Mink in conventional wire cage systems show high rates of stereotypic behaviour indicating chronic welfare deficits, with enrichment research informing standards in countries that still permit farming.
Farmed mink welfare deficits are among the most extensively documented in scientific literature. Their natural behavioural repertoire — swimming, ranging, hunting — cannot be expressed in wire cage systems. The high prevalence of stereotypic behaviour in conventional cages is a well-validated indicator of chronic frustration and poor welfare. Research shows that even modest enrichment — water troughs for swimming, nest boxes, shelves — significantly reduces stereotypies and improves welfare indicators. However, the best enrichment cannot compensate for the fundamental spatial and social deprivation of intensive mink farming. In countries where mink farming remains legal, welfare regulations requiring enrichment represent important minimum standards even as bans proceed elsewhere.