The present study was undertaken to investigate the culturable aerobic faecal microflora of mink from newborn until adulthood with emphasis on the potential pathogens Escherichia coli and beta-haemolytic coagulase positive staphylococci. Rectal swabs were taken from 10 healthy dams and their offspring on seven mink farms throughout the production season and a semi-quantitative enumeration of total E. coli and haemolytic E. coli, beta-haemolytic streptococci, beta-haemolytic coagulase positive staphylococci, total lactic acid bacteria, and enterococci was carried out in all samples using selective and non-selective media. Aerobic bacteria were cultured from close to 100% of the samples throughout the survey. Prevalence of E. coli isolates varied between 70 and 90% of the samples throughout the survey with a small decline at the end of the study period. The highest bacterial counts were found among recently weaned kits or kits in the early growth period (P <0.0012). Lactic acid bacteria and enterococci were isolated from more than 90% of all samples, while β-haemolytic staphylococci were isolated from 20 to 70% of the samples. While β-haemolytic staphylococci were dominant from birth and during the nursing period, counts of staphylococci gradually decreased during the nursing period and were outnumbered by E. coli during the growth season.