(cache) Compassion In World Farming Ireland

Facts About Irish Farm Animals - FUR FARMING

What does CIWF want ?

CIWF is campaigning for fur farming to be made illegal in the Republic of Ireland (it is already illegal in Northern Ireland).

Introduction

Fur farming is currently legal in the Republic of Ireland, where there are a number of fur farms with mink and foxes. These animals are reared highly intensively in small cages before being killed at about 6 months old for their fur pelts. The pelts are exported for sale on the international fur market, to be used by the fashion industry.

This photo shows typical mink cages on an Irish farm. (Photo copyright CIWF/Respect for Animals.)

What type of animals are bred on fur farms in the Republic of Ireland?

Mink, silver foxes (which are a variety of the common red fox), and Arctic foxes are bred on fur farms in the Republic of Ireland.

How many fur farms are there in the Republic of Ireland?

At present there are 5 licensed mink farms operating in the Republic of Ireland. One of these also has foxes. In 2006 (latest available figure) approximately 170,000 mink and 300 foxes were slaughtered in the Republic of Ireland for their fur pelts. (Parliamentary Questions 370 & 372, 31/10/07)

Can anyone start a fur farm?

All mink farms in the Republic of Ireland must be licensed by the Irish Department of Agriculture. These farms must meet certain conditions with regard to making sure mink do not escape (mink in the wild can cause damage to poultry, wildlife, fish etc.). The Irish Department of Agriculture inspects fur farms regularly. No licence is required for fox farms.

Are there any countries where fur farming is illegal?

Yes, fur farming is prohibited in Northern Ireland and Britain, and in Austria. Fur farming is being phased out in Italy. Fox farming is being phased out in the Netherlands and Sweden.

How long are mink and foxes kept on fur farms?

These animals are bred in captivity on the fur farm. They are reared on the fur farm until they are about 6 months old, when they are taken out of their cages to be killed.

How are farmed mink and foxes killed?

Killing of both mink and foxes normally takes place on the farm, and it is not necessary for a veterinarian to be present.

Mink are pulled out of their cages and put into a gassing box that holds around 50 to 70 animals. They are gassed to death in carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide. Mass killing can result in fear and suffociation. Scientific evidence shows that at lower concentrations, carbon dioxide gassing can result in animals suffering a slow death.

Read CIWF-Ireland's recent article about concerns relating to the slaughter of farmed mink.

Farmed foxes are killed by electrocution. An electrode is placed in their anus and another in their mouth and they are killed by an electric current passing through them.

What are the conditions for the animals on fur farms?

The photos on this page show mink and fox farm conditions on farms in the Republic of Ireland. (Photos copyright CIWF/Respect for Animals.)

Conditions on fur farms throughout Europe are quite standard. An undercover investigation by CIWF-Ireland and Respect for Animals in 2003 found that mink are kept in cages about 3 foot long and 1 foot wide, with a small nest box at one end. Fox cages have a floor area of about 4 foot by 4 foot and are about 28 inches high. Whilst cage sizes may vary slightly, such conditions are typical on fur farms. Mink and foxes are confined in these cages throughout their lives until they are taken out to be killed.

Fox and mink cages are usually in rows inside buildings that have open sides. The animals’ droppings fall through the wire mesh floor of the cages.

Farmed mink and foxes are fed on a porridge-like food made from chicken, meat and fish offal. This is placed on the top of each cage and the animals eat it through the wire mesh.

Are there welfare problems in fur farming?

A scientific report by the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (published in 2001) concluded that typical farm conditions do not provide for important needs of mink and foxes. For example, mink are semi aquatic but on the farm they have no water for swimming in. Foxes like to dig, but cannot do this in their cages. Stereotypical behaviour, where the animals carry out repeated meaningless actions over and over again, is commonly seen on fur farms. This is a recognised sign of stress. Animals on fur farms may chew and bite their own fur.

Mink and foxes are not animals that naturally live in herds or flocks (this is unlike other farm animals: cattle, for example, naturally live in groups, as do chickens). It is unnatural for mink and foxes to be forced to live in such close proximity to so many other animals.

Are farmed mink and foxes domesticated?

Farmed mink and foxes are bred in captivity on the farm. However they are still essentially wild. Other farm animals, such as cattle and pigs, have adapted to farming by humans over thousands of years and are now domesticated. Farmed mink and foxes have only been bred in captivity for about one hundred years, and selection has mainly been for fur quality.

How do mink and foxes live in the wild?

Mink in the wild always live near water. They are semi aquatic and have small webbing between their toes. They have home ranges 1 to 6 kilometres long. Within their territories, mink often have several dens that they use to rest in and sleep in. Mink are solitary animals and adults hunt alone.

Silver foxes are a variety of the red fox. In the wild they have territories of around 1 to 4 km2. They dig dens or use the dens of other animals. Foxes have complex social behaviour.

Arctic foxes are adapted to live in the snowy environment in the Arctic regions of Eurasia, North America, Greenland and Iceland. They roam across vast home ranges of around 30 km2 and even migrate more than 100 km in a single season. They build dens on the banks of streams, on hills or in rock piles, and these may be used by successive generations for 300 years.

What happens after the farmed mink and foxes are killed?

Their bodies are disposed of (by rendering). Their fur pelts are exported to other countries where they are sold at fur markets. The pelts will be mostly used in the fashion industry to make fur coats or for fur trim on garments.

How much is fur farming worth to the Irish economy?

Central Statistics Office figures indicate that the value of mink and fox pelts produced in 2006 was 3.6 million Euro. (Parliamentary Question No. 372, 31/10/07)

What now?

CIWF believes that there is no economically viable humane alternative to intensive fur farming. The product is only a non-essential fashion material. Therefore, CIWF will continue to campaign for fur farming to be banned in the Republic of Ireland as a matter of urgency. We believe that the existence of fur farms in the Republic of Ireland is not compatible with an image of Ireland as a country that takes farm animal welfare seriously.

8. Read the very detailed and comprehensive report by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare on "The Welfare of Animals Kept for Fur Production" (2001). This report is critical of fur farming, concluding that: "The typical mink cage with a nest box and wire mesh floor impairs mink welfare because it does not provide for important needs"; and "The typical fox cage does not provide for important needs of foxes."

9. Read CIWF-Ireland's recent Press Releases about fur farming.

Please note that all photos are copyrighted to CIWF and cannot be copied without permission - thank you.

Help support CIWF's campaigns in Ireland for better farm animal welfare.

Ref:AP/OH