The amount of knowledge, passion and devotion you have for your minks is amazing. Its impressive how much work and attention to details you put into taking care of your animals. I which all people that decide to have animals would have the same mindset as you. I know nothing of minks but the passion and pride you take in your profession is just so contagious and makes me feel warm inside. Good luck to you.
HeartlandRanchTV i agree except for the pool. . Im not comfortable with the pool. I had a otter i rescued. It mom got taken by a great white shark. Sonshebwould swim with me in pool or i would take her to the beach. Now she is living in Monterey Aquarium.
Yes, some ferrets would enjoy the pool, especially during the summer. Just make it shallow enough for the ferret to be able to stand in or put some floating things in it that the ferret could stand on.
Just subscribed love what you do. I was looking at ratting video's when I was a kid we had an issue on my grandfather's farm excess grain and food for animals caused a really bad rat infestation. We were running out of options on what to do they were eating out so bad under the foundation that the barn was going to come down! My father and Grandfather were very disturbed by this as it was like a family heirloom as It was built in the 1900's and of course was a Dairy Farm building for my father and grandfather long long before I was born! my brother one day brought us a Samoyed dog that he could no longer have! I was just a kid and of course was just thrilled by the dog not knowing that this dog would end up saving this barn as she was a Natural Ratting dog! One day I was going through the barn and saw her digging at a pile of wood on top of some hay! So I went over there and kicked over the board and boom there it went and she grabbed it played with it for 20 minutes letting it get away and recatching it. From that point on we spent every day for a few years RAT hunting it got to the point that she would go without me and leave them on the doorstep for us showing us so we would be proud of her! Smartest dog I ever owned! Just figured id share that story with you! Wish I would have known of mink then! Great channel Great Videos! Subscribed now so will see the rest soon!!
Wicked Automotive & Performance LLC I was thinking very similar while watching these videos. I wish this was a thing when I was a kid because I would have been extremely interested in it
I do appreciate the time you put in your videos. They are very interesting to watch. Keep up the good work brother and I would like to say I love the fact that your family is involved and your friends also are interested in your passion. Love the channel.
I almost had to watch your video again to see what you were talking about because I was being entertained by Rio in the background :) Very good video with a lot of good information even if I don't plan on raising minks. Thanks
Great design, a lot of thought went into that cage! We deal with photo sensitivity with pigeons also. We can manipulate that by adding a light to the loft or blocking the windows. If you find you are having trouble keeping your mink timed properly, you might try adding a few small lights that you could put on a timer and just keep the doors closed all or most of the time. Great videos!
You are THE coolest person, working with these little critters. I had ferrets. A mink would be really sweet (and soft OMG) but I couldn't take care of the baby. This cage & all the thought you put into it... know you lost mink & a dog or two but I think it'll work out in the end. You're too motivated for the universe to let you down. ;)
that's a great set up for an indoor cage everything the mink needs even down to the daylight exposure, a mink is a more ferocious ferret as everything even down to the seasons is exactly the same, although I don't think a mink will stink up the house the same as a ferret would, my ferrets stay outside always and I have a few young ones coming for the winter hunting I may even make a vid!
The swimming pool would be easier to manage adjusting height if it wasn't full of water.... put a hole (small enough to plug) in one corner of the top, and fill it with a long-necked funnel, that's what I'd do.
Ah! I am so pleased you don't use cages with bare wire bottoms. Yes this answers my question and makes me feel much better. I appreciate hoq you care for your mink with respect and patience.
Seems that mink care is similar to ferret care, only mink are much more active, and eat meat only instead of pelleted food. Hope they're still available to get maybe twenty years from now, when I have enough time and money to care for and train such a ferocious hunter. For all the people interested in getting one, own a ferret first so you can get used to the 6-8 hours of activity that they need per day. It's a full time job, but a fun one. Not saying that the care is the same, but perhaps similar from the websites and videos I've looked at. Just pains me to think about all of the neglected ferrets and minks who's owners got tired of them after a week.
As a fellow long time (35 years) ferret partner (I've been a ferret myself for 64 years, although I didn't realize it at first ;)), I can see many many similarities in their behavior and care. After all, they are both large weasels with somewhat specialized prey and habitats. The main, and *very* important difference is that ferrets have been domesticated for 6,000 years or more (about the same as, say, cats), whereas mink are either totally wild animals or just *barely* started on the domestication route through fur farm breeding. Taming, training, working or living with, feeding, and so on with a wild animal requires you to fit your life to their needs to a much larger degree than with domesticated ones. And learn proper medical care for deep puncture wounds and gashes....;) That said, I would tend to agree with you that keeping ferrets for a few years (and studying up on their care and medical needs, as well as the daily hands-on exercise/entertainment, regular feeding and watering, frequent litter box training, and the all important task of "ferret-proofing" your home) would be a solid base for learning how to do a good job with mink. If you add to that doing some ferreting of small prey like mice, voles, pocket gophers, and rats you'd learn even more and both you and the carpet-sharks would have some great fun. Joseph has some great tricks and methods with his training that I will be using with my ferrets from now on. Especially the "come to a call" and that wonderful one of hauling their prey out and cashing in a nestbox (rather than eating it underground and nodding off for eight hours. While you wait, and wait, and....give up and have to dig the little shit out of paradise).
Great, thanks so much for sharing. I wish minks were legal where I am, ferrets are great but most people freak out about the smell. It seems a baby mink needs to chew. Do you give them healthy things to chew like animal hide? Maybe this would stop the chewing of tasteless toys.....
Watching these videos makes me want a mink, thou anytime i see a cage with a wire levels i cringe, i had a chinchilla long ago brake her leg, thankfully I'm vary good with nursing animals with broken legs because we didn't have a vet back then. the chinchilla lived a vary long and happy life to so no worry's.
+lona west yeah, prey animals like rabbits, chinchillas, and guinea pigs have very fragile bones, and bodies in general. That would never happen to a mink. I've even had a friend's mink get caught in a foot trap, and when we pulled her out of it, she didn't even have a sore foot! Either way, this cage has a plastic mesh covering the wire, so she isn't even running on the wire.
Wow, great cage! Gave me all kinds of good ideas. If I wanted to put in more items for environmental enrichment, what would you advise? Will they use a big wheel, like a rat?
I was wondering on the inside of the cabinet you have the cage in you could apply bathroom tiles on the walls. I noticed when Rio came out of the black tubing she shook of water a few times and drips hit the wall of the particle board. To avoid water damage from the shaking off of water the tiles would insulate the particle board. I love the design and the reuse of pet carrier doors! Awesome cage! You have awesome animal husbandry and animal hunting training skills! What a great National Geographic show idea show humans training animals from Minkenry to Falconry!!!! I would buy the BlueRay!!!!
If the particle board is cheap enough to be damaged by droplets of water then A: Its super cheap stuff, B: Being cheap it would be easy to replace and C: perfect material for housing an animal like a mink. Source: I work in the partical board industry(you would not beleive the science that goes into pressed wood chips)
Is it possible to take care of a mink in an apartment with this cage and daily walks outside? I'm really fascinated by the minks and I just want to know if it is possible to provide them good enough conditions while living in apartment. If I decide to get involved into it, I will definitely contact you, get your book and so on but before that I want to know if the apartment is too big of an issue while raising mink
Just found you tonight and went through everything. Now I have to wait for more. I understand about the light control for the seasons, but what about air conditioning and the heater. Does this throw of her shedding cycles like it does my cats? Or is she outside so much it doesn't seem to make a difference?
Hello Joseph. I have minks too, I uploaded one video. There will come more. You have a lot of experience with minks and I like your video's much. I was in North Dakota and saw wild mink there and I also trapped there. I got in love with the mink and bought two of them at a mink farm. I live in The Netherlands. I have them outdoors. But maybe I want a young one in my house next year. Is this indoor design a good cage for keeping a mink permanently if I take the mink out in the evening.
JohnDoe0329 Yeah, it has works great for my mink. It is the only cage I have for her. She is allowed to run around the house when we are able to keep an eye on her, but when we are busy, sleeping, or away from home, we leave her in this cage.
I think you told me things that where not fair. I’m a really big fan of your Mink and your dogs and everything you do. I was not trying to be disrespectful but you know if there’s kids in the video and there’s a lot off action. It’s hard to keep on because a child has this little voices that catch your attention. I already know you are a really good father. But your video have lots of action and information. So im sorry you feel I’m a really bad person for saying what i feel. Believe me i don’t me nd the kids but you should put them in the beginning or at the end. Because me i can’t see 2 things at the same time. So i send you Blessings to everything you do and for your beautiful family.
Hello Joseph in regards to the cage you designed I've a suggestion for modification. Install tracks like they are in kitchen cupboard put the mechanism on the board also and now you have a pull out it also could be routed in the wood to place slide in a tongue and groove way. I have other ideas and or questions too should you be inclined . What is your profession?
was thinking same thing about the wire on feet..I dont realy get those those lil levels,exercise i guess,they seem pretty active..maybe take those lil stages out and have a bigger taller room for them to climb on wood,bark,branches,etc
I love the idea of hunting with mink I've never heard of it before I'd like to buy your book and learn about it can you hunt with more than one at a time
Your a beast stitch your self up like a warrior and your knowledge is so detailed I want u as a friend sub for life what do you work as in the office ?
Rio is so cute! I have been watching all of videos and love them! This cage is incredible and she seems to love it! I'm sure all of your hard work will pay off :)
+Davey 14 My wife is pregnant, and SUPER sensitive to ANY SMELL. She yells at me to shut the bedroom door when I am making a peanut butter sandwich in the kitchen because it's "stinking up the house" but she has NEVER noticed the mink's smell, even though her cage is right in the living room! My wife even plays with my mink, and puts her near her face, but can't smell a thing. And my mink is fully intact with all of her scent glands and sex organs.
Now I'm not so familiar with mink I don't know how long they can hold there breath. I love your vids by the way. But i am a diver and seeing that there is a pool at the bottom is nice and really cool but saying that I am a diver couldn't co2 build up in the bottom where the pool is. BC there is a limited supply of air coming from only the tube. I would recommend a few small holes in the top of the pool. I'm not an expert on mink what so ever just thought of something that I have come across in the past and wanted to share it with you as a precaution. Love your videos as I said before and can't wait to see more.
Ted Rudzinski I'm not a diver, so help me understand how CO2 would build up in a chamber that has a 4" hole in the top. In my mind the big 4" pipe, plus Rio's body moving up and down the tube to increase air flow, should in my mind give plenty of ventilation. Is there something I should know that I don't? Does CO2 sink, so it wont go up and out of the tube, or something like that?
Joseph Carter see when your a "free diver" or a snorkeler people think oh well why don't I attach and longer piece of hose to the snorkel so they can stay down longer the only problem with that is co2 is heavier then oxygen so if your down 10 feet all you think your doing is breathing normally when in actuality your killing yourself because all of that co2 is building up towards the bottom of that hose that's 10 feet long and your not getting any oxygen. You can breath but your breathing straight co2 that you previously exhaled. We just had a case in Florida where a man was snorkeling in 10 feet of water but had attached a hose from his snorkel to is boat. Within an hour he killed himself because he thought he was breathing air when it was really co2. Co2 is heavier which could make it hard for Rio to breath. It's kind of like when you were a kid and you put some kind of animal in a plastic bottle and poked holes in it. The animal would still die after a while BC of the lack of oxygen.
Ted Rudzinski Thanks for that information! I had no idea CO2 was heavier than oxygen. It hasn't seemed to be a problem yet. Could the cracks around the end of the pipe, and in between the box and the lid, be possibly giving enough air flow? How much ventilation does it need?
That would be a great idea just watch out for her chewing it up like u said in your video. Lol and I'm not quite sure on how much air she needs but the air pump or maybe even some holes in the black tube would help
I've noticed that several people seem to be interested in minkenry or at least wanting to own a mink for a pet and have asked you where you get your mink from.....so where do you get your mink from we are interested in minkenry and apparently in order for those of us that want to become mink handlers we would of course need to aquire a mink or 2, so if you will kind sir where do we get the minks from?
+david dorshak I don't mind helping people get into mink, but I'm always hesitant until I feel confident the person in question had done all they can to prepare themselves for the challenge of caring for a mink. Give me a call and we can talk further 801-548-2696
does there day light cycle with there fur,does tempature have affect on there coat?with closet doors closed and your warm house,seems like it would be warm as hell in there all the time..would be in the water all day to cool down
Just a suggestion, when my kitten was teething, I bought a human baby teether for him and he loved chewing on it. Fast forward 3 years and I have bought a baby teether black disc (very tough) on a necklace for mom to wear and he still, to this day will grab that and chew on it. Since a mink has a smaller mouth, maybe something like that might be an option for their chewy stage. PS If you ever run out of names for your mink, it would be an honor if you named one after my tuxedo cat with the teether, "Bobby". I call him my 'deactivated' mink. LOL
Josue Pinto They can survive super cold weather, as long as they have a good nest box to snuggle up in. They do suffer in the heat, however, and they need plenty of shade, and preferably water to swim in, when the temperatures are hot out.
Joseph Carter another question I don't mean to bug you but what would be the most heat they could withstand? I'm just curious cause if I were to get a mink I want to make sure it's a good environment for it I wouldn't want to bring it out somewhere it would die due to heat Thank you again keep you the great videos very educational you should get a show on national geographic lol
Josue Pinto It's not really a set temperature. There are many factors that can make it "too hot". If the mink is super active, and doesn't have water to cool off in, 75 F can be "too hot". If the mink has water to cool off in, then even 100 F is not too bad, since the water cools the mink off.
I bottle raised two mink from different litters together. They get along, but mink should still have their own cages to themselves. I introduced another adult mink to them when they were older and they squabble but mostly play and get along without issue.
Small animals will chew on almost anything trying to get tased see if it's good to see the energy from it whatever I recommend a bone or a dog chew toys sort of the two toys but things may of stuff the day I'm content just I don't know enough about mean to say that their babies are trying to test stuff
You didn't answer my question last vid so here it is again what if your gone and the mink goes in the tube and falls and hits it head on the rock and drowns or goes unconscious
Super Gamer I'm sorry, I thought I did answer your question... anyway, no there is no real risk of this happening. Mink are very agile and in control. She carefully climbs up and down the pipe, rather than slide down it like you are envisioning. Even if she did slide down like you are imagining, she would land on her front feet, not her head. Mink are like cats in that they always land on their feet.... even if they were falling head first. :-)
Joseph other things I wanted to mention does she return to her cage to potty? What language is her feeding call? When you do a lot of musk rats are you selling pelts, and if you haven't yet set up a Facebook for both you and her and also Instagram etc. why are their no commercials?
Yes, she uses the litter box in her cage, as well as one we have out in the room for her to use. The language I use to call her is the Omaha Native American language.
Actually, you are mostly correct: the American Mink is (from genetic typing) most closely related to the American Long-tailed weasel. They apparently shared a common ancestor long ago, some of which slowly began to specialize in hunting in and around streams and lakes and became the mink we know today. The European Mink is *not* closely related to the American one, instead, it seems to have evolved from one of the European weasels in a beautiful example of parallel evolution.
Ferret bigotry? Actually I do like keeping it clear which species we are talking about, since they really do have some significant differences in behavior and so on. And in that vein, I'd suggest you take umbrage with calling them martens - the marten subfamily of the mustelids are mostly tree-weasels (except the wolverine) and waay different from your water-weasel minks. River otters share the same habitat and much of the same diet, but are only distantly related to mink. I know! Let's call mink "the poor man's Otter"!!!
The reason I say don't call it a ferret, is because they have been changed so much by man, that they really don't have much in common with wild mustelids like weasels or mink anymore. I would dare say a mink and polecat have far more in common than a ferret does to a polecat. At least that's the impression I get from people who have had experience with all three animals. I've never even seen a polecat in real life, so I couldn't really say. So when people ask if a mink is just like a ferret, it's kind of like having someone ask if having a wolf is just like owning a pug......
Chris Soucy Maybe, it depends on the strength of the material it's made of. Many of those commercial made cages will hold them until it decides to just tear a hole right through the cage, or wiggle the door open. A lot of them are made so cheap the mink can tear through them in 5 minutes or less if it wanted to. But if the cages made out of proper wire, is nice and sturdy, and the door is secured, they could work well assuming you use an appropriately sized cage.
I use the Midwest Critter nation, which is probably about the strongest commercial cage for small animals. However, one of my mink was able to break a couple of the welds after a while and did escape once. I think for many mink it would be okay, especially for the smaller females. My other mink don't mess with the cage and haven't damaged it. For mink kept indoors as pets, it's likely still the best commercial pet cage for mink. Using deep cement mixing pans modified as trays for the bottom level is a good option, as then you can install a pool for them to swim in without it spilling out on the floor.
The amount of knowledge, passion and devotion you have for your minks is amazing. Its impressive how much work and attention to details you put into taking care of your animals. I which all people that decide to have animals would have the same mindset as you. I know nothing of minks but the passion and pride you take in your profession is just so contagious and makes me feel warm inside. Good luck to you.
thanks!
This would also be a fantastic cage design for ferret owners, minus the basement pool of course.
*some* ferrets would enjoy the pool, especially if it was shallower and filled with mud.....
HeartlandRanchTV i agree except for the pool. . Im not comfortable with the pool. I had a otter i rescued. It mom got taken by a great white shark. Sonshebwould swim with me in pool or i would take her to the beach. Now she is living in Monterey Aquarium.
Yes, some ferrets would enjoy the pool, especially during the summer. Just make it shallow enough for the ferret to be able to stand in or put some floating things in it that the ferret could stand on.
You are an absolute genius. All aspects covered, well thought out. Practical. Great guy
How clever Joe is & the mink are lucky to have a good owner
Just subscribed love what you do. I was looking at ratting video's when I was a kid we had an issue on my grandfather's farm excess grain and food for animals caused a really bad rat infestation. We were running out of options on what to do they were eating out so bad under the foundation that the barn was going to come down! My father and Grandfather were very disturbed by this as it was like a family heirloom as It was built in the 1900's and of course was a Dairy Farm building for my father and grandfather long long before I was born! my brother one day brought us a Samoyed dog that he could no longer have! I was just a kid and of course was just thrilled by the dog not knowing that this dog would end up saving this barn as she was a Natural Ratting dog! One day I was going through the barn and saw her digging at a pile of wood on top of some hay! So I went over there and kicked over the board and boom there it went and she grabbed it played with it for 20 minutes letting it get away and recatching it. From that point on we spent every day for a few years RAT hunting it got to the point that she would go without me and leave them on the doorstep for us showing us so we would be proud of her! Smartest dog I ever owned! Just figured id share that story with you! Wish I would have known of mink then!
Great channel Great Videos! Subscribed now so will see the rest soon!!
Wicked Automotive & Performance LLC Awesome story! Thanks for sharing :-)
Wicked Automotive & Performance LLC I was thinking very similar while watching these videos. I wish this was a thing when I was a kid because I would have been extremely interested in it
Rio is living la vida loca in that setup!
That's a nice cage Mink Master. Very created love it.
I do appreciate the time you put in your videos. They are very interesting to watch. Keep up the good work brother and I would like to say I love the fact that your family is involved and your friends also are interested in your passion. Love the channel.
I almost had to watch your video again to see what you were talking about because I was being entertained by Rio in the background :) Very good video with a lot of good information even if I don't plan on raising minks. Thanks
Her cage is awesome! Btw she is the cutest Mink I have seen
you have come a long way, "bravo"
Great design, a lot of thought went into that cage! We deal with photo sensitivity with pigeons also. We can manipulate that by adding a light to the loft or blocking the windows. If you find you are having trouble keeping your mink timed properly, you might try adding a few small lights that you could put on a timer and just keep the doors closed all or most of the time. Great videos!
U should have received an award... i learnt a whole lot..
You are THE coolest person, working with these little critters. I had ferrets. A mink would be really sweet (and soft OMG) but I couldn't take care of the baby. This cage & all the thought you put into it... know you lost mink & a dog or two but I think it'll work out in the end. You're too motivated for the universe to let you down. ;)
This is so amazing! Never knew this could be done!👍👍👍👍
that's a great set up for an indoor cage everything the mink needs even down to the daylight exposure, a mink is a more ferocious ferret as everything even down to the seasons is exactly the same, although I don't think a mink will stink up the house the same as a ferret would, my ferrets stay outside always and I have a few young ones coming for the winter hunting I may even make a vid!
stinking polecat Yeah, one of the nice pluses to having a mink is their lack of body odor :-)
The swimming pool would be easier to manage adjusting height if it wasn't full of water.... put a hole (small enough to plug) in one corner of the top, and fill it with a long-necked funnel, that's what I'd do.
Ah! I am so pleased you don't use cages with bare wire bottoms. Yes this answers my question and makes me feel much better. I appreciate hoq you care for your mink with respect and patience.
Omfg you look so fresh faced in this! Very cute!
Why is it minkenry instead of minkery? Like falconry makes sense because falcon ends on an N.
I used natural fibers for my ferrets nest box. Corn husks. Grass, straw.. i never used synthetic fibers
Seems that mink care is similar to ferret care, only mink are much more active, and eat meat only instead of pelleted food. Hope they're still available to get maybe twenty years from now, when I have enough time and money to care for and train such a ferocious hunter. For all the people interested in getting one, own a ferret first so you can get used to the 6-8 hours of activity that they need per day. It's a full time job, but a fun one. Not saying that the care is the same, but perhaps similar from the websites and videos I've looked at. Just pains me to think about all of the neglected ferrets and minks who's owners got tired of them after a week.
As a fellow long time (35 years) ferret partner (I've been a ferret myself for 64 years, although I didn't realize it at first ;)), I can see many many similarities in their behavior and care. After all, they are both large weasels with somewhat specialized prey and habitats.
The main, and *very* important difference is that ferrets have been domesticated for 6,000 years or more (about the same as, say, cats), whereas mink are either totally wild animals or just *barely* started on the domestication route through fur farm breeding.
Taming, training, working or living with, feeding, and so on with a wild animal requires you to fit your life to their needs to a much larger degree than with domesticated ones. And learn proper medical care for deep puncture wounds and gashes....;)
That said, I would tend to agree with you that keeping ferrets for a few years (and studying up on their care and medical needs, as well as the daily hands-on exercise/entertainment, regular feeding and watering, frequent litter box training, and the all important task of "ferret-proofing" your home) would be a solid base for learning how to do a good job with mink.
If you add to that doing some ferreting of small prey like mice, voles, pocket gophers, and rats you'd learn even more and both you and the carpet-sharks would have some great fun.
Joseph has some great tricks and methods with his training that I will be using with my ferrets from now on. Especially the "come to a call" and that wonderful one of hauling their prey out and cashing in a nestbox (rather than eating it underground and nodding off for eight hours. While you wait, and wait, and....give up and have to dig the little shit out of paradise).
Great, thanks so much for sharing. I wish minks were legal where I am, ferrets are great but most people freak out about the smell. It seems a baby mink needs to chew. Do you give them healthy things to chew like animal hide? Maybe this would stop the chewing of tasteless toys.....
Just Found Your Channel. I Find It Very Informative, You Earned A Subscriber.
The cage looks awesome
Rio look happy. Nice cage 👍
Ive been watching your videos and youve done very good taming/training your mink.
Watching these videos makes me want a mink, thou anytime i see a cage with a wire levels i cringe, i had a chinchilla long ago brake her leg, thankfully I'm vary good with nursing animals with broken legs because we didn't have a vet back then.
the chinchilla lived a vary long and happy life to so no worry's.
Oh my woosh....I am calling animal abuse....retro-active style.
+lona west yeah, prey animals like rabbits, chinchillas, and guinea pigs have very fragile bones, and bodies in general. That would never happen to a mink. I've even had a friend's mink get caught in a foot trap, and when we pulled her out of it, she didn't even have a sore foot! Either way, this cage has a plastic mesh covering the wire, so she isn't even running on the wire.
Wow, great cage! Gave me all kinds of good ideas. If I wanted to put in more items for environmental enrichment, what would you advise? Will they use a big wheel, like a rat?
I was wondering on the inside of the cabinet you have the cage in you could apply bathroom tiles on the walls. I noticed when Rio came out of the black tubing she shook of water a few times and drips hit the wall of the particle board. To avoid water damage from the shaking off of water the tiles would insulate the particle board. I love the design and the reuse of pet carrier doors! Awesome cage! You have awesome animal husbandry and animal hunting training skills! What a great National Geographic show idea show humans training animals from Minkenry to Falconry!!!! I would buy the BlueRay!!!!
If the particle board is cheap enough to be damaged by droplets of water then A: Its super cheap stuff, B: Being cheap it would be easy to replace and C: perfect material for housing an animal like a mink.
Source: I work in the partical board industry(you would not beleive the science that goes into pressed wood chips)
Creative at it finest 🤗
Is it possible to take care of a mink in an apartment with this cage and daily walks outside? I'm really fascinated by the minks and I just want to know if it is possible to provide them good enough conditions while living in apartment. If I decide to get involved into it, I will definitely contact you, get your book and so on but before that I want to know if the apartment is too big of an issue while raising mink
This video was actually filmed while I was living in an apartment. I lived there for a year, and then recently moved into a house again.
This channel is great man
That was downright useful.
Very creative cage but she has to sleep on wire??
Just found you tonight and went through everything. Now I have to wait for more. I understand about the light control for the seasons, but what about air conditioning and the heater. Does this throw of her shedding cycles like it does my cats? Or is she outside so much it doesn't seem to make a difference?
The penperature does not affect their cycle. It's all about the light :)
Hello Joseph. I have minks too, I uploaded one video. There will come more. You have a lot of experience with minks and I like your video's much. I was in North Dakota and saw wild mink there and I also trapped there. I got in love with the mink and bought two of them at a mink farm. I live in The Netherlands. I have them outdoors. But maybe I want a young one in my house next year. Is this indoor design a good cage for keeping a mink permanently if I take the mink out in the evening.
JohnDoe0329 Yeah, it has works great for my mink. It is the only cage I have for her. She is allowed to run around the house when we are able to keep an eye on her, but when we are busy, sleeping, or away from home, we leave her in this cage.
I think you told me things that where not fair. I’m a really big fan of your Mink and your dogs and everything you do. I was not trying to be disrespectful but you know if there’s kids in the video and there’s a lot off action. It’s hard to keep on because a child has this little voices that catch your attention. I already know you are a really good father. But your video have lots of action and information. So im sorry you feel I’m a really bad person for saying what i feel. Believe me i don’t me nd the kids but you should put them in the beginning or at the end. Because me i can’t see 2 things at the same time. So i send you Blessings to everything you do and for your beautiful family.
man the mink are soo curious
Hello Joseph in regards to the cage you designed I've a suggestion for modification. Install tracks like they are in kitchen cupboard put the mechanism on the board also and now you have a pull out it also could be routed in the wood to place slide in a tongue and groove way. I have other ideas and or questions too should you be inclined . What is your profession?
was thinking same thing about the wire on feet..I dont realy get those those lil levels,exercise i guess,they seem pretty active..maybe take those lil stages out and have a bigger taller room for them to climb on wood,bark,branches,etc
Is that wire inch by inch rabbit wire??
I love the idea of hunting with mink I've never heard of it before I'd like to buy your book and learn about it can you hunt with more than one at a time
Your a beast stitch your self up like a warrior and your knowledge is so detailed I want u as a friend sub for life what do you work as in the office ?
Nice locate a nice little water for the bank link or predatory animals you need to know what you're doing
Rio is so cute! I have been watching all of videos and love them! This cage is incredible and she seems to love it! I'm sure all of your hard work will pay off :)
grow places,gardens stores have temp,humdity gauges.there digital,and or a app.it warns u on your phone if the temp,or hum,gets to high in there cahe
Minkenry the new ferreting love it!
Do mink smell like ferrets?Im just wondering as you keep them indoors and if you done this with ferrets they would stink a bit.
+Davey 14 My wife is pregnant, and SUPER sensitive to ANY SMELL. She yells at me to shut the bedroom door when I am making a peanut butter sandwich in the kitchen because it's "stinking up the house" but she has NEVER noticed the mink's smell, even though her cage is right in the living room! My wife even plays with my mink, and puts her near her face, but can't smell a thing. And my mink is fully intact with all of her scent glands and sex organs.
Not to be creepy, but where do you live?
Why not make the pipe a loose fit in the cage, then it can move up and down with the cover.
Do you have to hunt with a mink if you are keeping it as a pet or can you just care for it normally
can you keep two mink in one cage like this? if not what size would the cage have to be?
Now I'm not so familiar with mink I don't know how long they can hold there breath. I love your vids by the way. But i am a diver and seeing that there is a pool at the bottom is nice and really cool but saying that I am a diver couldn't co2 build up in the bottom where the pool is. BC there is a limited supply of air coming from only the tube. I would recommend a few small holes in the top of the pool. I'm not an expert on mink what so ever just thought of something that I have come across in the past and wanted to share it with you as a precaution. Love your videos as I said before and can't wait to see more.
Ted Rudzinski I'm not a diver, so help me understand how CO2 would build up in a chamber that has a 4" hole in the top. In my mind the big 4" pipe, plus Rio's body moving up and down the tube to increase air flow, should in my mind give plenty of ventilation. Is there something I should know that I don't? Does CO2 sink, so it wont go up and out of the tube, or something like that?
Joseph Carter see when your a "free diver" or a snorkeler people think oh well why don't I attach and longer piece of hose to the snorkel so they can stay down longer the only problem with that is co2 is heavier then oxygen so if your down 10 feet all you think your doing is breathing normally when in actuality your killing yourself because all of that co2 is building up towards the bottom of that hose that's 10 feet long and your not getting any oxygen. You can breath but your breathing straight co2 that you previously exhaled. We just had a case in Florida where a man was snorkeling in 10 feet of water but had attached a hose from his snorkel to is boat. Within an hour he killed himself because he thought he was breathing air when it was really co2. Co2 is heavier which could make it hard for Rio to breath. It's kind of like when you were a kid and you put some kind of animal in a plastic bottle and poked holes in it. The animal would still die after a while BC of the lack of oxygen.
Ted Rudzinski Thanks for that information! I had no idea CO2 was heavier than oxygen. It hasn't seemed to be a problem yet. Could the cracks around the end of the pipe, and in between the box and the lid, be possibly giving enough air flow? How much ventilation does it need?
Ted Rudzinski Maybe I can run a fish tank air pup into the box to increase the airflow....
That would be a great idea just watch out for her chewing it up like u said in your video. Lol and I'm not quite sure on how much air she needs but the air pump or maybe even some holes in the black tube would help
I think it is a great setup
mine name is Samantha smith and can you please give me some information on how to build a mink house
I've noticed that several people seem to be interested in minkenry or at least wanting to own a mink for a pet and have asked you where you get your mink from.....so where do you get your mink from we are interested in minkenry and apparently in order for those of us that want to become mink handlers we would of course need to aquire a mink or 2, so if you will kind sir where do we get the minks from?
+david dorshak I don't mind helping people get into mink, but I'm always hesitant until I feel confident the person in question had done all they can to prepare themselves for the challenge of caring for a mink. Give me a call and we can talk further 801-548-2696
+Joseph Carter I would personally recommend against posting your number online unless its a business line! :)
does there day light cycle with there fur,does tempature have affect on there coat?with closet doors closed and your warm house,seems like it would be warm as hell in there all the time..would be in the water all day to cool down
I like your Tshirt!
I love it
Just a suggestion, when my kitten was teething, I bought a human baby teether for him and he loved chewing on it. Fast forward 3 years and I have bought a baby teether black disc (very tough) on a necklace for mom to wear and he still, to this day will grab that and chew on it. Since a mink has a smaller mouth, maybe something like that might be an option for their chewy stage. PS If you ever run out of names for your mink, it would be an honor if you named one after my tuxedo cat with the teether, "Bobby". I call him my 'deactivated' mink. LOL
Wheir do you get your mink at can you say it in one of you videos please I'm thinking about getting one
Hi first I love your vids. Would straw make good bedding, I use it for my ferrets ?
g00dwin78 I've never used straw, so I couldn't tell you if it's good or not. Sorry
So smart !
This is so cool
What if the Mink has an accident in-between the smaller levels where there is no door, how do you clean that?
+DanMartinParanormal It hasn't been a problem yet....
+Joseph Carter Hey is the Cage so no peicece of shit releases your animales again?
Judgemental. HAMSTER!! nope
I find the cage unsuitable. The animals can only stand on bars. That's not good for the paws.
Does the air above the pool refresh itself? ie does the black tube stop above the water or is there airholes in the lid?
The air is refreshed through a fish tank bubbler
Amazing, you really built it well.
I really love your videos.: ) I had a question can minks withstand really hot and really cold weather?
Josue Pinto They can survive super cold weather, as long as they have a good nest box to snuggle up in. They do suffer in the heat, however, and they need plenty of shade, and preferably water to swim in, when the temperatures are hot out.
Joseph Carter another question I don't mean to bug you but what would be the most heat they could withstand? I'm just curious cause if I were to get a mink I want to make sure it's a good environment for it I wouldn't want to bring it out somewhere it would die due to heat Thank you again keep you the great videos very educational you should get a show on national geographic lol
Josue Pinto It's not really a set temperature. There are many factors that can make it "too hot". If the mink is super active, and doesn't have water to cool off in, 75 F can be "too hot". If the mink has water to cool off in, then even 100 F is not too bad, since the water cools the mink off.
Joseph Carter Thank you again.: ) your awesome
if to sibling minks were raised together would they get along
Usually. It just depends on the mink.
I bottle raised two mink from different litters together. They get along, but mink should still have their own cages to themselves. I introduced another adult mink to them when they were older and they squabble but mostly play and get along without issue.
How are mink when sharing a cage? Would it for example be possible to have two of the same sex in that cage of youres?
Small animals will chew on almost anything trying to get tased see if it's good to see the energy from it whatever I recommend a bone or a dog chew toys sort of the two toys but things may of stuff the day I'm content just I don't know enough about mean to say that their babies are trying to test stuff
Do u have a book of some kind on how to train your mink.
Pit Crew Yes I do..... ruclips.net/video/b1HPDobIaPI/видео.html
like you t shirt....Houston TX...
You didn't answer my question last vid so here it is again what if your gone and the mink goes in the tube and falls and hits it head on the rock and drowns or goes unconscious
Super Gamer I'm sorry, I thought I did answer your question... anyway, no there is no real risk of this happening. Mink are very agile and in control. She carefully climbs up and down the pipe, rather than slide down it like you are envisioning. Even if she did slide down like you are imagining, she would land on her front feet, not her head. Mink are like cats in that they always land on their feet.... even if they were falling head first. :-)
Super Gamer What if they it was in the wild and it fell and hit its head on a rock and drowns or goes unconscious?
Oh okay
Joseph other things I wanted to mention does she return to her cage to potty? What language is her feeding call? When you do a lot of musk rats are you selling pelts, and if you haven't yet set up a Facebook for both you and her and also Instagram etc. why are their no commercials?
Yes, she uses the litter box in her cage, as well as one we have out in the room for her to use. The language I use to call her is the Omaha Native American language.
DO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE MINK NEUTERED?
Nice weasel
Jk I know it’s a mink
Actually, you are mostly correct: the American Mink is (from genetic typing) most closely related to the American Long-tailed weasel. They apparently shared a common ancestor long ago, some of which slowly began to specialize in hunting in and around streams and lakes and became the mink we know today.
The European Mink is *not* closely related to the American one, instead, it seems to have evolved from one of the European weasels in a beautiful example of parallel evolution.
Hey man, you can call it a weasel, otter, mink, marten...... just don't call it a ferret! :-P
Ferret bigotry?
Actually I do like keeping it clear which species we are talking about, since they really do have some significant differences in behavior and so on. And in that vein, I'd suggest you take umbrage with calling them martens - the marten subfamily of the mustelids are mostly tree-weasels (except the wolverine) and waay different from your water-weasel minks. River otters share the same habitat and much of the same diet, but are only distantly related to mink.
I know! Let's call mink "the poor man's Otter"!!!
The reason I say don't call it a ferret, is because they have been changed so much by man, that they really don't have much in common with wild mustelids like weasels or mink anymore. I would dare say a mink and polecat have far more in common than a ferret does to a polecat. At least that's the impression I get from people who have had experience with all three animals. I've never even seen a polecat in real life, so I couldn't really say. So when people ask if a mink is just like a ferret, it's kind of like having someone ask if having a wolf is just like owning a pug......
could u use a large rat cage? such as the midwest critter nation?
Chris Soucy Maybe, it depends on the strength of the material it's made of. Many of those commercial made cages will hold them until it decides to just tear a hole right through the cage, or wiggle the door open. A lot of them are made so cheap the mink can tear through them in 5 minutes or less if it wanted to. But if the cages made out of proper wire, is nice and sturdy, and the door is secured, they could work well assuming you use an appropriately sized cage.
I use the Midwest Critter nation, which is probably about the strongest commercial cage for small animals. However, one of my mink was able to break a couple of the welds after a while and did escape once. I think for many mink it would be okay, especially for the smaller females. My other mink don't mess with the cage and haven't damaged it. For mink kept indoors as pets, it's likely still the best commercial pet cage for mink. Using deep cement mixing pans modified as trays for the bottom level is a good option, as then you can install a pool for them to swim in without it spilling out on the floor.
Joseph can you give Rio a rawhide or pigs ears to chew on?
Does mink smell like dogs?
Absolutely brill want a mink mysalf
How do you spell Minkenry?
Sahil Zubair yes, Minkenry
More rio
Looks kinda stuffy in that cupboard
You look like as you are aging you are looking younger
Do they have rabies?
i want a mink lol
hi Joseph
is there any rats in your house? xD
I think ur house is haunted.. orbs 12:15 lol ☺👻👻😱.
Make more vids
Why do u talk like that??