The Importance Of A Double Matinging System

1193 Words3 Pages

one plus one system is used in order to ensure all females have been mated twice by the same male by March 22 (CCFAR 203). A double mating is desired to ensure that the female will be successfully mated. After the female has been mated both times, it is important not to handle her or cause her any undue stress that may compromise a successful implantation. It is also important to ensure that there are no unnecessary noises or distractions during mating such as loud voices or clothing.
The Canadian Center for Fur Animal Research uses the one plus nine mating system as previously explained. Table 1 shows the observations of five different mating pairs from the Canadian Center for Fur Animal Research. Each of the pairs was mated on March 7, 2014 and March 10, 2014, allowing for a total of two mating’s per pair. The results in Table 1 also show the number of live, dead and weaned kits from both the dam and sires dam, in each mating pair. Generally, each mink mated comes from a dam that had a high number of live kits, low number of dead kits and a high number of kits weaned. This is the reason each of these mink was chosen for mating, with hopes of increasing survivability as the Canadian Center for Fur Animal Research is facing Aleutian’s Disease. This year, 2014, was the first mating season for all of the mink found in Table 1, and therefore no information was available regarding their previous breeding season. Typically, information from the previous breeding season will also be used to determine which animals to breed such as information on number of kits, ease of breeding, whelping, lactation and weaning. All of the mating’s found in Table 1 were completed between 9:00 and 9:30 am.

Table 1. Results from mink mating’s at Ca...

... middle of paper ...

...ir weaning weight recorded (CCFAR 208). This is done by first removing and weighing the dam and then removing and weighing the kits by sorting them by their sex (CCFAR 208). After the dam and kits have been separated they must be monitored and fed immediately. Monitoring of the dam is especially important in order to record her body condition and any damages to her teats (CCFAR 208).
During birth, lactation and weaning there is a lot of information that is collected. During birth the ease of birth and number of kits born live and dead is recorded. During lactation, the number of kits being fed by the dam as well as the health of the dam and any kits being fostered is recorded. During weaning, the number kits weaned from each sex as well as their weight and the dam’s weight is recorded. Weight and health concerns are recorded throughout birth, lactation and weaning.

Open Document