Did you know that there are fur farms in Ireland??

Cutie18Ireland

I personally only realised this dismorning when i read an article in "Kiss". i feel that it is totally wrong and am looking for others views on this.
the article also outlined that faux fur might not be just that, we assume it is due to the price but the article states that real fur trim is as cheap as faux fur trim!!!
there are policies in place in terms of mink farming but... its to make sure they dont escape and harm anyone!! fur farms dont need a license so we cant be sure exactly hoe many there are but theres been 6 confirmed mink farms and 2 confirmed fox farms!
i feel that we all need to do something about this...http://www.ciwf.ie/campaigns/campaign_fur.html

jaggeh

mmmmmmmmm fur

Siogfinsceal

Yup I did there is mink farms. Its awful that people breed them in cages just to rip there fur off ;-( whats wrong with fake sur it look and feels as good I just dont understand how anyone could wear a mink coat knowing about 40 animals klived in a tiny cage and died to make it.

Im not a vegetarian at all - I believe its ok to eat animals ie eat a cow and make leather from its hide thats different but dont think u shoul drear an animal solely to kill it for fur

A few years ago activists let loose lots of mink. They had the right idea but should not have set them free here as mink are not native to ireland and now there are lots of wild mink out in our countryside they can be vicious one killed my friends pup.

Cutie18Ireland

Fox and mink are normally killed on-farm. A veterinarian does not have to be present. Mink are gassed to death in carbon monoxide. Many fox are electrocuted by having an electrode placed in their mouth and anus. The Dept. of Agriculture & Food cannot provide information on training of slaughtermen on fur farms, or of the inspection of equipment. CIWF is opposed to these methods of slaughter and the lack of veterinary supervision.

whiskeyman

A lot of the fur farms / mice farms etc.. are moving here because they are coming under too much attack in the UK (from terrorists like the ALF).
Protest all you want, but dont start digging up the graves of dead relatives of those who own the farms:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4285488.stm

MorningStar

Yeah political activists have done many stupid things in the name of good. Don't forget the recent story about the farmer who had his dead aunt's body stolen because he bred lab rats.
I am not that bothered about mink farms as it is little different to a chicken farm. I am more bothered by stupid activists like the ones that think modern food production is equal to the holocost.

Draupnir

Ive been in town a few times on Saturdays and a lot of hippies have been protesting outside that fur shop at the end of Grafton Street.

Personally, I'm always quite close to punching one of them in the face. Megaphones and disturbing the peace arent the way to protest.

Anyway, whats the big deal. Farmer has 400 sheep on his farm which slaughters and sells the wool and meat. Not a big deal to anyone.

Farmer has 400 mink (a rodent type useless animal by the way) on his farm, kills them and sells the pelt and suddenly its an issue with every eco warrior.

It just bugs me that there are about 50 huge civil wars and numerous genocides going on around the world and one of the biggest things that the "save the planet" brigade can collectively choose to fight is the use of a poxy little rat to make jackets.

Get a life people.

Rb

It[the breeding of animals specifically for their fur] disgusts me tbh.

Ajnag

Why is it animal rights activists never protest bestiality porn?
Honestly, Is this not an insight into how populist and unthinking alot of these activists are?
Crying about the welfare of animals all the while ignoring an abuse that is repugnant by all standards.

Or maybe they really do love the animals.....:eek:

astrofool

Fake fur is horrifically bad for the environment, and they don't last as long as real fur would. In the long term, its better to the planet to buy real fur, if you have to buy fur. Otherwise, just don't buy fur.

Is it really any different to wearing leather in the first place?

Who, me?

Sometimes fake fur can be just as bad; I read in an article somewhere that some places pose as animal shelters and take stray cats and dogs in and use *their* fur instead of mink or fox or whatever.
So the best thing to do would be avoid fur altogether. Looks tacky anyway.

super_furry

Can't understand why people kick up holy war over breading 'cute' animals for clothing, but don't bat an eyelid when cows are breed for food and clothing.

stevenmu

Draupnir wrote:

Anyway, whats the big deal. Farmer has 400 sheep on his farm which slaughters and sells the wool and meat. Not a big deal to anyone.

Sheep need to be sheared, not shearing them would actually be considered cruel. Also sheep generally get to roam around eating grass, which is exactly their natural state, mink get locked up in little cages. I'm not really pro/anti fur, just pointing out the difference.

Alun

stevenmu wrote:

Sheep need to be sheared, not shearing them would actually be considered cruel. Also sheep generally get to roam around eating grass, which is exactly their natural state, mink get locked up in little cages. I'm not really pro/anti fur, just pointing out the difference.

In parts of northern England they often don't bother shearing their sheep, primarily because the income they get from the fleeces (often low quality,because they're hill sheep) doesn't warrant the expense of getting them sheared. Left to their own devices, the wool just falls off, just as nature intended.

Draupnir

stevenmu wrote:

Sheep need to be sheared, not shearing them would actually be considered cruel. Also sheep generally get to roam around eating grass, which is exactly their natural state, mink get locked up in little cages. I'm not really pro/anti fur, just pointing out the difference.

As pointed out, sheep are more than capable of naturally shedding their wool, they dont NEED to be sheared.

So the mink get locked up in little cages, were exactly would be more appropriate?

The argument should be more that the law should prevent mink from being allowed in the country as they are not native to the eco system. Rather than that we dont want them killed.

What purpose does a mink serve to man beyond for clothes? If mink tasted good and we were eating the meat aswell as wearing the fur, it would be just like a mini cow and nobody would give a monkeys.

Gurgle

astrofool wrote:

Fake fur is horrifically bad for the environment, and they don't last as long as real fur would. In the long term, its better to the planet to buy real fur

Excellent, best pro-fur arguements I've heard!

stevenmu

Alun wrote:

In parts of northern England they often don't bother shearing their sheep, primarily because the income they get from the fleeces (often low quality,because they're hill sheep) doesn't warrant the expense of getting them sheared. Left to their own devices, the wool just falls off, just as nature intended.

Yes, but as you mention they're hill sheep with low quality wool, and living in lower temperature areas, they aren't as prone to overheating. The common farm sheep breeds have become dependant on being sheared as a means of controlling their body temperature. Can't remember where I saw this, but probably the discovery channel or something like that, I've never actually worked on a farm or anything so I could be wrong.

Draupnir wrote:

So the mink get locked up in little cages, were exactly would be more appropriate?

I've nothing against wearing or eating animals, I wear and eat them all the time, but I think it's unnessecarily cruel to keep animals locked up in tiny cages their whole lives. We could quite easily get buy using more traditional farming methods, and while I don't actually buoycott anything, I always opt for free-range choices where available. Besides, free-range animals generally taste better and produce better fur/hides.

Ajnag

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002569751_horsesex19m.html

Oh wont someone think of the gerbils!:rolleyes:

Dimitri

Keeping mink in cages is terrible, i agree but the animal rights crowd that released a load of them into the wild from a farm down in kerry should be shot. Mink are small but vicious. To handle a mink a chain clove has to be used. Mink reek havoc on the local eco system, they have no natural predator and have attacked children in the past when they feel threatened.

Sleepy

Know? Yes. Care? Not a jot.

When we've completely sorted out mankinds problems (you know, small stuff like poverty, war, hunger, etc.) I might consider it worthwhile to worry about small rodents being kept in cages and killed for their fur (and even then it'd hardly cause me sleepless nights). Until that point, I think we've a lot more serious problems to worry about.

And, like astrofool pointed out. Most fake fur production involves the use of petrochemicals and creates toxic waste which is has a far more profound effect on our eco-system than breeding animals (a renewable resource) for their pelts.

nesf

Has anyone here seen what minks do to an area that they are accidentally released into? They are vicious creatures that honestly I have no problems killing. I put them in the same catagory as rats in my head.


As for cages, I find the idea repulsive. But I would much prefer the animal being killed than let out into the countryside here. They do far too much damage when it happens.

Gurgle

nesf wrote:

I would much prefer the animal being killed than let out into the countryside here.

You do know that mink already live in the countryside here ?
I'm not sure but I think they're indigineous.

nesf

Gurgle wrote:

You do know that mink already live in the countryside here ?
I'm not sure but I think they're indigineous.

Minks are most definitely not indigineous to Ireland. The ones that are in the countryside here escaped from fur farms.

sturgo

Within the animal world, it's concidered a great honour to be made into a fur coat orpair of shoes. The animals love it.

canislupus

Mink are Mustelids (members of the weasel family) not rodents. They are not indigenous to Ireland; they are an invasive alien species introduced in the 1950's with the rise of fur-farming. The were released, both accidentally and deliberately (by farm-owners and animal rights activists).
They've spread throughout Ireland and are found in almost all suitable habitats throughout the country. They are semi-aquatic, found in association with lakes, rivers and coastlines.

JC 2K3

Sort out human problems before rackling something like this I say.

As far as I'm concerned, wearing fur clothing is preferable to wearing clothing made in a sweatshop.(provided the fur industry doesn't exploit people, which I doubt it does since real fur seems to be a niche market)

amp

sturgo wrote:

Within the animal world, it's concidered a great honour to be made into a fur coat orpair of shoes. The animals love it.

If you haven't got anything intelligent to say on this or any other topic in this forum then you'll be banned.

The_Minister

Mink are probably the only animals that I really don't care about. I would prefer mink to be skinned, rather then cats.

amp wrote:

If you haven't got anything intelligent to say on this or any other topic in this forum then you'll be banned.

He posted that over a year ago. Just saying.

amp

The_Minister wrote:

He posted that over a year ago. Just saying.

Whatever, it's still valid. Back on topic.

Dontico

i would ban wearing fur cause its dumb. not because its wrong.

The Sweeper

Dumb you say? Interesting argument. Nicely thought out.

Anyway - just a thought. There's a mink farm local to me (I'm in England though). The farmer's a small-holder and it's his sole source of income. Yes his mink are caged. The cages are not tiny. The mink have room to move around, clean bedding to stretch out and lie on. It's no crueller than caging dogs in a rescue centre, or people who cage budgies and parrots as pets. It's not like battery farming of chickens.

In order to get a good quality pelt for sale, your animals have to be healthy, well fed and happy to produce clean, thick, shiny fur. Their cages are kept very clean, they're never allowed sit in their own filth, for instance. They are far enough apart that they can't nip or scratch each other - you'd risk ruining the pelt if they could.

I'm not vegetarian, so I won't condemn the breeding of animals for fur - however, I can take a stance on the welfare of the animals, the same way I can choose to purchase only organically produced, free-range meat.

The reason the 'fur is murder' crowd have had such an impact is because of the incredibly bad standards in a lot of fur production. The production of fur is like everything else - if it were properly regulated and high standards set in place for animal welfare it would be far less of a problem. However most people don't campaign for animal welfare in fur production, because they're too embarassed to be seen supporting such a politically incorrect industry.

Subsequently, without the support of the public for decent welfare practices, the fur industry is left to its own devices, and the furriers who do things like skin living animals can continue to do that all the live-long day.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Yeah have to agree protesting against fur farms is pathetic & hypocritical unless you're a vegan yourself