Mink breeding as a business. Mink farming as a home business. How to start your mink farming business

The fur farming has been a profitable business for many years and quickly pays for itself. Considering the breeding of fur animals, this is not surprising. What young lady doesn't dream of a chic mink coat or hat? Fashion trends provide all the prerequisites for the development of this type of entrepreneurship. Plus, the price of fur is growing steadily every year.

Mink breeding as a business can be divided into two components: live sales and fur sales. Now it has become very popular to have this animal as a pet, like a cat or a dog. And products made from it do not leave indifferent both women and men, showing the consistency and position. And who would refuse a mink coat or hats.

The mink is a predator that needs proper care and nutrition. The quality of fur and further products from it will depend on this.

Types of minks for breeding

There are many types of minks for breeding. The main ones are:

  • black;
  • sapphire;
  • gray-blue;
  • pastel;
  • American.

Mink is a beautiful and profitable animal for breeding

The black mink is the most common type of animal. For many years, her fur has been used for the manufacture of fur coats, hats, bags and is in great demand. The products are shiny and beautiful. Well, we must not forget that black is very practical to wear.

The American mink is well suited for farming and is the oldest species of animal. Color - the so-called standard or brown. For the price, fur will be the most inexpensive among others. In terms of quality characteristics, it is no different from blue mink fur, it's all about the quantity and prevalence.

Blue-gray and pastel mink are some of the most expensive types. Although their fertility is about 4 puppies, the price of their fur is only increasing. Perhaps this is also due to the fact that it is these minks that are recommended to be kept at home as a pet. They are the least aggressive and get used to people rather quickly.

The sapphire mink is an artificially bred species of animal. It can be bred as pets, and for the purpose of obtaining fur. It differs from the blue brother in a delicate ash shade. A fur coat made of such an animal will cost an order of magnitude more than an American one. Has a friendly character, but recognizes only one owner. Perfectly replaces a small dog in the house.

Keeping and feeding animals

Breeding mink at home can become not just a hobby, but a business, but for this you need to know the principles of keeping and feeding these animals in captivity.

First you need to decide on the place where the farm itself will be located. It is better to choose districts remote from the city - minks do not like noise. The number of animals depends only on financial capacity... But females should be 70% of all heads.

To breed mink, you need to order solid wooden houses

It is also important for the breeder to know the nature of the beast. It is not worth letting the female and the male out into the open. At first, you need to take the animal in your hands with gloves to avoid injury.

Considering that the mink is an aggressive animal, it needs a separate cage. They can be arranged horizontally or in two rows, forming the so-called sheds. The length can be completely different, it all depends on the number of animals that will live in it. The cages should not be drawn close together; for this, wooden partitions are placed between them. From above, this entire structure is covered with tiles. Each shed looks like a separate face. Together, the sheds are covered with a canopy that saves from rain and sun, but at the same time, the animal is, as it were, in the fresh air.

The mink's cage should be spacious and metal. The beast needs to move freely without feeling discomfort. It should not be less than 45 centimeters in height and about 115 in length. Each cell must contain the following items:

  • feeder;
  • drinker;
  • a container with bathing water;
  • house.

Read also: How to start breeding nutria at home as a business

In the mink's feeder, food should appear 1-2 times a day. These can be dairy products, fish, eggs and, of course, meat. We must not forget that this beast is a predator! All food must be fresh and preferably raw. Remember that vitamins and minerals will enter the animal's body only from vegetables and grains. They shouldn't be processed. Feeding should be close to natural habitat. Mice are a meat delicacy for captive minks. You can buy them at pet stores, but it is better to grow them yourself.

Also, this beast will never give up chicken. You can give any part of it, even with seeds. With regards to fish, you need to be extremely careful. Try to freeze this product before feeding. He should also prevail in the diet. It can be pollock, crucian carp, as well as any small fish. The animal does not disdain by-products either. Mink can eat any cereals. If the animal refuses to eat them, then replace them with bone meal. Vegetables can be worse. Mink is a predatory animal, but this does not negate the fact that vitamins and minerals must enter its body (especially for females). If the animal still refused to eat vegetables (it can be zucchini, carrots, beets), then buy vitamins or yeast.

Minks need to be kept in sturdy metal cages with a small cell

Dairy products and eggs are pampering for the mink. She will like fatty cottage cheese and milk. Adults are generally not fed with such food, but small predators are necessarily fed with such foods 2 times a week. They just need calcium to form the skeleton and teeth. And the quality of the fur directly depends on how the animal eats.

The animal's drinker should always be filled with liquid. Since this animal is very nimble, it is advisable to screw the drinker to the cage. The size of the tank should be larger than the animal's face. It can contain either pure water or milk. The water must be changed once a day. And remember that the mink is an animal that loves to drink, average consumption drinking per day will be 0.5 liters. You can buy such a drinker at any pet store.

One of the main accessories that should be in a cage is a bathing container. Mink is a very active animal by nature. She can run or swim all day long. Bathing is a favorite pastime of this fur-bearing animal. The water should be clean and moderately cold, but never hot! You can make such a pool with your own hands or buy a ready-made one. It, like the drinker, must be firmly attached to the cage. The dimensions should be at least 2 times the size of the animal itself. A self-constructed bathing tank should be made of material that the mink cannot gnaw through with its teeth!

The house for the animal is a very important part of the cage. It should be comfortable for the mink to hide and rest in it. Hay or wood pellets can be used as bedding. It needs to be changed as it gets dirty, but at least once a week to keep the cage clean. It is desirable that there are several labyrinths in the house, as minks love to hide. A dwelling can be made from scrap materials such as wood, tiles and metal. How interesting it will be depends only on the imagination of the master.

Mink care

This fur-bearing animal is quite whimsical, so growing a mink at home is a lot of trouble.

It is not enough just to keep her in a cage and feed her. The first thing to think about is the temperature in the room where it is located. Considering that this fur-bearing animal has warm fur, the room should be cool. Cleaning is done about 1 time per week when kept on the farm. You do not need to bathe her, she will clean herself in sawdust.

Mink farming is one of the most promising areas in business development. The entrepreneurial activity of raising animals is widespread in 14 regions, which means that there is a demand.

Mink farming business

Mainly bred minks of three colors - STK, pastel, sapphire. The rest for breeding for sale in practice have not found application.

Mink breeding as a business is implemented in two ways:

  1. Raising females and males of common colors.
  2. To breed individuals of rare colors - pearl. These are more expensive.

It is necessary to choose which type of labor will be used on the farm - manual or automated. It depends on the number of planned purchases of animals and the staff. When workers handle animal care and feed themselves, don't spend extra money on automation.

Organization of a mink farm

To organize and establish mink farming as a business, you first need to choose a site for construction. All actions taken by the organization entrepreneurial activity must be coordinated with the fire inspectorate, sanitary, epidemiological and veterinary supervision.

You cannot be located in the water protection zone. With regard to large farms, on them automation is considered normal not less than 50%. On small ones, it is advisable to use manual labor.

It is unacceptable to locate a mink farm near residential buildings. Minimum distance:

  • with a livestock of 20-50 females - at a distance of 30 m from the house;
  • when the number of females is from 51 to 250 - from 60 meters;
  • when the number of animals on the farm exceeds 250 individuals - no closer than 90 m.

The business of growing mink makes a profit, but before calculating the profitability, the costs of equipping and keeping animals, feeding and disposing of residues are calculated.

Sales of products are organized in shops that sell fur products, and in factories for sewing fur coats and hats.

Farms - technological standards

Mink farms work well as a small subsidiary plots, and a large farming enterprise. It is better to immediately know how many animals you can keep at the first stage, whether additional workers are needed. The presence of a veterinarian at the enterprise is not necessary, it is enough to visit him on call.

Technological design standards

  1. The recommended number of females is from 20 to 500.
  2. The following factors apply to the herd:
    • females - 1;
    • males - 0.2;
    • young growth (offspring) - 5.1.
  3. Minks are reared until the animal enters the active growth stage; individuals under the age of 8 months are considered young.
  4. Animal rut usually begins in the second half of February and lasts until March.
  5. Fertilization (pupping) occurs from late April to May.
  6. Pregnancy in females from 30 days to 2 months and twenty days.
  7. Cubs are taken from females and set off at 35–45 days of age.
  8. All adults of the herd must be kept in separate cages, youngsters can be planted in pairs.
  9. It is not recommended to breed minks in areas where the summer temperature is above 30 degrees, and constant air cooling is not provided in the premises for keeping animals. At high above zero temperatures, the fur of animals loses quality, which affects the price of products.
  10. The containment cage should consist of a house and a walking area. Height - not less than 45 cm. House area - 0.15 sq. M., Walk - 0.338 sq. M. For young animals, respectively - 0.039 and 0.098 sq.
  11. The room should have a central and transverse aisles, as well as a utility room for storing inventory.
  12. Depending on the processing technology of skins, animals are kept in single-tier cages, double-row or multi-row sheds.
  13. The cage is made of a metal mesh with a mesh size of 25x25 mm.

For high-quality breeding of animals you will need:

  • room for the preparation of feed;
  • a place for slaughtering and initial processing of skins;
  • fencing throughout the farm;
  • sewerage, electricity and heat supply, water supply;
  • warehouse and utility rooms;
  • platforms and sheds for storing manure and peat.

Animal care

Approximate water norms per day:

  • 0.5 l. for an adult mink;
  • 0.7 l. for the cub;
  • 7l. - for 1 female (train, production needs).
  • adult animal - 38 kilograms;
  • young growth - 16 kg.

Products required for animal feeding:

  • meat;
  • a fish;
  • corn;
  • compound feed;
  • meat and bone, fish meal;
  • dairy products;
  • juicy feed;
  • sprat, cake, feed yeast;
  • fish oil or prefabricated fortified fats.

For bedding, hay, straw (from awnless cereals), wood shavings (sawdust) are needed. Change as it gets dirty. For one adult animal, 30 kilograms of bedding material is harvested per year, for young individuals - 4. Store in a place inaccessible to rodents - under a canopy, in a stack, in a ventilated barn. It is strictly forbidden to use material damaged by rodents, as well as with traces of mold and dust.

Expensive equipment is needed for dressing skins, therefore, for further processing, they are handed over to wholesale customers at a good price.

Breeding mink for skins

After removing the skin from the animal, its inner part, the flesh, is cleaned of fat and meat, then spread on a flat surface with fur downwards until it cools. After that it is covered with salt for 2-3 days until it dries.

The second way - the skins are dipped for 5-6 hours in a strong salt solution, and then laid out on the surface to dry. Drying process takes several days.

Storage without treatment with saline or salt is unacceptable. Further dressing of skins on their own is undesirable. Manufacturers use equipment.

You don't need a lot of capital to breed minks. First, young females are left to reproduce offspring in order to increase the population. The time for making a profit will be delayed, start looking for reliable buyers, conclude an agreement.

when they sell unworked skin, the price will be 120 rubles. for 1 square decimeter. Factory dressing costs 3000 - 4000 rubles. It is more profitable to sell a factory one - you can order work from professionals.

Price for an adult female - from 3000 rubles. Male - 2300 rubles. The purchase of animals will require from 60 thousand rubles. Each female gives birth to up to 5 puppies per year. An increase in the number of minks four times from the initial number is considered optimal, giving the enterprise a good profitability. Ideally, when not a single calf dies, a good profit is made for the sale of the young. To save feed, part of the offspring can be sold, and part can be used to obtain skins.

It must be borne in mind that the delivery of the first skins will only pay for the maintenance of the animals, and then only partially. The main thing in business is strict adherence to technology, vaccinations. Animals should not be kept in living quarters and kept close to children.

Breeding mink. Mink feeding

Breeding mink

Hello dear readers of our site, today we will touch on the topic of animal husbandry, not so long ago we wrote about breeding and keeping nutria at homeI, today we will talk about mink. Keeping minks at home it is a very profitable business, because it is not for nothing that mink production is considered a leader in the fur farming industry.

Among other things, minks feel great in captivity, they are not whimsical to food, they live well in cages.

Minks are relatively small animals, body weight reaches about 790 grams. for female minks and about 1.5 kg. for male minks, the body length excluding the tail will be approximately 40 cm for females and 50 cm for males, respectively. Therefore, the mink cages are made small, the main condition is the size of the mesh cells, take into account the fact that the mink puppies are very small, if you have a mesh with large cells, then the mink puppies should be kept in another room so that they do not fall out of the cage.

Mink feeding

Do not forget that the mink in the wild is a predator, so meat should be included in their diet. The diet of the mink during the dormant period and during the breeding period is different, so at rest fish, meat waste, cereals, and dairy products prevail in the mink feed. During the breeding season, minks need enhanced nutrition, the same fish, meat plus vegetable food, sometimes fish oil is given to minks, milk and yeast are added to the feed for pregnant females and mink puppies.

Minks are seasonal animals, they breed puppies, in the spring, for the winter, minks grow fur, which is of the greatest value, because of it, as a rule, minks are bred. In the period from November to December, minks are selected, which will be slaughtered to obtain fur. Also, in the fall, you need to select minks for breeding, so as not to lose the livestock, it is worth selecting strong, active animals. On average, the mink is kept for about 5 years, after which it is slaughtered, otherwise the quality of the fur will deteriorate.

There are a huge variety of mink colors, over 300, but there are not so many main types, now we will consider the most common mink colors that are found when grown on farms.

photo of mink

  • -Dark brown mink, this is the dominant species, from which all other colors of animals went, this color is found in almost 34% of the female population.
  • -Black mink, very rare and makes up no more than 1.2% of all animals that are bred in fur farms.
  • -Silver blue, the most common group of minks, found in 39% of animal husbandry cases.
  • -Sapphire mink, appeared as a result of selection, by crossing the Aleutian mink with a silver-blue, is distinguished by very high rates of offspring survival, which is less than 88%.
  • -Pastel mink, resembles a dark brown mink in color, but has a blue tint, which gives its skin a special charm and is valued much higher, and the species is also highly fertile and high rate the survival rate of the offspring, it is 90%.

Breeding mink at home

We have already mentioned that they are not very large in size, they are also mobile, active, like to play, with the help of their claws, they can climb on almost any surface in any direction. Therefore, if you plan to keep a mink in an apartment, then take care of buying a cage for a mink, otherwise there will be peace, you only dream, you need to walk the mink, letting it out of the cage, it will walk around the room.

Minks are very fond of playing with the owner. , in this regard, they are very similar to cats, but unlike the latter, they love to take baths, so a basin of water will be the sweetest thing for them. The character of the mink is pretty nasty, they do not get along very well with other animals in the house, therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant consequences, it is better to keep the mink separately from other domestic animals. To avoid being bitten by your pet, when you vaccinate him (and you need to do it once a year), put on thick gloves and hold the animal by the head and neck to avoid being bitten.

This concludes our story about minks, we wish you success in keeping minks, be it a business or keeping minks at home for your own pleasure!

Mink in the house video

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Mink breeding as a business

For people who want to organize their own business in animal husbandry, I recommend taking a closer look at the idea of ​​breeding mink at home or a sable business.

Breeding mink as a business is a profitable activity that, when correct organization, will certainly bring you a stable and large income.

Mink is an animal that is very famous for its beautiful fur. Every woman dreams of a chic mink coat. Fur products of this animal are quite expensive, such fur coats and vests are worn only by rich people. A mink coat is not only very warm and beautiful, but also worn for many years without losing its presentation.

Not only fur coats are sewn from mink fur, but also hats, mittens, collars and scarves. The demand for fur is quite large, so its cost is considerable.

From this, many entrepreneurs are thinking about organizing a mink farm.

Breeding mink business plan

Successful entrepreneurs always draw up a clear business plan of action before embarking on an idea. This is necessary in order to calculate the profitability of an idea in a specific area, the level of demand and competition, as well as indicate the approximate amount of costs and approximate terms return on business. As an example, we advise you to look at the business plan for breeding rabbits.

Breeding mink at home

The mink is a small carnivorous animal of the weasel family. The animal is small in size up to 50 cm. Mink comes in a wide variety of colors from brown, black, to silver-blue. Interestingly, for the production of elite fur coats of world brands, the skins of only females are used, the quality of their fur is much higher than that of males.

To keep these fluffy animals, you need to equip cages and a room. The cages can be made by yourself or made to order. It is important that there is enough free space for the mink, take care of the convenience of the animals. The raising of these wild animals requires a free room, therefore given view earnings are suitable for people living in countryside... If you are a resident of the city, we recommend that you start breeding dogs as a business at home.

The cage should have a house where the animal can hide from prying eyes. Also, put a special food trough, drinker and a container of water, these predators love water treatments.

Minks are aggressive animals, so they need to be kept in separate cages. The length of this structure should be at least 60 centimeters, and more is possible, it all depends on your preferences. But even on such an area, predators will feel comfortable.

Feeding

Minks are predators by nature. When free, they feed mainly on small rodents, fish and birds. If you decide to start breeding mink at home, you must provide the animals with a complete, balanced diet. It should mainly consist of fresh meat, fish, plant foods and dairy products.

It is not worth feeding the mink with low-quality mast waste. It is best to breed rodents for these purposes, providing these predatory animals with a full, healthy diet.

You can also feed the minks with inexpensive fish that you can buy in bulk. But do not forget that these furry animals are prone to various diseases, and this is a risk for your business. Therefore, take care of the constant observation of minks at the veterinarian, also add vitamins to food for prevention. This will significantly increase the chances of survival of the offspring.

Business registration

Before starting your own business, you must register as a private entrepreneur or LLC. To breed minks, you need to obtain a license, as well as documents confirming the origin and assessment of the breeding and productive qualities of animals.

If you plan to implement your detail as individual entrepreneur, they must have the appropriate education (animal technician or animal engineer). If there is no education, then you need to register as an LLC and hire, for the position of your deputy, a person with the appropriate education.

In addition, the content of minks on your farm will be checked by the sanitary-epidemiological service, which must issue an opinion on whether you adhere to the rules and regulations.
After collecting and submitting documents within 60 days, the licensing authority makes a decision to issue or refuse a license, which is issued for 5 years.

Sales of products

This business does not require large primary investments. You can start small, buy a small stock and leave young females for breeding. Naturally, in this case, the payback period of the business will be longer, but with a lack of funds, this is a good way out of the situation.

Mink implementation options:

  1. Selling live minks as pets or for divorce. Additionally, you can make money by selling minks for breeding. Also today, keeping these animals at home as pets is in vogue. But here you should not forget that the mink is a predatory and rather aggressive animal that is difficult to tame. The only way to domesticate a mink is to care for the cub from the moment of birth. It's almost impossible to tame an adult animal.
  2. Sale of skins. You will receive the main income, of course, by selling this valuable fur. Fur factories and shops can become your clients. The prices for mink skins are quite high, everything will depend on the quality and a well-established distribution channel. Therefore, take care of this for another initial stage implementation of your idea;
  3. Sewing fur products. If you own own farm for breeding mink, you may well open a factory for sewing fur products. Thus, you can successfully invest your money and significantly increase your profits.

conclusions

First of all, I want to note that this business- is profitable and quite promising, because the prices for fur are only growing every year.

An important condition for business success is a competent investment, it is also important to adhere to the technology of breeding, care and maintenance of furry animals. Without proper care, minks can get sick, and you will lose all livestock and doom your business to failure.
A very important point is a competent sales market. It is important to find buyers in advance and, if possible, conclude a contract with them for the supply of products.

Mink business

In nature, there are not so many valuable animal breeds that can be bred in captivity. These include the main supplier of valuable fur for Russian market- mink. The fur of these animals is used for sewing beautiful and warm winter clothes, as well as for the manufacture of various complementary or decorating accessories to it in the form of mittens, collars or scarves. For a long time, a fur coat made of mink skins has been considered almost the first indicator of the security of its wearer.

The fur of this animal is in high demand in the clothing market for a long time, and, given that minks are easily kept in captivity, the business of breeding these animals is a very profitable business. If the organization of a farm for breeding minks in Russia is carried out in accordance with all the rules of animal husbandry, deliberately and with interest, then it will certainly allow its founder to quickly recoup the initial investment and then receive consistently high income.

Initial investment - 4,480,000 rubles.

Market saturation is medium.

The complexity of starting a business is 5/10.

Cell content of minks

The issue of building cages for breeding minks for fur or buying them ready-made is almost the most important in the formation of this business. It is not even so important the construction of the premises of the animal husbandry for breeding minks, as those conditions for the life of animals that are formed by a separate cage.

The cages can be placed almost in the same house where the owner himself lives. But such a business planning for aspiring businessmen will be more like the actions of an inquisitive person or just an animal lover. The organization of a serious fur business requires a small fur farm, albeit a small one. The beginning of this business was the purchase of a land plot for the placement of a mink farm. Those who live outside the line will not have a problem with this. big city and owns a household with a sufficient area of ​​land. He will only have to build a low shed there and place ready-made cages under it for keeping minks. It is quite possible to make these cages himself, with his own hands. Considering that minks are very active animals, the size of the cages must correspond to the area for their free movement.

An important part of breeding a mink at home is a house in which it can hide from prying eyes at any time, rest and bring its offspring. You will also need drinking bowls well fixed to the walls of the cage and a small reservoir with water where the mink will swim - after all, this is their favorite pastime, which also directly affects the quality of the future fur. If everything in the cage is not securely and thoughtfully fixed, then this energetic animal will make a strong disorder there, turning the loose elements literally "upside down".

The cell grid should have cells, the size of which will not exceed 2.7 cm. Only in such small cells this nosy animal will not be able to squeeze through. But this size is only suitable for adults. But newborn cubs can easily penetrate into such small holes, so it is better to immediately plant them in boxes prepared in advance or in cages with another, smaller cell.

An entrepreneur who does not have the time and skill to make cages for keeping minks at home with his own hands can buy them at a fairly reasonable cost. A cage for ten animals is usually sold by manufacturers for no more than 10 thousand rubles. Considering that minks are not peaceful, it is better to immediately settle them in separate cages of a smaller size. You can buy cages for minks for separate housing at a much lower price by placing ads on sites of the corresponding topic. Now the prices for cages for separate keeping of animals do not exceed 4 thousand rubles.

The canopy for the location of the cages must meet all the conditions for keeping minks, reliably protect animals from bad weather, dust, and drafts. It is especially necessary to take into account the fact that the animals do not tolerate the heat in summer. But in winter, no heating is required for them.

Animal feeding

The main problem here is that the mink is carnivorous. She is a wonderful hunter, which gives her high survivability in the wild. The main subjects of her hunt are various rodents, animals that are smaller in size. This animal does not pass by the fish standing in the pool, past the gape of the bird on the branch near the river. Taking these facts into account, the diet of minks should include both fresh meat and fish, as well as cereals. Also, in a certain proportion, special dry feed additives and milk-based products are required.

Highly important factor the content of minks is that they are not prone to any diseases with a proper diet. If you do not use poor-quality waste in their feed, then they will be healthy, and the fur will be shiny with a high quality of wear, with a good color scheme.

The best option is to give the animals literally live food. These can be mice from some kind of research laboratory or bred specifically for feeding minks. After all, the mice themselves can well be fed with inexpensive cereal waste. This feed chain provides a stable economic effect which will be followed by the profitability of the entire process of growing mink as a business.

Considering that an adult mink eats half or a full mouse per day, then this way of feeding these animals is quite justified. You can buy fish of inexpensive varieties for feed. Cannibalism is inherent in minks, and if some animal died, it can also be used for food for other, healthy individuals. You can buy food for minks at the nearest meat processing plant, and find regular suppliers of this product through advertisements on the Internet.

Captive minks also need vitamin supplements, which they need to be fed regularly. This will contribute to the stability of the immune system of the animals and protect them from diseases. Considering that the disease of one animal on the fur farm very quickly turns into an epidemic that mows down almost all of the livestock in a matter of days, this should be avoided by all means. This will be the collapse of the business. To avoid such failures, you need to know very well the peculiarities of mink breeding and strictly adhere to the sanitation plan drawn up at the very beginning of the business.

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Breeding and reproduction of minks

An important aspect of breeding animals is the ability to plan the growth of the farm. Of course, this requires a very careful organization of this process, taking into account all biological features development of fur animals.

Rutting and mating in minks begins in early spring, in March, and already after reaching ten months, the animals reach sexual maturity. Minks puppy a month after fertilization, in April. In the first half of pregnancy of females, this cannot be established by their appearance. Only when the second half of pregnancy comes, they begin to rapidly increase the size of the abdomen.

Before whelping, it is necessary to spread a bedding in the form of hay or shavings of soft wood in the nesting house. A brood of a healthy female usually numbers up to 5 cubs, which after giving birth see nothing, hear nothing and are completely helpless. Their mother's milk lasts for the first two weeks of life, and already from 18-20 days of life, the puppies begin to try the food themselves. To begin to teach them to feed, feed should be placed directly in the house where they are. Only at the age of 40 days do puppies begin to lead an independent lifestyle, eat well and orient themselves well in the cage. They should be removed from their mother in this age.

The animals begin to acquire winter fur in early autumn, in September. It is these skins that have the greatest value. The animals are slaughtered in order to obtain high quality fur in late autumn, from November to December. Considering that the sale of animal skins constitutes the income from this business, only healthy animals with shiny and beautiful skin are selected for slaughter. At the same time, the selection of the livestock of the farm is carried out. From the healthy part, those animals are selected that most suit both the buyer and the entrepreneur in appearance and quantity.

Selection should be aimed at ensuring that the remaining individuals for breeding are the most beautiful and large. The lifespan of minks when kept in captivity usually does not exceed six years. If the animals are kept for longer than this period, then both the quality of their fur and their reproductive ability will quickly decrease.

Planning a mink business

Even taking into account the well-known fact that breeding minks is a very profitable business, an entrepreneur should have clear business- a plan for breeding a mink, in which it is desirable to take into account everything, even the smallest moments of the upcoming work.

Accurate calculations of expenses and income, professionally compared with each other, can determine both the payback period of the initial investment and the profitability of the fur farm.

Experts in this area have calculated that the maintenance of one animal for a month will cost an entrepreneur a maximum of 70 rubles. But the price of high quality minks offered by sewing enterprises now reaches from 6,000 to 12 thousand rubles apiece.

If you organize a farm by purchasing mink puppies for breeding in the amount of 1000 females and 23 males, then one person will be enough to care for the mink of this farm. If we take small farm, numbering 20 females and 3 males, then with all the costs and losses by the end of the season, you can get up to 110 skins. If we take a larger livestock, for example, consisting of 300 females and 20 males, then about 320 cages will be required for their maintenance at a price of 4,000 rubles apiece. This is 1 million 320 thousand rubles. Each animal costs about 10,000 rubles, and its maintenance during the year is another 840 rubles.

Having added the content of livestock and their care, we will go to the figure:

320 x 10,000 = 3,200,000 rubles.

320 x 4,000 = 1,280,000 rubles.

320 x 840 = 268 800 rubles.

Initial costs are 4 million 800 thousand rubles.

Already in December next year, it will be possible to sell about one and a half thousand skins. And the sale of such a quantity of fur goods at an appropriate price will bring income in tens of millions of rubles. This amount is so great that it is simply ridiculous to talk about the low profitability of the enterprise, about whether or not breeding minks is profitable. This figure will be at a very high level.

Breeding mink at home as a business

Such a promising business as breeding mink at home is many times easier than raising other fur animals, and the demand for the product is huge. Below we will give detailed instructions on organizing such a business for beginners.

registration

First, you need to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC with the indication of codes OKVED: 01.49.- "Breeding of other animals", 01.49.2. - "Breeding rabbits and other fur-bearing animals on farms."

To raise fur animals on your farm, you need to get a license from the Ministry Agriculture... It is issued for five years... When buying breeding animals, ask for certificates of origin and quality assessment of the livestock.

Other documents

  • Permission from Rospozharnadzor;
  • SES conclusion;
  • Veterinary Inspection Permit.

Animal husbandry cannot be placed in water protection zone and near residential buildings.

The best mink breeds for breeding

The most valuable and popular types of fur color: silver-blue, dark brown (one of the most common), sapphire, black (rare variety), pastel.

Female fur is considered more valuable... The most expensive colors are white and gray, black, red, palomino, cross.

Buying minks

It is best to acquire young animals at the age of 5-6 months, by the 9-10th month they reach sexual maturity and begin to reproduce. To get about 200 heads at the end of the year, you need to have 40 females and 6 males.

The price at which you can buy a live mink for breeding, ranges from $ 60-90 per individual. In total, it will take $ 3000-3500 to buy young animals.

Where to buy minks for breeding in Russia by region?

1. In the Central Federal District... Well-known farms - "Savvatievo" (the village of Savvat'evo in the Tver region), "Russian sable" (the village of the Animal Farm in the Moscow Region), the Saltykovsky Tribal Animal Farm (the town of Balashikha in the Moscow Region), "Mermerins" (Tver Region);

2. Ural: Mramorskoe Animal Farm (the village of Mramorskoe in the Sverdlovsk Region);

3. Siberia: Bolsherechenskoe fur farm near Irkutsk, Siberian Fur Company (Novosibirsk);

4. Far East : Valentinovskoye fur farm (Valentin village in Primorsky Territory);

5. Southern Federal District: Ladoga animal husbandry (Ust-Labinsky district in the Krasnodar Territory).

Mink farm requirements

  • At least 5 acres of land (for 200 heads you need at least 2 acres);
  • Fences around the perimeter of the farm;
  • Sewerage, water supply, power supply;
  • Warehouse, space for storing and preparing feed;
  • Slaughter rooms.

In our calculations, we focus on the fact that breeding farm mink is located on its own plot of land with an area of ​​5 acres.

Mink lodging

This animal is unpretentious in terms of warmth, so the cages can be placed outdoors, preferably under a canopy. Then they will be less polluted, and their inhabitants will not face bad weather. A complex of cells located on several floors under a canopy is called a shed.

Mink- aggressive and restless pets, so it is better to place them one by one (with the exception of the mating period).

Cage parameters for one adult: height - from 45 cm, area - about 0.5 square meters. The mesh cells should be as small as possible. Set up a small house inside so that the animal can hide and feel protected. A small wooden box with a hole will do. The litter is made from soft hay (for puppies - from wood shavings), the litter is changed at least once a week.

These furry ones love to swim., so if space permits, put a container of water inside the cage. Before you buy mink puppies, completely equip their future "home" and fix all the "interior details", especially the feeders and drinkers. Otherwise, the animals will turn everything upside down.

Breeding conditions for minks

From the very beginning, all animals need to be vaccinated., it is advisable to repeat this procedure every year. If one individual falls ill, then you risk losing the entire livestock in a couple of days. Known vaccines are hexodog, nobivac. You can get vaccinated yourself.

Temperature regime

The animals tolerate cold well, and at high temperatures require keeping in refrigerated rooms. If the air is warmer than +30 degrees, fur fur can deteriorate and fall in price.

Feeding

As predators, these animals need meat. Breeding minks requires adherence to the correct diet, otherwise the fur will be dull and of poor quality.

Necessarily needed meat, fish, dairy products, grain and fish meal, succulent feed (grass, root crops, potatoes), vitamins ("furs"), feed yeast, fish oil, mixed feed should be added to food.

Fish and laboratory mice are also suitable. Mice can be bred independently and fed with inexpensive grain mixes. It costs about $ 1.2-1.6 per month to feed one animal.

Feeding is done twice a day (morning and evening), always at the same time that you define and anchor yourself. A pregnant female requires feeding 3-4 times a day. You cannot skip feeding, even a short starvation exhausts the animals and affects the condition of the fur.

An adult needs 0.5 liters of water per day (it must be kept in a ball drinker in a cage at all times), a cub - 0.7 liters.

Reproduction

Mating most often occurs in March, in April-May the females are already puppies. The cubs spend the first 40 days with their mother, then they are placed in separate rooms. On average, one female brings 5-6 puppies.

Costs and Benefits

Consider the seasonal nature of the business when making your mink business plan. Winter fur grows by September-November, this is the best time for slaughter. Of the 200 animals that we will receive at the end of the year, we leave 50 animals for raising, from the rest we profit from the sale of skins for dressing.

It is difficult to organize the dressing on your own, the only option is to negotiate with the nearby production and share the profit. Ready-made fur products are best sold.

Main costs:

  1. Documents - about $ 500;
  2. Buying puppies - $ 3000;
  3. Arrangement of cages - in the region of $ 3000;
  4. Feed for a year - $ 2500.

Capital investments for the opening and raising of the first livestock - approximately 9 thousand dollars... In subsequent years, the costs will be about $ 2500-3000.

You can get $ 30-50 for a carcass. For 150 heads we get up to $ 6,000. In a year or two, the business pays off, and only then it gains the required profitability. The net profit is $ 3000 per year. To increase this figure, it is recommended to expand the fur farm.

Home breeding mink as a business is not a difficult task, and the product itself is not cheap.

But before starting, be sure to think over your distribution channels in order to quickly recoup your business.

At all times, animal husbandry has been a profitable and ancient human activity. Nowadays, people even breed wild animals at home. There is always an increased demand for this type of product, so animal breeding is very popular and cost-effective.

The mink is a small predatory animal that belongs to the weasel family and has very valuable fur. Mink skin is actively used for sewing outerwear and a wide variety of other accessories. Fur coats, mink hats are considered very beautiful, valuable and warm. Who doesn't want a mink coat? But for this product to be considered truly beautiful, high-quality and spectacular, a mink needs special care and proper nutrition... V modern world many people think about small business, which can bring a steady income. Breeding a mink at home is a profitable and profitable business. Now this animal is even kept at home as a pet. Usually this process takes place in two directions:

  • when bred individuals of the feminine and masculine genders of different various colors;
  • when only rare flower animals are bred, for example pearl color. The fur of unique individuals will cost much more than the usual colors.

How to do business?

To do this business, no special specific conditions are needed. But you need to pay attention constantly. To begin with, if you do decide to engage in this business, you need to decide whether everything will happen on your farm with the help of special automatic machines or you will hire employees to work. If you can find skilled workers who can easily do their job without the participation of machines, then, of course, this type of labor will cost you less than automating the process. But, if you plan to increase the number of animals over time, then in the near future, you simply cannot do the cultivation of these animals without special machines.

At the initial stage, it is necessary to carefully and carefully study the most diverse literature on breeding these animals at home, watch useful and entertaining videos on the Internet about the behavior of these predators. And the important point will, of course, be drawing up a business plan. In the natural environment of minks, there are more than 300 species and colors. They are all obtained by different crosses.

What kind of minks are chosen for business?

Most often, people are engaged in breeding at home an American individual. The most common colors are: dark brown, silver-blue, ordinary black, sapphire, pastel. Black is considered the most common and practical color. But a gray-blue mink or pastel will be much more expensive and more spectacular. For the process, it is recommended to have 25 to 450 females. The ratio of the calculation of females and males on the farm is approximately the following: for 1 female there should be 0.2 males. And in this proportion, about 5 young animals are obtained.

A young individual is considered to be up to 8 months old. The process of growing minks goes on until the transition of the individual to the adult stage. At the end of February, the rutting process takes place and lasts about two weeks. Fertilization takes place from the second mid-April to mid-May. Pregnancy in females lasts from one to almost three months. When the cubs are about a month and a half, they need to be transplanted into separate cages. Adult minks are kept in separate cages. Control over the temperature in the room in which the minks live is considered a very important point. If the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, the fur may lose its beautiful appearance.

The cage needs to be spacious and large enough so that the house for the animal can fit freely in it and there is room for walking. Minks are quite aggressive animals, therefore, when settling them in cages, all norms, sizes and material for the cage must be observed. The height of the cage should be more than 40 cm. Also, inside the room there should be various central and transverse aisles. The cages are made of metal mesh.

The main materials required for breeding minks at home:

  • a place to prepare food;
  • the place where the animal will be slaughtered and the skin processing process;
  • the room must be fenced around the perimeter;
  • the farm must be provided with sewerage, electricity, heat and constant water supply;
  • on the farm where mink is grown, there must be warehouses and utility rooms;
  • there must be special areas and sheds so that manure and peat can be stored.

Organizational issue

Before starting the organization of a mink business, it is necessary to place a construction site in the right place and coordinate all actions with all authorities, register with special bodies as a private entrepreneur or society. You cannot build a farm in places close to residential buildings. These unique animals do not tolerate the hustle and bustle of the city. If you plan to keep from 20 to 50 females on the farm, then the distance from the house should be at least 30 meters. If there are 50 to 250 females, then the distance from the house should be about 60 meters. Or if the most is more than 250, then the distance should be more than 90 meters.

Mink breeding as a business is very profitable business which can be very profitable. But before starting any event, it is imperative to draw up a competent business plan, calculate the costs of equipping a farm, keeping and feed for animals, waste disposal. All goods can be organized into shops, factories and other places that sell fur products and sewing fur coats and hats.

The rates at which normal rearing of an individual takes place

The approximate water consumption for 1 female is about 7 liters, for 1 calf 0.7 liters and for an adult 0.5 liters. In one year, about 38 kilograms of manure is obtained from adults and 16 from young animals. The main food for minks: meat, various dairy products, fish, special compound feed, cake, fish meal, fish oil, meat and bone meal, feed yeast. The animal needs hay, special wood shavings or straw as bedding. You need to change it as it gets dirty. Cereals do not need to be processed and minks love live mice. You can buy them in ordinary pet stores or grow them yourself.

Minks are very fond of chicken meat, even with bones. Dairy products must necessarily be present in the diet of the mink, for them it is a real delicacy. Low-fat cottage cheese is very useful for teeth and skeletal formation. One adult needs about 30 kilograms of litter per year. For juveniles about 4. You need to carefully monitor the quality of the litter. Damp, moldy bedding should not be used for animals. In order for the dressing of the skin to be of high quality, you either need to purchase special equipment that costs big money, or hand over the skins at a good price to wholesale customers.

Mink is a very active animal

Likes to swim and take baths. That is why, in order to ensure a full and profitable rearing of individuals, do not forget about the presence of a bathing container in the cage. The water must be clean, not hot, and of average room temperature. The pool can be purchased at the pet store or you can make your own. It must be remembered that the container for water procedures must be made of strong material so that the mink cannot bite through it with its teeth. An important point when growing minks is the constant deworming and regular necessary vaccinations. You can keep a veterinarian on the farm or invite him on some days to save money. Minks often suffer from the same diseases as dogs.

Skin processing

How does the skin processing process take place? It is necessary to take the animal in hand only with special gloves, since the mink is still a wild aggressive animal. After removing the skin, it must be very carefully processed inside from fat and meat and spread on a flat and clean surface with the fur down to cool. After it has completely cooled, the surface is sprinkled with salt and left for several days. You can use another option and lower the treated skins in a saline solution, spread on the surface to dry. You can not store the skin without treating it with saline. The process of decay and fur loss may begin.

In fact, the process of growing minks does not require an enormous amount of money. To begin with, you can start increasing the heads of young females and over time the number of individuals on the farm will gradually increase. You can sell uncut skin, but the price for it will be significantly lower than for processed skin. It all depends on the demand in your area. An adult female is slightly more expensive than a male. She brings about 5 cubs a year. If all the cubs survive and you sell the young, you will already have a good profit. In order to optimize the breeding process and get more profit, you can define part of the offspring for sale, and partly use it to get skins.

Of course, when doing this for the first time, prepare for a small profit in the beginning, because the profit from the first skins sold will go to feed and animal maintenance.

Rules and regulations

If you correctly follow all the norms and technologies, take an active part in the process of doing business, then you can earn a good fortune on breeding minks. The most important criteria that you need to pay attention to when conducting this type of activity:

  • for good start and a successful business you need to buy at least 20 female minks;
  • one person can safely care for 50 animals. If the number of individuals increases, it is necessary to hire additional employees or automate the process;
  • the content of minks is permissible only in individual cages to preserve the quality of fur due to their natural aggressiveness;
  • you need to adhere to the established norms and the correct coefficients: there should be 0.2 male for 1 female and 5.1 young animals should be in one herd;
  • individuals reach maturity after 10 months, so the mating process should fall on start days Martha. Within two months, the female bears cubs and in one litter can bring about 5-6 puppies;
  • one and a half months after birth, young animals must be transplanted into separate cells;
  • fur begins to appear by the last days of September, and already at the beginning of November, young individuals are selected for slaughter;
  • the best and most effective period for keeping these animals is from 5 to 6 years.

One of the difficult issues is the sales market. There is either the option of selling live individuals, or selling the skins. Noroc will be bought by the same farmers who are engaged in similar business. They will pick up mink puppies in bulk. But since we live in the modern world, many people buy minks as pets, and most pet stores willingly purchase them from farmers. The price depends on the color of the individual. And if you sell fur, then you need to find a factory or salon that sells fur products. For all questions regarding the breeding of these extraordinary animals, you can ask experts and farmers who have been in this business for more than one year, or read information and reviews on the Internet.

- Now these areas bring their owners considerable profits.

Business brief analysis:
Business setup costs:800-900 thousand rubles
Relevant for cities with population:for rural areas
Industry situation:low level of competition
Complexity of business organization: 3/5
Payback: 1-1.5 years

The projects described above are designed mainly to satisfy the natural consumer needs of a person - to provide food. Some of them make it possible to obtain additional income: sale of cattle skins, chicken feathers and down, fish caviar, etc. Mink farming both at home and on an industrial scale has only one goal - to satisfy the market demand for valuable fur.

How to start your mink farming business

First of all, you need to decide on the format of your business. Entrepreneurs living in rural areas have a huge advantage over city dwellers, for whom the construction or rental of premises suitable for the maintenance of minks will cost many times more. That is why we can say that mink breeding is an idea exclusively for rural residents.

The relevance of such a business is quite high. The main consumers are factories for sewing outerwear and private ateliers, and the demand for fur products is growing every year. There is also the possibility of exporting fur abroad, but this option is associated with the registration of a large number of permits.

The advantages include the simplicity of breeding animals. Under proper conditions, the mink feels great in captivity and actively reproduces.

Of the minuses, one can note the hassle associated with the preparation of the necessary documentation when registering a business, and the difficulty in equipping a room for living animals. The acquisition of the first few pairs of animals also requires a fairly large investment. And nevertheless, if the initial capital allows you to engage in such a business - there should be no doubt whether it is worth doing such a business - it is worth it.

Mink species, value for fur color

There are two types of mink in nature:

  1. European
  2. And American.

The first species is quite rare in Russia, is protected by law, and is listed in the Red Book in many regions; small populations have survived only in three regions of the country - Vologda, Tver, and Arkhangelsk. The European mink is actively being supplanted by its American “brother”.

It is the American mink that is the object of attention of the owners of fur farms. However, not every animal is suitable for breeding. The cost of the skin depends on its color. The most valuable are:

  • pastel color - brownish with blue overflow;
  • sapphire color - as it is commonly called "the color of the dark night";
  • silvery with a blue tint.

Black and dark brown colors are a little less valued, although the number of animals of these colors is more than half of the total livestock on Russian fur farms.

Fur farm device

For a comfortable and healthy living of the mink, which contributes to its active reproduction, the following requirements are imposed on the premises for its maintenance, which must also meet the standards, established by law in relation to persons engaged in breeding fur animals:

  • remoteness from residential buildings. The so-called "sanitary breaks" must be between 30 and 90 meters to living quarters, and at least 150 meters from others livestock farms- the exact distance depends on the number of animals. There is also a requirement that the farm cannot be located near water protection zones.
  • The choice of premises should be agreed in advance with the veterinary, sanitary and fire services.
  • In regions where the air temperature in summer rises above 30 ° C, the premises must be equipped with a ventilation and ventilation system, otherwise the fur of animals will start to deteriorate.
  • If the premises will be built from scratch, a deep foundation, at least 1.5 meters, should be made. Minks love to dig holes, and so that all the livestock does not go "to escape", it is better to take care of this during construction. If the fur farm is planned to be equipped in a finished room, outside, along the perimeter of the building, you need to dig a metal mesh with a fine mesh into the ground to the required depth. The same net must be dug in along the outer perimeter of the animal enclosure.

Farm layout

Breeding mink at home requires considerable costs, the main of which will be the construction of a fur farm. The room must be equipped with water supply, electricity, heat supply, and protected from wind, snow drifts and other manifestations of bad weather. In addition to the main room in which the animals are kept, the following buildings should be provided:

  • kitchen for preparing food;
  • bottomhole point;
  • a room for the processing and dressing of skins;
  • refrigerator for storing them;
  • warehouse for storing feed and equipment;
  • since mink carcasses are not eaten, it is necessary to equip a room with a special corpse incineration furnace, or to arrange a "Bekkari pit" - a special structure for decomposing animal corpses.

The entire territory of the fur farm must be surrounded by a fence.

The device of cells and houses

The cages are placed in the farmhouse in several aisles and several tiers on top of each other. When vertically located between the rows of cells, it is necessary to leave a distance and provide a system for collecting sewage waste, which, in principle, is not so much, but the system is still necessary.

The number of houses and cages must be calculated based on the number of animals. Breeding animals, both males and females. They are kept in cages one at a time. Young animals are most often kept in pairs. If 3 or more animals are placed in a cage, they begin to fight among themselves, leaving marks on the flesh - the wrong side of the skin under the fur.

Where to buy a mink for breeding

You need to purchase animals for breeding in pairs. They buy mink, as a rule, from trusted breeders, on the same fur farms (by the way, the sale of animals is another item of the future income of the owner of the fur farm). You can find such farms and find out reviews about them on the Internet. The price of one animal ranges from 2.5 to 7 thousand rubles (depending on the color and sex of the animal). When buying, you can demand a seller's guarantee that the animals are not sick or infectious.

Features of growing minks

Growing a mink at home is no more difficult than, say, breeding geese or rabbits. Actually, all the troubles will be "one-time". After passing the stage of building a farm and registering all required documents everything will go "on the knurled".

The main responsibilities of a fur farm owner consist of:

  • daily observation of the animals, combined with the cleaning of cages;
  • feeding animals, which also includes washing dishes for animals and tools for distributing food;
  • watering minks in manual mode or with the help of automatic drinkers;
  • collection of food residues, which is carried out an hour before the start of feeding;
  • cleaning the entire room, which most often consists in simply sweeping the aisles between the cages, changing the bedding of hay, straw or shavings.

Care

Breeding mink at home as a business as handling and caring for any animal requires some prior preparation. You can't just “want” and start breeding minks. It is simply impossible to fit all the rules for caring for minks into one introductory article. You need to find and familiarize yourself with the literature on their content, watch videos from experienced breeders, if possible, ask for advice from some of them.

It is necessary to follow the rules for the care and maintenance of animals. This will fully contribute to their reproduction, health, and hence the increase in profits.

Feeding

The minks are fed once a day. Pregnant and lactating females, as well as young animals, receive food 2-3 times a day. Nutrition must be given special attention, since the quality of the fur mainly depends on it. Minks are carnivores, so their diet should include a lot of protein.

An approximate list of mink feeds:

  • any meat and fish, including waste - heads, bones, entrails;
  • various grain crops and compound feed;
  • green grass, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, green onions;
  • various vitamins and specialized mineral supplements;
  • milk;
  • bran, cake, meal, etc .;
  • eggs, cottage cheese, return;
  • fresh blood.

Animals should always have water. An adult individual consumes about half a liter of water per day, the cubs need to drink up to 0.7 liters. According to experts, the maintenance of one individual per month does not exceed 70 rubles. Based on this amount, you can calculate how many livestock the farm owner is able to maintain until the first profit.

Breeding mink

Novice breeders should know that breeding a mink at home is not quick way making a profit. For six months, by obtaining offspring, the livestock can be increased 5-6 times, but before reaching the age at which the mink can be slaughtered, it will take another year. Usually the mink is slaughtered when the fur is ripe - in the fall, at the end of October-November.

Slaughter and processing of skins

At the end of summer, the young are selected, leaving some for the tribe, others for the fur. Before slaughtering, the fur is carefully checked for readiness. You cannot slaughter animals with a bluish tinge, but overexposure also negatively affects the quality of the fur - it fades.

Fur sales

As mentioned above, the sale of products is carried out in factories and ateliers that sew outerwear. Hats, mittens, and other items of clothing are also sewn from mink. High-quality fur is always appreciated, and therefore similar enterprises try to deal with one supplier. In any case, no fur farm owner is left without distribution channels, absolutely everyone finds sales.

Another option for making a profit is the sale of young animals for breeding and to lovers of keeping exotic animals.

The profitability of a business idea

Based on the successful experience of fur farm owners, the following calculations can be made. The turnkey construction of a fur farm, designed for the maintenance of 230-250 animals, will cost about 500-600 thousand rubles. The acquisition of young animals for divorce - 10-12 pairs will cost 90-100 thousand rubles.

Further, the calculation will be carried out based on the initial livestock before reaching the planned number of animals. Hiring additional labor (based on care - 1 person for 50-60 minks) will require payment wages starting from the need for workers (with an increase in the livestock over 60 individuals) to reaching the planned number of animals (3-4 people, subject to participation in the work of the owner of the farm) - about 6-7 months, and will be (with a salary at 12- 15 thousand rubles) about 100 thousand rubles.

The purchase of feed will require an amount of 24-27 thousand rubles. It is advisable to lay 50-60 thousand rubles for unforeseen expenses. In total, the total amount of expenses will be 800-900 thousand rubles.

The cost of one mink skin at wholesale prices varies from 100 to 350 rubles per 1 square decimeter and ultimately depends on its length and color. On average, one skin "pulls" from 1000 to 5000 rubles. The payback period for such a business is approximately 1 to 1.5 years.

Breeding mink - interview with the breeder



 

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