Mink farming for fur production is one of the most welfare-compromising forms of animal agriculture, with mink kept in wire mesh cages unable to perform their natural semi-aquatic behaviours.
Mink farming is a welfare case study in the failure to meet fundamental behavioural needs. Mink are solitary, territorial semi-aquatic predators whose needs — vast ranges, water access, prey pursuit — are completely incompatible with cage farming conditions. The result is extraordinarily high rates of stereotypic behaviour including repetitive circling, head weaving and self-mutilation. These behaviours are not adaptations to captivity but indicators of severe psychological distress. The ban on mink farming in the UK and numerous other countries represents one of the most clear-cut animal welfare policy victories of recent decades, based on robust welfare science evidence.