Supplementary dietary water to mink in lactation and early kit growth

Effects of supplementary dietary water on female live weight losses, early kit growth and occurrence of nursing sickness were studied in an experiment with 45 lactating sapphire mink and their litters. A conventional diet was compared with the same diet with 15% supplementary water added. The experiment started at an average kit age of 15 days and ended when the kits were 9 weeks old. Feed consumption on an energy basis was higher in animals receiving supplementary water. There was a non-significant tendency for females fed supplementary water to lose less weight in lactation than controls. Male kits on supplementary water treatment were significantly heavier at 3 and 6 weeks, and tended to be heavier at 9 weeks. No nursing sickness occurred in the experiment, probably due to the cool weather in spring that year. It is concluded that supplementary water in the diet could improve water supply and thereby female and kit performance. Probably, the difference between treatments would have been greater in a year with more normal weather conditions.