Nutria are semi-aquatic rodents that are bred for valuable fur and dietary meat. These animals are bred in household plots and on specialized farms on an industrial scale. The simplicity of maintenance and unpretentiousness of nutria makes them an interesting object for farming.
Breeding nutria - as a young business
This is not to say that nutria breeding is something new or unusual for domestic animal husbandry. But in terms of the scale of production, this industry is incomparable with the traditional branches of the livestock complex. Nutrient products on the market have practically no competition, therefore, the nutrient breeding business shows high profitability.
There is nothing super complicated in the content of nutria. By creating a small farm, you can organize a profitable, quick payback business. When breeding nutria, breeders immediately receive two valuable products - dietary meat and skins that are in demand in the fur industry.
Benefits of the Nutria Breeding Business:
- Unpretentiousness. Caring for nutria is primitive. Nutrient foods are inexpensive and no expensive equipment is needed.
- Profitability. In the summer, you can use plant foods that are available in our latitudes without restrictions - grass, vegetables, fruits. This reduces the cost of marsh beavers.
- High immunity. Animals rarely get sick, much less than rabbits.
- Fertility. Due to its high fecundity, the farm is expanding due to "internal reserves". To start the farm, it is enough to buy 10 animals.
- Ease of marketing. Nutria skins are inexpensive compared to others, so they are easy to implement for entrepreneurs.
- Demand. Nutria meat is valued for its high dietary qualities, so it is not cheap.
- High productivity. The animals quickly gain weight, and from the start of the project to the first profit, it takes only a few months.
- Privileges. If you sell fur and meat through special procurement offices, you can take advantage of tax benefits.
When organizing a nutria breeding farm, it is recommended:
- Determine the direction - for the sake of meat or for the sake of fur animals will be bred.
- Buy several individuals of the same breed and one color at once. This will allow you to get the same type of skins, which will be easy to implement.
- To buy several breeds of nutria (several individuals within each breed) - this approach will allow you to quickly make a profit.
Watch the video about breeding nutria as a business:
Despite the ease of care, a lot of effort has to be spent to organize favorable living conditions for nutria. But the main problem of the business is the specificity of nutria. In fact, these are rats. Water rats. And not everyone wants to look after them. Therefore, it is advisable to select staff in advance. In addition, nutria is energetic and active, in order to kill the animal, you need a certain physical strength, dexterity and moral preparation.
The birthplace of nutria is South America. Here they, like many fur-bearing animals, were almost exterminated. To grow nutria on steel farms in the early 20th century.
In the absence of a case, the nutria breeding business, started from scratch, begins to pay off in six months. Such a quick result indicates the prospects and profitability of the business.
Animal description
Nutria looks like two animals at the same time. She has tenacious legs and a long tail like that of a rat, and strong incisors like that of a beaver. In length, the animal, not counting the tail, reaches 60 cm. An adult animal weighs 5-12 kg. Males are superior to females in weight and size.
The nutria animals are massive, their ears and eyes are small. Everything in the nutria body is adapted to a “double” life - on land and in water:
- Paws Between the fingers are membranes.
- Fur. Waterproof, from rough awn, undercoat is very thick.
- The ears. Water does not penetrate the ears of marsh beavers - thanks to the dense and fluffy hair covering their auricles.
- Nostrils. Water does not enter the body through the nose. When immersed in water, the nostrils of the animals close - special muscles work.
- Lips. Nutria do not swallow water when immersed, even opening their mouths. Their lips meet behind the teeth, and in front - are divided. This lip structure prevents water from entering the mouth.
- Nipples 4-5 pairs of nipples are located quite high. If the mother nutria is in shallow water, the young can suck milk without leaving the water.
Nutria shed all year round, and the fur acquires the best characteristics in the winter.
Features of the lifestyle of swamp beavers:
- The animals are excellent divers and swimmers - under water they can easily withstand 10 minutes.
- Prefer moderate temperature. In the heat they sit in the shade. They also don’t like cold, but they tolerate frosts down to minus 35 ° C.
- Animals in nature do not make winter stocks and do not build winter shelters. In water bodies covered with ice, marsh beavers are unable to survive. They often die under the ice, not finding a way to the surface.
- They live in families of 2-12 individuals, in which there is always a dominant male, females and calves. And young males live alone.
- Nutria know how to build nests in which offspring rest and grow. The animals use cattail and reed as building materials.
- Activity rises late in the evening.
- They lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle. But if there is plenty of provisions, graze in one place.
- They feed on plant and animal foods: cattail, reed, reeds, water chestnuts, pond, arrowhead, water lilies, tree branches, mollusks, leeches, and rarely, small fish.
- Nutria hear well, but with vision and smell - problems. The animals are timid - the slightest noise makes them flee. Nutria run irregularly. They are not important runners - they quickly get tired.
- Life expectancy of nutria in nature and in captivity is the same - 6-8 years.
Nutria productivity
One nutria can bring up to 18 puppies, but the average fecundity of these animals is 4-5 individuals. The productivity of nutria depends on the conditions of keeping, the age of the female and on the breed. Table 1 shows the productivity of females of different breeds.
Table 1
Breed | The average number of puppies from one female, pcs. | The maximum number of puppies from a female in one litter, pcs. |
Standard | 5,2 | 9 |
White italian | 5,0 | 12 |
Mother of Pearl | 5,2 | 10 |
Golden | 4,7 | 8 |
The weight of males and females also depends on the breed. But all nutria, except the giant ones, are about the same in weight. Males weigh - about 7 kg, females - 5.6-6.6 kg.
What breeds are there?
Nutrievoda conditionally divided all nutria into three groups:
- Standard. They are almost no different from wild swamp beavers.
- Colored. These breeds were obtained as a result of selection. They are not as fertile as standard nutria, and it’s more difficult to grow them.
Standard
In appearance, standard nutrias look more like wild counterparts more than others. Weight - 5-7 kg. It happens that individual specimens gain up to 12 kg. Color - from light brown to dark red. They have dark brown eyes, the hairs at the ends are lighter than at the roots. The belly is always lighter than the main background.
These are the most unpretentious nutria. They do not require a special diet that supports color. The breed is fertile, and puppies in them are born only of a standard color. Skins of standard shades are valued lower than skins of colored nutria. It makes sense to grow these prolific and unpretentious nutria both for meat and for skins.
Colored rocks
Colored breeds are divided into two groups:
- Dominant. If you cross the nutria of a dominant breed with a standard individual, you will get offspring with a unique color. These include:
- Azerbaijani white. When mating get white and brown animals. Excellent taste characteristics of meat. Nutritious, like rabbit, it is much tastier than it. The fur of this breed is appreciated very highly - for its white color and special fluffiness. The peculiarity of the breed is fluff and integumentary hair have the same structure, so the hair and underfill merge. The weight of the animal is 5-7 kg.
- Black Skins of this color are very much appreciated. Fur of high quality - does not fall off, very thick. The weight of individuals is 5-7 kg. High average daily gain. Fertile. A very profitable option for breeding for skins and meat.
- Golden Intensively golden color. The weight of the animals is 6-8 kg. Fertility is low - 3-4 puppies. The fur is in demand. They require proper nutrition - so that the fur is shiny. Bred because of valuable fur.
- Recessive. Having crossed the representative of this group with a standard brown nutria, brown offspring are obtained. This group includes breeds:
- Italian white. They differ from the Azerbaijani white cream shade of the white underfill. Fertile as a standard breed - 5 puppies per litter. If white nutrias are crossed, all cubs turn out to be white, if with standard ones, silver offspring is obtained. The meat is tasty, tender, nutritious. Fur is very much appreciated.
- Beige. One of the most popular breeds among breeders. The fur has a noble appearance. Color - from beige gray to dark silver. The color of the underfill also changes from light to dark tones. Fertility - 5-6 puppies. Weight - from 5 kg. The meat is very tasty and nutritious.
- Lemon. Skins of warm orange color. The fur is in high demand - if the color is clean, and the quality of the skin is high. The mass of the animal is 5-7 kg. Females are fertile - bring 5-6 puppies each. The color of the cubs is different, but all have lemon notes. To obtain a fur that meets quality standards, it is necessary to observe the temperature regime, maintain cleanliness, and ensure a complete diet.
- Silvery. Obtained by crossing beige and Italian nutria. It features an unusual color of fur and a dense dark undercoat. The fur goes on tailoring of luxurious fur coats, hats, vests. The weight of the animals is 8 kg. Slaughter meat yield - more than 53%. The meat has a high taste characteristics.
- Snowy. Snow-white animals weighing up to 10 kg. In the litter - 4-5 cubs. The fur is luxurious, goes for sewing fur coats. The meat is delicious.
- Mother of pearl. Silver-gray nutria weighing 5-7 kg. The beauty is not inferior to the mink. Fur high wear. Meat with high palatability. In singing - 4-5 puppies.
- Pastel. The fur is brown. The weight of the animals is 5-6 kg. Skins are used for sewing fur coats and hats. The fur is like a pastel mink. There are 4 puppies in the litter.
Azerbaijani breed of nutria
Black breed nutria
Golden breed of nutria
Italian breed of nutria
Beige breed nutria
Lemon Nutria
Silvery nutria
Snow Nutria
Pearly Nutria
Pastel Nutria
More about the nutria rocks is written in this article.
Buying an animal
It is better to buy nutria on special farms or in private nurseries. They are also sold on the market, but there are no guarantees for the purity of the breed, and dangerous diseases can be present.
Tips for buying nutrients for breeding:
- If the direction of the mini-farm is skins, take adult males and females of the same breed. It is advisable to breed colored rocks - their skins are more in demand.
- If the goal is to get meat, take young animals 2-3 months old.
- When choosing individuals, pay attention to the incisors. In healthy individuals, the incisors are bright orange. Teeth blackened or dotted are an alarm.
- The coat in healthy nutria glistens.
- Buy animals in spring or early summer - then they will have time to gain marketable weight before the cold weather.
- It is preferable for beginners to take standard breeds - they are fertile, almost not sick and grow quickly.
- It is advisable to take rodents that have grown in enclosures with access to water, and fully eat.
- After examining the inside, check their documents.
When buying an adult, beginners immediately see what kind of animal it should be, what kind of fur and size it is. But breeders advise taking young animals 2-3 months old. The weight of the animals at this age is 1.3-2.3 kg.
The cost of an adult, well-grown nutria is from 1,500 rubles. Young growth - from 500 rubles. But in sales announcements, the price is rarely indicated - sellers prefer to negotiate it during a conversation.
Determination of the sex of the animal
In order to correctly calculate the proportions of a productive livestock, it is important to know how many males and females are in it. It is also necessary to know information about each female - when they became pregnant and gave birth. This will allow you to plan a hunt.
Understand - where is the female, and where is the male, neither in appearance nor in behavior will succeed. The only way to determine gender is to study the genitalia of animals.
How to distinguish a male from a female:
- Take the nutria by the nape and, turning it with its back down, spread the wool to the sides near the anus.
- In the female, the genitals look like a gap - it is located directly above the anus, the location is very close.
- In the male, the genitals are located much further from the anus. The genitals are clearly distinguishable and directed upwards. The testicles are in the lower abdomen - they can be felt.
Nutria Content
The conditions for the maintenance of nutria significantly affect the state of the livestock - the growth rate and quality of the fur. So that the animals do not get sick, and their skins meet the quality standards, breeders must provide them with comfortable living, proper feeding, prevention and timely treatment of diseases.
Terms & Conditions
When the first nutria arrives at the farm, housing, supplies of fodder and equipped pond should be waiting for them.
With good care, nutria gain up to 85% of their maximum weight in six months and have quality fur ready for sale.
Nutriment conditions:
- One individual should have 70-80 liters of swimming water.
- The water in the pond must be clean. Change the water every 2 days.
- When kept in cells, each pair should have at least 1 square meter. m
- The temperature should be kept at a comfortable temperature for animals - 15–25 ° C.
- Animals should receive a balanced diet and fresh water.
Nutria must be provided:
- Warm room. In winter, you can’t keep nutria on the street. The animals patiently endure severe frosts, but they should not be tested for strength. In cold weather, rodents do not want to eat - they sit, buried in the litter. And chickpeas born in cold weather can die a few hours after birth. To preserve the livestock, for the winter it is transferred to a warm room with a thick layer of litter.
- Pond. You can do without it. But the lack of water negatively affects the health of semi-aquatic animals. It is advisable to equip at least a small pool.
Equipment
Feeders and drinking bowls are needed to keep nutria. You can buy them or make them yourself - according to the drawings from experienced nutrient breeders. There are several varieties of this equipment.
Types of feeders:
- Standard. It looks like a big trough. This is the easiest and most common option. A variant of the usual design is a mesh feeder.
- Day nursery. They have high sides. Use for rough and green forages. They are hung on the wall of the house or put in an aviary.
- Hopper. Convenient and functional. It can not be turned over, and most importantly, because of the high sides, the animals can not contaminate and scatter food.
Any capacity is suitable for dispensing water, but an automatic drinker is most convenient. Drinker Requirements:
- They must be firmly fixed on the walls of the houses - so that the nutria could not turn them over.
- The volume should match the number of individuals. All animals must have access to water at any time of the day or night.
- Materials of manufacture must be durable - animals must not damage them with their teeth. The best option is ceramics.
Types of drinkers:
- Vacuum Consists of two parts.Water is poured into a jar and, covering the neck, turn upside down and put in the bowl. Nutria drink water, and water evenly arrives in the bowl, pouring out of the can.
- Nipple. The second name is nipple. To get water, the animals press with their tongue a ball with a nipple that releases liquid from the tank. This option is more expensive and better - the water stays clean longer.
The choice and arrangement of the house
Where to live nutria, each farmer decides independently. Typically, houses or cages with an open entrance are installed - they are placed near the pool or a large water tank. The territory is fenced with mesh netting. Here nutria can live until the cold.
The second option is cells with a closed entrance. In each they put a feeder and a small basin with water - instead of a pool. The choice of content method depends on resources, area and other nuances.
Arrangement of different types of housing:
- House. The materials used to build the houses should not be accessible to the teeth of rodents. Capital houses are usually built of bricks and boards. A walking area adjoins the house - it is fenced with a net or made of concrete walls. Houses are also often made completely concrete - they are no worse than brick ones. The design of the houses is largely dependent on the climate and the availability of building materials. So in the southern regions they are often built of expanded clay or cinder block.
Also required:
- cement;
- vapor barrier;
- nails
- insulation;
- metal mesh;
- profile;
- putty knife;
- welding machine;
- various tools.
- Cell. Cellular maintenance is practiced in the middle lane. Cages can be installed both outdoors - with an open range, and indoors - with winter maintenance. Structurally distinguish between simple and multi-tiered cells. A family is placed in one cage - in it one male and several females. Youngsters from one month old are taken from the family, and kept separately until puberty. Next, young growth is sorted by gender. Males are not lodged together - they will be changed. Females can be housed together for 5-10 individuals. Cells are made of metal. They usually include several compartments:
- fodder;
- nesting;
- walking;
- bathing.
- Aviary. Content in aviaries is common in southern regions with short warm winters. The aviary has direct access to the pool. Inside the compartments they put nesting houses - here the animals hide from the heat and bad weather. The material of manufacture is mesh netting. Inside the enclosure, several compartments are made using partitions:
- for family;
- for the male;
- for young animals.
- Pit. Pit maintenance is practiced in regions with a mild climate. The walls of the pit are sheathed with slate sheets, the floor is poured with concrete. The pit is divided into compartments and equipped with houses that are insulated by winter. Nutria, like rabbits, produce better when lit, so they conduct electricity into the pit or make the roof transparent. Pit dimensions:
- width - 1.5 m;
- length - 3-4 m;
- depth - 1.5-2 m.
In winter, the temperature in the room where the animals are kept should not fall below +8 ° C. In the place of keeping pregnant and newly born females, it should be even warmer - at least +15 ° C.
Staff
On a mini-farm, nutria needs a minimum of maintenance staff. Two people are enough. To grow animals in large volumes, you have to not only hire several employees - in proportion to the livestock, but also a veterinarian.
To ensure that nutrias are always supervised, well-groomed and fed, it is advisable to arrange staff accommodation near the farm. Nutria require round-the-clock observation and care. Optimal qualities for workers - hard work, health, responsibility.
Feeding nutria
The diet of nutria varies depending on the time of year. Food is selected taking into account the needs of animals and the availability of seasonal feed. What is not available in winter, in summer you can get it for nothing or even for free.
Not only the mood, well-being and health of nutria, but also the quality indicators of their meat and fur depend on a balanced diet. The daily diet of nutria, depending on gender, age and season, is shown in table 2.
table 2
Feed, g | For females in winter | For females in summer | For males in winter | For males in summer | Young growth from 1 month to six months |
Hay | 200 | — | 175 | — | — |
Grass | — | 600 | — | 600 | 100-500 |
Roots | 200 | — | 200 | — | 50-200 |
Concentrates | 175 | 150 | 120 | 100 | 50-100 |
Salt | 0,5 | 0,5 | 0,5 | 0,5 | 0,2-0,5 |
The daily diet of nutrias, taking into account the physiological state, is shown in table 3.
Table 3
Physiological condition | Grass and root crops, g | G concentrates | Hay and grass meal, g |
Adults | 200-300 | 150-200 | 30-40 |
Mating readiness | 180-270 | 120-200 | 20-40 |
The case and the beginning of pregnancy | 200-300 | 150-240 | 25-40 |
In industrial breeding, they often completely switch to feeding with granular concentrates. But at home breeding they are also used, in concentrated feeds there is everything necessary for a good nutrition of nutria.
How to choose granular concentrates:
- Young animals up to 5 months of age and give birth to females are fed with a low concentration of grass meal.
- Individuals of both sexes during mating are given concentrates with a content of grass meal at the level of 20-25%.
- To get high-quality skins, animals are fed concentrates with a high content of barley, grass meal, flaxseed meal and wheat bran.
They store granulated feed in a dark, dry room for no more than three months - this is in stock, and in the utility rooms of household plots - no more than 10 days.
Summer ration
The summer diet of nutria consists of the following types of feed:
- Green mass. One individual receives about 400 g of greens per day. In the summer, greenery becomes an essential element of nutrition. Rodents with pleasure eat nutritious young shoots of birch, oak, apple tree, willow, pear, cherry. Nutrias should not shoot linden, bird cherry and ash - they do not like them.
Nutria is also fed:- beet and carrot tops (chalk is added to vegetable shoots to neutralize acid);
- swamp vegetation - reeds, reeds, cattail, etc .;
- legumes;
- a mixture of rye, peas, vetch, alfalfa, corn, clover, etc .;
- the vine
- Fruits and vegetables. Almost all fruits eat tomatoes with appetite - tomatoes, watermelons, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, etc. But Jerusalem artichoke is considered to be the most important nutritive food - tubers and powerful tops are also used.
The summer diet of nutria is shown in table 4.
Table 4
Feed in the summer | Adult nutria | Young growth up to 2 months | Young growth 2-6 months old |
Greens, g | 800-100 | 150-400 | up to 800 |
Cereals, g | 100-150 | 35 | 80-100 |
Additionally: | |||
salt, g | 0,5-1 | 0,2 | 0,5 |
chalk, g | 1,5 | 0,5 | 1,0 |
whole milk, g | 15-20 | 10-15 | 10-15 |
fish / meat, g | 7-10 | 5-8 | 5-8 |
In the summer, they mow and harvest greens for the cold season - coltsfoot, quinoa, dandelions, Ivan tea.
Winter diet
In winter, nutria is fed:
- Dry feed. Grass flour - it is sold in granular form, hay, twigs, leaves, straw. These components must be constantly present in the feeders.
- Juicy feed. The animals are given carrots, beets, Jerusalem artichoke. You can also give zucchini, pumpkins - they have a lot of fiber and vitamins.
- Hashkins. The ingredients for the mixers are wheat, bran, corn grains, potatoes, compound feeds, flour - straw or grass. Vegetables, grain, and the remnants of liquid food are also added here. Soups are the basics of the mash, they make up 15-20% of the mash. You can also add whey, liquid porridge, milk. The resulting mixture is rolled up into balls and given to the animals.
- Legumes and animal feed. Nutria is fed millet, wheat, oats, corn, barley.
The winter diet of nutria is shown in table 5.
Table 5
Winter feed | Adult nutria | Young growth up to 2 months | Young growth 2-6 months old |
Root crops, g | 400-500 | 150 | 300 |
Cereals, g | 100-150 | 35 | 80-100 |
Hay, g | 100 | 50 | 100 |
Branches, g | 150 | 50 | 150 |
Additionally: | |||
salt, g | 0,5-1 | 0,2 | 0,5 |
chalk, g | 1,5 | 0,5 | 1,0 |
fish oil, g | 0,5 | 0,3 | 0,5 |
Vitamins and Minerals
One individual should receive no more than 200 g of mineral supplements per day. Giving supplements is simple - they are mixed with food. Among the required additives:
- meat and bone meal;
- a piece of chalk;
- salt.
Vitamins are especially necessary for animals at the end of winter, when they are few in food and in the body. Nutrients are given vitamins - A, D, E, B1, B6, B 12, folic acid. The whole set of necessary substances is in special vitamin preparations “Pushnovit-1” and “Pushnovit-2”.
Learn more about feeding nutria from this article.
Coy Nutria
Fertilization requires favorable conditions. What is important for the breeder to know:
- On the behavior and physiology of males. Males, who are more interested in nutrition than females during sexual hunting, are rejected. Males who have not fertilized a single female are also no longer used for breeding. If the male’s penises are covered with wool rings - from rolling hair, this can interfere with fertilization. Inspection of the genitals and cleansing of their hair is necessary.
- On the behavior and physiology of females. If the female does not show aggression against the male adhering to her, she is ready to mate. The number of mating is unlimited, there is no special favorable period for pregnancy. The fruit is born 130 days. After giving birth, the female is restored for 2 days, and then she is ready to mate again. The female can not be mated for more than three years - then it is able to show aggression to offspring, up to killing.
Maturity in nutria occurs from the age of 12 weeks. Mating starts only from 7 months. Sexual hunting lasts 1-2 days. There are several pairing methods, consider them in more detail.
Seasonal mating
The birth rate of offspring is being monitored. This allows you to optimize livestock care. Animals mate twice a year:
- in the winter-spring season;
- in the early fall.
Thanks to the double approach, they cover all females - all who are not fertilized in the spring will be fertilized in the fall. Seasonal mating allows you to get high-quality offspring, beautiful and healthy.
Starting from 1.5 months of pregnancy, the fetus in the womb of the female can be felt.
There are two breeding methods:
- Homogeneous. It is also called homogeneous. Couples for mating are selected the same in color, physique and quality of the fur. The offspring that received from the parents are fixed certain signs.
- Heterogeneous. Couples are selected with different characteristics - in order to improve certain characteristics of their offspring, for example, the density of the coat.
Year-round mating
This mating option allows you to get the maximum offspring. They use it for industrial breeding or in large farms - only they can provide for the maintenance of numerous offspring born at different times. Before slaughter, the offspring contain 10 months - they feed, treat, create comfortable living conditions.
Hand mate
In manual mating, a pregnant female is placed in a cage with a male, which is planned to be used as a seedling for subsequent offspring. If the animals show interest in each other, live quietly, without quarrels, then 25 days after the birth the females will bring them together again.
Mating mating
This method is usually used for young nutria who do not have experience in mating and reproduction of offspring. In one cage they bring together young nulliparous females and calm males. When the animals get used to each other, the males are planted.
Six months later, the male is planted in the females. In the aviary, they make a separate room for him to relax. Releasing the male to the females, the results of the first mating are noted, based on which they plan the second. By age, the male must be older than all the females in the group - in order to exclude consanguinity from any of them, and to cope with the fertilization of several females at once. If the females became friends, they are not disbanded - in this composition they are used for fertilization in the future.
Family mating
Such mating is similar to mowing, but much fewer animals are launched into the cage - 5 females and one male. Females are allowed to be relatives. So that the females do not strangle and do not mix the offspring, they need to be provided with enough living space.
Pregnancy and puppy
In nutria, pregnancy lasts from 127 to 132 days. Offspring are born with open eyes and normally developed hairline. Table 6 shows the timing of fertilization, whelping, and deposition of young individuals.
Table 6
Cycle | Case | Puppy | Jigging young | Slaughter of young animals | |
date | Age, month | ||||
1 | 5.08-25.11 | 5.01-5.03 | 15.02-15.05 | 5.12-5.02 | 10-12 |
2 | 15.02-5.05 | 25.04-15.08 | 5.06-25.09 | 5.04-5.05 | 8-10 |
Females can spread bedding before childbirth - it is important to add bedding so that newborns do not get too cold. Childbirth usually takes place at night and lasts 20-120 minutes. It is better not to disturb females during childbirth - usually human intervention is not required.
Nutria offspring care
Only born puppies have teeth and are given solid food for 3-4 days. But the most important food for them is mother's milk. Most milk in the third week, then its volumes are reduced. At the age of 7 weeks, nutrients can dispense with milk, and the female is separated from the puppies.
Young animals are raised in groups. Until 4 months of age, they are divided by gender - before the onset of sexual activity. Young growth quickly gaining weight, after 2 weeks the weight of newborns doubles, after a month - triples, by the end of the year the weight increases by 20 times.
Young animals are fed with fiber-rich feeds. Compound feed is mixed with hay or grass meal - 10% of the feed weight. Or mixed feed with succulent grass. It is useful for young nutria to eat concentrated feed with protein - 13-14%, and animal protein - 5-10%.
Hygiene
So that nutria grows and does not hurt, it is important to observe the hygiene of their content:
- Harvesting and cleaning of the cells is carried out daily at the same time.
- Every day, the litter is changed in the cage, the remains of feed, garbage, and manure are removed.
- Daily wash feeders and drinking bowls.
- Once every 2-3 months, the cells are disinfected.
- With a stream of water, fluff is washed off the net ranges.
- Regularly update the water in the tanks. The animals urinate and defecate in the water, so in the summer it is changed daily, in the winter - every 2-3 days.
The nests of animals are not touched if there are no parasites in it. If the nest is damp and dirty, bedding material must be changed.
It is forbidden to lower water from walking into watercourses - it is diverted to sedimentation tanks or sewers.
Animal Disease and Prevention
Unsanitary conditions, poor feeding and violation of the rules of care can provoke diseases. Poor conditions of detention lead to a decrease in immunity, a weakened animal becomes susceptible to infections.
If you do not start treatment in time, you can forget about quality fur. Many diseases are incurable - animals die. Table 7 - the main diseases of nutria, their symptom and control measures.
Table 7
Disease | Symptoms | Treatment | About the disease |
Ringworm | The coat and skin are affected. The hair in the affected area falls out, and the skin is covered with scabs, itching and peeling. | For diagnosis, take a scraping. The animal is isolated. The house is disinfected, the litter is changed. The lesion is treated with a soapy solution and lubricated with iodine. Prescribe antifungal therapy. | The causative agent is a fungus from the genus of dermatophytes. Peddlers - mice, dogs, cats. Infection also occurs through wool, inventory, and dirty litter. |
Salmonellosis (paratyphoid) | Appetite is lost, weight is reduced. The hair is disheveled, diarrhea appears green, the eyes watery and sour. | Severe forms lead to death. With severe symptoms, the individual is better to score. In other cases, antibiotic therapy is used. | The causative agent is salmonella. The bacterium enters the body with water or food. Infection occurs from birds, rodents, insects. |
Coccidosis | Diarrhea, constipation, weight loss. In the advanced stage - cramps and paralysis of the legs. | Give Norsulfazole and Phthalazole - add to the feed. Disinfect feeders and cells. | The causative agent is coccidia, the simplest unicellular parasite. Infection - through water and food. The liver, spleen and intestines are affected. |
Pasteurellosis | Lack of appetite, drowsiness, lack of mobility, salivation, cramps, paw paralysis, internal bleeding. | There is no effective treatment. Prevention is needed.All infected individuals are killed, the litter is changed, and the cells are disinfected. | The causative agent is the pasteurella bacterium. Bacteria are found in excreted feces. |
Tularemia | Cough, mucus, diarrhea. | There is no cure. | The peddlers are rodents. The causative agent is a fungus. The disease lasts 2 weeks, after which the animal dies. |
Nutria can become infected with helminths of various types, which gradually destroy the animal organism. The problem is solved simply by mixing the anthelmintic in the feed.
If the animal is injured, it is treated promptly - the wounds are lubricated, if necessary, an x-ray and bandages are applied. So that nutria does not get an eating disorder, they are fed only with fresh, high-quality food, and they are not allowed to eat poisonous plants.
It’s much easier to prevent a disease than to cure it. Moreover, many diseases are incurable. Prevention measures:
- At the entrance to the paddock, put a rug regularly moistened with a solution of creolin.
- Food is prepared only in clean dishes.
- The food is checked for infections.
- Water must be clean.
- Individuals are bought in proven animal farms.
- Affected individuals are immediately separated from the herd.
- If necessary, sick animals are destroyed.
- Disinfect and clean cells regularly.
Product Sales
Nutria is a specific product, so buyers are found in advance. Meat, as a valuable dietary product, may be of interest to restaurants. Fur - to factories and a private studio. Contracts are concluded directly or through intermediaries - as it is more convenient for an individual entrepreneur.
Meat and skins are sold through the following channels:
- City market.
- Fur factory.
- Special zagotkontory.
- The Internet.
- Farmers.
Advertising is practically not required. The nutria breeding business is not particularly well developed; buyers receive information literally by word of mouth.
Expenses and income
To start a small business, it is recommended to limit yourself to a few pairs of nutria. Given that each female will lead to 10-12 puppies, the offspring will be considerable. And after 6 months, young animals can be slaughtered for meat or skins.
Costs for small production volumes, in rubles:
- land lease payment - 30,000;
- the cost of cells and the preparation of housing for nutria is 70,000;
- salary to staff - 50,000;
- feed purchase - 20,000;
- purchase of individuals - 5 females and 1 male - 20,000.
Total - 190 000 rub.
These are maximum costs, in fact they can be much smaller - for example, if there is a plot of land and you do not have to rent land. Or do not use aviaries, but improvised ones.
Revenues from the cultivation of nutria will depend on the volume of production, market prices, type of products sold (meat, fur), breed of nutria, their fertility. It is estimated that with 100 female nutria, you can get an annual profit of 100-110 thousand rubles.
From the profit you have to take away the amount - for staff salaries and feed. Farm payback - 2-3 years. The greater the volume of production, and the more rare and valuable breeds are bred, the greater the profit.
About what costs will be required when breeding nutria, the breeder will tell in the video below:
Myths about nutrias and their breeding
Nutria is not a local animal imported from the South American continent, so it is not surprising that there are many misconceptions about these animals:
- Myth 1: Nutria comes from warm countries, so they are not adapted to the cold. This is only half true. Nutria have very warm fur, therefore they are able to withstand a short-term temperature drop to minus 35-40 ° C. But they have vulnerabilities - at low temperatures they can frostbite the paws and tail.
- Myth 2: Breeding nutrias requires a lot of space and running water. These are desirable conditions, but not mandatory. Nutrias are herd animals, they like to be in company, and move a little. Running water facilitates the breeding process, promotes cleanliness, but its absence is not critical - you can always bring water in buckets.
- Myth 3: To prevent animals from injuring themselves, fences and dwellings should be made of wood. In fact, nutria do not even think about gnawing metal - they will not spoil their teeth. But wood or plastic can be bitten easily.
- Myth 4: Nutria is dangerous - it can bite or even bite a finger. These rodents have enough power to bite, but they are very friendly and not aggressive. They are even kept as domestic animals and allow children to play with them. But the animal is able to respond to pain and aggression - it will defend itself.
Breeding nutria is a profitable business that does not have much competition. The skins of many colored nutria are very much appreciated. There are breeds whose fur is not inferior in beauty to a mink. At the same time, the animals are unpretentious and prolific. The established business quickly pays off and brings a solid profit.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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