Activity rhythms and use of nest boxes of juvenile mink in semi-natural group housing

The aim of this study was to investigate the activity patterns of American mink (Neovison vison). Twenty mink from a commercial mink farm were housed in a free-range enclosure (290 m2) at the age of 13 weeks. In the enclosure, the mink were offered 20 nest boxes (animal-to-nest-box ratio: 1:1), food ad libitum and 3 kinds of water basins. The activity rhythms and the use of the nest boxes were assessed by an automatic registration device that recorded the amount of time spent inside or outside the nest box or in the entrance tunnel for each individual mink over a time period of 18 weeks between July and December.
Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research