they cannot develop or reproduce normally if conditions are not optimum with regard to cages, food and care…"

"As far as nourishment is concerned, furbearing animals have a very low level of tolerance. Consequently, modern fur animal production is based not only on optimum supply of specific foodstuffs, but also on the fact that the foodstuffs comprise a combination of high quality ingredients and low contamination level."

Sven Wahlberg, General Secretary of the World Wildlife Fund (Sweden) and Gunnar Krantz, Chairman of the Swedish Federation of Animal Protection Societies, described the commitment of farmers to proper animal care:

"Only a person who is interested in animals and who likes them becomes a fur farmer. These criteria are essential for two reasons: working with furbearing animals is no easy job; it is both hard and time-consuming. They are live animals and must be cared for and fed every day - weekday, weekend or public holiday. It takes a real interest in animals to work up the best material. The farmer who has no real interest in his animals or feeling for their welfare soon suffers himself, in the form of poor financial return…"

Recognizing that the future of fur farming depends on maintaining the highest standards of care, most associations conduct continuing education programs to keep farmers fully apprised of new techniques and changing technologies. Topics regularly addressed include disease control, nutrition, genetics, husbandry methods and reproduction. These programs are farmer supported and are not based on government study.

THE MERIT AWARD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

This Merit Award certification seal is awarded to fur farms which meet the criteria set forth by the FCUSA Animal Welfare Committee in its "Standard Guidelines for the Operation of Mink and Fox Farms in the United States."

After inspection by an independent, licensed veterinarian to verify compliance with Commission standards, farms that are certified are authorized to use the Merit Award certified seal until the next mandatory reinspection.

The Merit Award seal is an honor for commitment to humane treatment in all aspects of fur farming:

  • Vigilant attention to nutritional needs
  • Clean, safe and appropriate housing
  • Prompt veterinary care
  • Consideration for the animal's disposition and reproductive needs
  • Elimination of outside stress

Humane fur farming practices have positioned North American fur at the top of the world market, annually attracting buyers from across the globe to auction houses in the United States and Canada. Producing the world's best fur does not happen by accident. It's a reward for years of conscientious attention to providing the best possible animal care.

Information provided by Fur Commission USA.