SELECTION FOR BEHAVIORAL TRAITS IN FARM MINK

Over a period of 6 years, more than 3000 farm mink were tested for the ir behavioural response to human contact. Using a simple test (the sti ck test) five times per generation, the mink were characterized and cl assified with regard to their response to human contact. Behavioural r esponse that might be caused by genetic factors was found to occur in three lines selected for explorative, fearful, and aggressive temperam ent. Over six generations, a considerable quantitative difference in b ehavioural response between the three selection lines developed. Selec tion for fearful behaviour caused the normal habituation towards man t o disappear, and 90% of the mink selected for fearfulness responded co nsistently with fear to human contact. A less distinct effect was foun d in mink selected for explorative behaviour at human contact. A possi ble explanation may be that the basic level of explorative behaviour i n the population was relatively high, but also that the test used did not allow for a graduation of the explorative behaviour towards confid ence. Apart from the last two generations of mink selected for fear, a ll lines have shown a pronounced difference in temperament between sex es showing that females were more fearful than males.