Mink Farms in Denmark

It is certainly possible that other mammals (those in close contact with people) may catch Covid. How much danger they'd pose in transmitting it back to people is unknown. It's not likely to be much of a threat, though. The main danger comes from fellow humans.

I used to worry about Rabies entering the UK (bound to happen sooner or later) and the (slim) possibility of pets having to be compulsorily euthanised. Now it's worry about Covid.

i read today that the mutant mink virus is in israel.

But ferrets might catch COVID?

NfkDumpling, what a silly remark about vegans and cats. Of course vegans can have cats - and yes, cats do need meat, being true carnivores. There is no conflict as veganism doesn't extend to pets!

MayBee70 said:

'And it’s a pity that so many mink were released by well meaning animal rights activists all those years ago. Not only have they decimated our water voles but they may become carriers of this new strain of COVID.'

Yes, it's a shame that they were released - but no, they won't become carriers.

The farmed mink caught Covid from close contact with infected farm workers - under very unhygienic, unnatural conditions.

In fact, the majority of epidemics and pandemics have direct links to humans farming animals.

Alexa is spot on. The silver lining may be an end to the terrible conditions of factory farming, let's hope so anyway.

I had no idea about any of these Mink farms never having been interested in fur as a textile I think the world needs to wake up to animal husbandry and yes cut out a lot of the meat eating

twitter.com/opencagesuk/status/1325883356022763520?s=21
Horrible report from the independent on chickens bred for Tesco completely deformed and unable to fend off viruses that can affect humans - it’s the human exploitation of animals that has led to this pandemic and intensive animal agriculture continues. Don’t just criticise Denmark , look to our own backyard.

People from other parts of Denmark are still travelling all over the world so I don’t think it’s Danish bacon that we need to worry about. And it’s a pity that so many mink were released by well meaning animal rights activists all those years ago. Not only have they decimated our water voles but they may become carriers of this new strain of COVID. I’d also be concerned about people having pet ferrets given that they are pets that have close contact with their humans.

OMG this is all so scarey. I am glad that DH and i are not big meat eaters and never have bacon. I will be very vigilant when i go shopping this week to make sure i don't purchase items from anywhere but UK. That may be hard me thinks as so much comes from abroad especially fruit and veg. Due to the mild weather i still have lettuces growing in my unheated greenhouse. I cover them up at night just in case. I had one yesterday for tea and the difference in the flavour was amazing. My husband commented on the smell when i put it in the sink to wash saying, that smells earthy!!! It was so tasty. I also have beetroots that i still pull and then roast. I have also frozen some of these and they defrost perfectly and can be eaten with a salad.

afford top welfare standards.

I agree throughout with Hetty. Cruelty to animals comes in degrees of cruelty.

There is no justification for consuming foie gras or fur.

The only justification for cheap factory farmed meat and dairy is the majority of people cannot a

There is no moral excuse for saving pennies by long distance animal transports, or piece work in abattoirs.

It is ironic that this coronavirus is helping animal welfare. I hope the fur trade will disappear from Denmark and everywhere else. Revolting!

I never buy Danish bacon anyway, but almost wish I was in the habit of buying Lurpak (pale anaemic stuff IMO) so I could boycott it.

I do agree that all this seems to go right against the usual opinion of Denmark (and I dare say Scandinavia generally) - ‘...so right thinking and right-doing, better than us anyway’ - and possibly a mite smug and complacent about it.

At any rate, they can shove their nice cosy hygge right up their collective bottom - I’ve always thought of that as a very clever marketing ploy by whoever hit on it - to persuade people to spend lots of money on throws and candles, etc.
As if we didn’t have our own brand of winter cosiness, thank you.

Well, until everyone stops just buying animal products without taking the time to find out how they are produced, nothing will change, will it.

Cats are everywhere ! I don’t need to get my own , they come rubbing up against me ... yuck ...and they are spreading their hair all over the place ?

If you go vegan aggie you won't have cats as they really can't stomach a diet of just vegetables.

So where would you get all the veggies from Hetty? If the whole of the UK was vegan. Which, as someone with a garlic intolerance who hates lentils and can't stomach Dahl, won't happen in my case! And how do you keep 'heart' in the soil?

What I felt when I heard about this mutation was horror , the farming of wild animals is bad , the culling is dreadful , but the fact that the virus is now out there in animals is the stuff of nightmares
Does it mean out cats and dogs can catch it and pass it on ?

True, breeding animals for fur is wrong (of course) - but it makes no difference, to the suffering animal, whether it's body will be eaten or it's fur used for fashion!

NfkDumpling, you said:

'In fact, if we all turned veggie/vegan we would need to plough up all the grass fields in order to grow sufficient plant stuff.'

Totally and utterly wrong!

If we were all vegan, there would be far more open, natural spaces - as the majority of crops go towards meat production!

(If you don't believe me, do some research.)

I was shocked when I first read about the Mink farms of Denmark, it seems bizarrely at odds with everything a liberal nation such as Denmark stands for. Particularly as many of these skins go to China in their quest to embrace the worst excesses of communism and capitalism.

I remember when my late mother in law died she had a couple of mink coats that none of the female members of her family wanted anything to do with, different days. In the end my husband took them to a furriers in north London who told us that second hand coats were taken apart and refashioned for the Russian market where they also have no qualms about the wearing of fur.

If you say so Vegan. If you say so.

Some meat eaters feel they have to defend their position by all sorts of ridiculous arguments. I understand why people want to eat meat- they are used to it, they’ve been brought up eating it, they like it. But don’t pretend it’s wonderful for the animals or the environment.

Vegetarians and vegans are as bad for the environment as those omnivores who eat Brazilian chickens and beef. If we all turned vegan where would the beans etc come from?

Why would farmers allow deer to wander their land and nosh on their crops if they couldn't get some return from the sale of venison?

Why would they keep the biodiverse grazing meadows, fields and grasslands when they'd get more money ploughing them up and growing beans?

In fact, if we all turned veggie/vegan we would need to plough up all the grass fields in order to grow sufficient plant stuff. There'd be no sheep grazing off beet tops and fertilizing as they go, no outdoor reared pigs cleaning the ground, and fertilizing it at the same time. We would need to feed the soil with chemical fertilizers and the land would lose substance and shrink and there'd be more flooding in low lying areas.

Yes, as a nation we need to eat much less meat. But many of us don't eat a lot, and many of us do buy local, free range, organic. British farmers are responding and looking after the land much better than the previous generation after WW2 when food had to be grown at all cost and too much land was put to the plough. We are, by nature, omnivores.

But, breeding animals purely for unneeded fur is wrong on every level.

As a non vegetarian, I buy organic, free range produce from suppliers that care about animal welfare, cheap meat is only cheap because of low standards on animal welfare. Same with eggs. Not a lot of families can afford to do that I'm afraid. Liars can't afford enough food to life hence good banks. It's annoying when vegetarians lecture about meat eaters not caring it's not true. If you wear leather, drink milk or wear wool, have some medicine that was tested on animals, how are these animals treated.