The animals’ ability to deal with the situation

The animals’ ability to deal with the situation at the time of killing differs depending on whether the animal is young or old. It is reasonable to assume that older animals and animals that have led an eventful life have more chance of coping with new situations. But with age comes wisdom, which may make them dubious of unfamiliar situations. This is dependent on whether the animals perceive their previous handling as negative or positive. Studies in which mink were regularly weighed made them less afraid.

Pelting is a labour-intensive period which involves an increase in activity on the farm. In many cases, it also means more people than usual moving around on the farm. This change in the environment may cause stress on the animals which differs from individual to individual. As stated previously, the animals may perceive the increased activity as anything from enriching to frightening, depending on their breeding, habits and previous experiences.

Killing is carried out in different ways depending on whether individuals are to be killed due to injury or disease, or whether planned killing is to be carried out ahead of pelting. This creates different chances for the animals to deal with these varying situations. Sick or injured animals may, for example, perceive the situation to be more frightening than would be the case with healthy animals. There are a number of different factors which influence how mink react in connection with killing (see the figure on the next page).

Conclusion
The risk of stress among animals is reduced by taking into account their circumstances when handling them. Always handling these animals calmly and correctly is important in order to achieve good animal welfare. Wearing protective gloves for handling animals is every bit as important for personnel as it is for the animals, as there is otherwise a risk of the animals being handled roughly and subjected to stress if they manage to escape.

Important messages

• Different individuals have different capabilities when it comes to dealing with different situations.
• Increased activity on the farm at the time of pelting may cause the animals to become more susceptible to stress than usual.
• Extra caution must be exercised when handling sick or injured animals.

Auditing

The county administrative board carries out inspections to ensure that there is compliance with animal protection measures. These inspections take place and outdoor unannounced, and urgent inspections are carried out if any poor conditions are reported.
The following are inspected:

• Licences in accordance with the Animal Protection Act
• Inspection and care
• Sick animals and the keeping of logs
• Space, fittings and equipment
• Stall climate and air quality
• Windows and lighting
• Noise
• Food and water
• Cleaning and bedding
• Interventions by operators
• Breeding
• Killing

Transparency

Transparency involves allowing others an insight into the business. This means that there must be openness in respect of external stakeholders. This gives the business credibility among consumers and other people in the community. To achieve good transparency, it is important to keep good documentation and for it to be possible to present this documentation if necessary.