Two New Minkenry Videos

[trigger2 3,404]

great vids mate. very interesting stuff. i wouldnt fancy eating that rat though, what do they taste like?

[Minkenry 1,044]

That's an interesting point you make about the collie pit/greyhound comparison

 

My reading of their possible interaction with sheep goes along the lines of , at which point do instincts kick in for each canine, instincts kick in when social breaks down which is the same as a dog being overwhelmed by stimulation

 

but instead of the collie breaking down into instinctive reactions he can take his drive to the next level and can hold both handler and sheep in the same frame of mind He can take direction while in a highly emotion state , whereas most other breeds crash in such a charged state and revert to nstincts ,

 

That's also why I'm impressed with the mink handling and the interaction between instincts and social in dealing with the mink , can you handle him while highly charged ? Or maybe by the time he starts working you have already generated a very social bond

 

 

There are mink who are quite inclined to bite anything and everything when highly excited, but if properly raised from a young age, most can be surprisingly sable and safe to handle. The key is raising and training the mink properly. I know plenty of people who have mink that can't be trusted at any time, but I believe it is more likely to be their fault, rather than the mink's. I've raised 6 different baby mink, and so far I have a 100% success rate at having a good solid mink that I can trust even during most highly stressful/exciting events (most being the KEY word). I'm sure someday the mink will come along that isn't that way, but it hasn't happened yet. But like I said, I know A LOT of people with pet/hunting mink that can't say the same. I also know of many others with solid, trustworthy mink, so my point is not that I can do something others can't. I'm just saying you need to apply the right methods in order to have the same success with the majority of mink.

 

A certain % of mink out there are just naturally easy to work with, and will end up being trust worthy under most circumstances, provided you put in the necessary time to bond with the mink. However with other mink, you will need to both put in the time AND use just the right training/raising methods in order to have success. For example my mink Fang. She is such a delight and so easy to work with, I'm sure that just about anyone who put in a little time when raising her would have had satisfactory results without too much problem. But I've raise several other mink that I know full well would have been EXTREMELY difficult for most people to raise and end up with the same result! Simply put, Fang has a super solid temperament in a small part because of the time and effort I've put into her, and in a much larger part due to her more naturally calm and stable temperament she was born with. Had someone else raised Fang, I'm pretty sure she'd be the same happy, easy to work with little mink, assuming they took the time to bond to her while she was young. With other mink, like a buck I named That'e', he was solid and stable as an adult because I knew just how to get him that way, and I was willing to put in the time, effort, and occasional blood, to get him that way. If some one else raised That'e' and either didn't put in quite the same effort, or perhaps didn't use just the right method, I'm VERY CONFIDENT they would have ended up with a very different and unsatisfactory result!

 

Every thing I just described above applies to bottle raised mink, not necessarily those tamed as adults. Mink tamed as adults are rarely as tame or trustworthy as those raised from kits. Once again there are exceptions, but with most mink that is the case. Most mink tamed as adults can become tame enough to handle bare handed, but they are FAR MORE LIKELY to turn on you, both on accident or on purpose, during moments of stress or excitement.

[Guest vin]

 

That's an interesting point you make about the collie pit/greyhound comparison

 

My reading of their possible interaction with sheep goes along the lines of , at which point do instincts kick in for each canine, instincts kick in when social breaks down which is the same as a dog being overwhelmed by stimulation

 

but instead of the collie breaking down into instinctive reactions he can take his drive to the next level and can hold both handler and sheep in the same frame of mind He can take direction while in a highly emotion state , whereas most other breeds crash in such a charged state and revert to nstincts ,

 

That's also why I'm impressed with the mink handling and the interaction between instincts and social in dealing with the mink , can you handle him while highly charged ? Or maybe by the time he starts working you have already generated a very social bond

 

 

There are mink who are quite inclined to bite anything and everything when highly excited, but if properly raised from a young age, most can be surprisingly sable and safe to handle. The key is raising and training the mink properly. I know plenty of people who have mink that can't be trusted at any time, but I believe it is more likely to be their fault, rather than the mink's. I've raised 6 different baby mink, and so far I have a 100% success rate at having a good solid mink that I can trust even during most highly stressful/exciting events (most being the KEY word). I'm sure someday the mink will come along that isn't that way, but it hasn't happened yet. But like I said, I know A LOT of people with pet/hunting mink that can't say the same. I also know of many others with solid, trustworthy mink, so my point is not that I can do something others can't. I'm just saying you need to apply the right methods in order to have the same success with the majority of mink.

 

A certain % of mink out there are just naturally easy to work with, and will end up being trust worthy under most circumstances, provided you put in the necessary time to bond with the mink. However with other mink, you will need to both put in the time AND use just the right training/raising methods in order to have success. For example my mink Fang. She is such a delight and so easy to work with, I'm sure that just about anyone who put in a little time when raising her would have had satisfactory results without too much problem. But I've raise several other mink that I know full well would have been EXTREMELY difficult for most people to raise and end up with the same result! Simply put, Fang has a super solid temperament in a small part because of the time and effort I've put into her, and in a much larger part due to her more naturally calm and stable temperament she was born with. Had someone else raised Fang, I'm pretty sure she'd be the same happy, easy to work with little mink, assuming they took the time to bond to her while she was young. With other mink, like a buck I named That'e', he was solid and stable as an adult because I knew just how to get him that way, and I was willing to put in the time, effort, and occasional blood, to get him that way. If some one else raised That'e' and either didn't put in quite the same effort, or perhaps didn't use just the right method, I'm VERY CONFIDENT they would have ended up with a very different and unsatisfactory result!

 

Every thing I just described above applies to bottle raised mink, not necessarily those tamed as adults. Mink tamed as adults are rarely as tame or trustworthy as those raised from kits. Once again there are exceptions, but with most mink that is the case. Most mink tamed as adults can become tame enough to handle bare handed, but they are FAR MORE LIKELY to turn on you, both on accident or on purpose, during moments of stress or excitement.

 

 

You my friend are one of the only reasons I log onto this site these days. . . truly inspirational.

[bird 10,014]

 

That's an interesting point you make about the collie pit/greyhound comparison

 

My reading of their possible interaction with sheep goes along the lines of , at which point do instincts kick in for each canine, instincts kick in when social breaks down which is the same as a dog being overwhelmed by stimulation

 

but instead of the collie breaking down into instinctive reactions he can take his drive to the next level and can hold both handler and sheep in the same frame of mind He can take direction while in a highly emotion state , whereas most other breeds crash in such a charged state and revert to nstincts ,

 

That's also why I'm impressed with the mink handling and the interaction between instincts and social in dealing with the mink , can you handle him while highly charged ? Or maybe by the time he starts working you have already generated a very social bond

 

 

There are mink who are quite inclined to bite anything and everything when highly excited, but if properly raised from a young age, most can be surprisingly sable and safe to handle. The key is raising and training the mink properly. I know plenty of people who have mink that can't be trusted at any time, but I believe it is more likely to be their fault, rather than the mink's. I've raised 6 different baby mink, and so far I have a 100% success rate at having a good solid mink that I can trust even during most highly stressful/exciting events (most being the KEY word). I'm sure someday the mink will come along that isn't that way, but it hasn't happened yet. But like I said, I know A LOT of people with pet/hunting mink that can't say the same. I also know of many others with solid, trustworthy mink, so my point is not that I can do something others can't. I'm just saying you need to apply the right methods in order to have the same success with the majority of mink.

 

A certain % of mink out there are just naturally easy to work with, and will end up being trust worthy under most circumstances, provided you put in the necessary time to bond with the mink. However with other mink, you will need to both put in the time AND use just the right training/raising methods in order to have success. For example my mink Fang. She is such a delight and so easy to work with, I'm sure that just about anyone who put in a little time when raising her would have had satisfactory results without too much problem. But I've raise several other mink that I know full well would have been EXTREMELY difficult for most people to raise and end up with the same result! Simply put, Fang has a super solid temperament in a small part because of the time and effort I've put into her, and in a much larger part due to her more naturally calm and stable temperament she was born with. Had someone else raised Fang, I'm pretty sure she'd be the same happy, easy to work with little mink, assuming they took the time to bond to her while she was young. With other mink, like a buck I named That'e', he was solid and stable as an adult because I knew just how to get him that way, and I was willing to put in the time, effort, and occasional blood, to get him that way. If some one else raised That'e' and either didn't put in quite the same effort, or perhaps didn't use just the right method, I'm VERY CONFIDENT they would have ended up with a very different and unsatisfactory result!

 

Every thing I just described above applies to bottle raised mink, not necessarily those tamed as adults. Mink tamed as adults are rarely as tame or trustworthy as those raised from kits. Once again there are exceptions, but with most mink that is the case. Most mink tamed as adults can become tame enough to handle bare handed, but they are FAR MORE LIKELY to turn on you, both on accident or on purpose, during moments of stress or excitement.

 

good read , i dare say then that , that if you bred fang to a similar type male with as good temp, then thats the way to go for easy going temp minks, i know still got to put the time in with the young kit minks. when in handling them when young if they do bite you, how do you respond towards them , do you come firm with them, or just put up with it ,until they get more used to handled by you .? just wondered if treated them, say like ferrite kits , if that makes sense lol most good ferrets get used to being handled , but you always get the odd nasty fecker that handling makes no difference , suppose just like some dogs you get bad dogs and good dogs

[Minkenry 1,044]

 

 

There are mink who are quite inclined to bite anything and everything when highly excited, but if properly raised from a young age, most can be surprisingly sable and safe to handle. The key is raising and training the mink properly. I know plenty of people who have mink that can't be trusted at any time, but I believe it is more likely to be their fault, rather than the mink's. I've raised 6 different baby mink, and so far I have a 100% success rate at having a good solid mink that I can trust even during most highly stressful/exciting events (most being the KEY word). I'm sure someday the mink will come along that isn't that way, but it hasn't happened yet. But like I said, I know A LOT of people with pet/hunting mink that can't say the same. I also know of many others with solid, trustworthy mink, so my point is not that I can do something others can't. I'm just saying you need to apply the right methods in order to have the same success with the majority of mink.

 

A certain % of mink out there are just naturally easy to work with, and will end up being trust worthy under most circumstances, provided you put in the necessary time to bond with the mink. However with other mink, you will need to both put in the time AND use just the right training/raising methods in order to have success. For example my mink Fang. She is such a delight and so easy to work with, I'm sure that just about anyone who put in a little time when raising her would have had satisfactory results without too much problem. But I've raise several other mink that I know full well would have been EXTREMELY difficult for most people to raise and end up with the same result! Simply put, Fang has a super solid temperament in a small part because of the time and effort I've put into her, and in a much larger part due to her more naturally calm and stable temperament she was born with. Had someone else raised Fang, I'm pretty sure she'd be the same happy, easy to work with little mink, assuming they took the time to bond to her while she was young. With other mink, like a buck I named That'e', he was solid and stable as an adult because I knew just how to get him that way, and I was willing to put in the time, effort, and occasional blood, to get him that way. If some one else raised That'e' and either didn't put in quite the same effort, or perhaps didn't use just the right method, I'm VERY CONFIDENT they would have ended up with a very different and unsatisfactory result!

 

Every thing I just described above applies to bottle raised mink, not necessarily those tamed as adults. Mink tamed as adults are rarely as tame or trustworthy as those raised from kits. Once again there are exceptions, but with most mink that is the case. Most mink tamed as adults can become tame enough to handle bare handed, but they are FAR MORE LIKELY to turn on you, both on accident or on purpose, during moments of stress or excitement.

 

good read , i dare say then that , that if you bred fang to a similar type male with as good temp, then thats the way to go for easy going temp minks, i know still got to put the time in with the young kit minks. when in handling them when young if they do bite you, how do you respond towards them , do you come firm with them, or just put up with it ,until they get more used to handled by you .? just wondered if treated them, say like ferrite kits , if that makes sense lol most good ferrets get used to being handled , but you always get the odd nasty fecker that handling makes no difference , suppose just like some dogs you get bad dogs and good dogs

 

 

I'm planning on breeding Fang when I find a buck good enough, and that I think would make a good fit. I'm really hoping to breed her to a wild buck to be honest. The wild mink are quicker than the ranch mink, but their temperaments seem to have an even wider variation than the ranch mink do. Some wild mink have surprisingly calm and confident temperaments, acting like they were born in captivity from the first day you catch them. Others are far more fearful than any ranch mink I've seen (yet), remaining quite jumpy and timid, regardless of the time and effort you put into them. Even the wild mink raised from kits can range from nice to handle, to fearful of everything (except the person who raised them). Where as wild mink seem to have a wider range of temperaments than ranch mink do, they are very consistent when it comes to their athletic ability. Ranch mink on the other hand have a very wide range of athletic abilities, some approaching that of a wild mink, others not even close (Fang being somewhere in the middle). So what I'd like to do is find someone with a wild buck mink that has an ideal temperament (for me that means lots of confidence and prey drive, not necessarily cuddly and sweet), and breed him to Fang to try to produce kits with the nice temperaments of both parents, and the athletic ability of their wild father (which genetically speaking should be dominant). If I found a really nice hunting ranch buck, I wouldn't hesitate to breed her to him, the main key is I'm not going to breed her just to breed her. The buck will need to be at least as good, hopefully better than she is. I don't like breeding just for the sake of breeding.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Minkenry