[Raising of fur-bearing animals and animal welfare].

The Ministry of Agriculture has drafted a prescription for raising animals for fur production. It contains high standards of knowledge about raising, feeding and care for those animals. Included is combined interest and negotiation between farmers and the organisations for the protection of animals. Some facts of ethology need clarification soon. Special: the social deprive of Minks; the bath taking possibility for the Mink; the requirement of space for the Mink; the collar plate on Chinchillas; the water requirement of swamp Beavers; the size of group and dense occupation of Foxes. All recommendations, directions and prescriptions up to now are patchwork. In certain cases must the advisor and the farmer be in position to recognize deficiencies in care and management and be able to stop it if necessary. In this connection they must observe behaviour of tail biting, skin tearing and consumption of new born, disturbances in mating behaviour as well as in upbringing. They must also look for stereotyped movements and the expressions of pain and anxiety. The Council of Europe gave also a draft of recommendations concerning fur animals and in this paper is also attached the importance to farmers diagnosis of disturbed behaviour.