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Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of Animal s for their Fur . The animal most commonly farmed for its fur is the Mink . As of 2003, Denmark had the largest fur-farming industry, with 35% of world production. After the initial success of anti-fur campaigns in the 1980s and 1990s, in recent times the popularity of Fur Clothing appears to be increasing again around the world. This growing demand has led to the development of extensive fur farming operations in countries such as China , where activist groups such as People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals have raised concerns about what they allege is the inhumane treatment of animals (animals are skinned while alive, as there is no regulation against doing so) and the nature of Slaughterhouse practices. HISTORY The first fur farms in North America appeared in the 1860s. Historically, the Fur Trade played an important economic role in the United States. Fur trappers explored and opened up large parts of North America, and the fashion for Beaver hats led to intense competition for supplies of raw materials. Starting in the latter half of the 20th century, producers and wearers of fur have been criticized because of the perceived cruelty involved in animal Trapping and because the availability other natural and synthetic fibers has rendered the wearing of fur unnecessary. Proponents of fur point out that it is a renewable resource, unlike synthentic fibers. Today, 85 per cent of the fur industry's skins comes from animals living captive on fur farms. These farms can hold thousands of animals, and the practices used to farm them are remarkably uniform around the globe. The most farmed fur-bearing animal is the mink, followed by the fox. Chinchillas, lynxes, and even hamsters are also farmed for their fur. Sixty-four percent of fur farms are in Northern Europe, 11 per cent are in North America, and the rest are dispersed throughout the world, in countries such as Argentina and Russia. Animals on fur farms are fed excess products from production of beef, fish and poultry. This practice reduces the effects of environmentally damaging waste produced in this food industries. According to the Fur Commission, fur farming is considered a good Conservation practice. {Link without Title} CONTROVERSY Opponents of fur farming state that, as with other large scale Animal Farms , the methods used on fur factory farms are designed to maximize profits. As with other types of large scale animal farming, living conditions of animals do vary and the extreme cases are ones of much contention. For example, according to PETA, some fur farmers pack animals into small cages, preventing them from taking more than a few steps back and forth. This crowding and confinement is extremely distressing to mink — solitary animals who may occupy as much as 2,500 acres (10 km²) of wetland habitat in the wild. Life in a cage leads minks to self-mutilate — biting at their skin, tails, and feet — and frantically pace and circle endlessly. Zoologists at Oxford University who studied captive mink found that, despite generations of being bred for fur, minks have not been domesticated and suffer greatly in captivity, especially if they are not given the opportunity to swim. Fox es, Raccoon s, and other animals suffer equally and have been found to cannibalize each other as a reaction to their crowded confinement. In other cases, as with passing of animal welfare legislation in Italy, animals are required to be "given enriched living environments in which they can climb on branches, dig holes, use a nest of 50 x 50 cm and also have a water basin of at least 2 x 2 metres and 50 cm deep in which to swim." {Link without Title} The methods used for killing the animals vary, the most common methods (defined as humane) are clubbing, followed by shooting, asphyxiation, and electrocution, where one electrode is attached to the inside of the mouth, and the other inserted into the anus. A car battery provides sufficient current to kill a fox in 10 to 12 seconds. In some countries without animal protection legislation, a heated rod is inserted into the anus, damaging the internal organs and causing fatal hemorrhaging. Other methods include poisons (particularly Strychnine and plant killers), and neck breaking. On some farms, car or truck exhaust is used, and some animal-protection groups claim that animals can survive and awaken during the skinning process. Mink farmers usually breed female mink once a year. There are about three or four surviving kits for each litter, and they are killed when they are about half a year old, depending on what country they are in, after the first hard freeze. Minks used for breeding are kept for four to five years. CITATION |
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