9.
Restraint devices should be used as little as possible. Staff carrying out the handling procedure should be properly trained for the task. The equipment used should be designed and maintained in a way that reduces the risk of stress or injury to the animal.
10.
Display of live animals from fur farms at commercial exhibitions should be avoided.
11.
Killing of animals kept for fur production should be carried out only with humane methods. In particular chloral hydrate should not be used. Animals should be handled gently prior to killing. Research on killing methods for animals reared for their fur should be encouraged
12.
Weaning age should be selected so that poor welfare does not result for offspring or mother. Social housing conditions should receive special attention in accordance with species-specific social requirements.
13.
Breeding programmes and handling practices should aim at the reduction of fearfulness and aggressiveness.
14.
Strains with health problems, disabilities or other welfare problems should not be used in fur production.
15.
Mutilations of animals kept for fur production, e.g. detoothing, should be avoided.
Species-specific: Mink and foxes 16.
The cages and management methods used for mink should be greatly improved because they result in: a mortality of mink kits of 20 percent; some significant morbidity problems; stereotypies often for long periods; fur biting or more serious self mutilation to the point of tail or limb loss. Changes in accommodation are needed in order to provide: sufficient environmental complexity and opportunities for investigation and exercise. Examples of normal mink behaviour which cannot be carried out in typical farm housing are running, climbing, and swimming.
17.
The cages and management methods used for foxes should be greatly improved because they result in: excessive fear of humans which is not at present solved by either genetic modification or early contact with humans; limb bone weakness associated with lack of exercise: high rates of failure to conceive and failure to rear young; maternal infanticide; and other abnormalities of behaviour which are not adequately quantified. Changes in accommodation are needed in order to provide sufficient environmental complexity, sufficient separation from fear-inducing conspecifics and humans, and opportunities for investigation and exercise. Examples of normal fox behaviour which cannot be carried out in typical farm housing are running and digging.
18.
In mink, colour mutation associated with poor health or any other aspect of poor welfare should be excluded from breeding programmes.
19.
To decrease fearfulness and promote tameness, foxes should be given frequent, positive human contact, particularly during the juvenile period. Mink may also benefit from appropriate human contact.
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