Nutria breeding as a business. Your own business: breeding and selling ornamental birds

Today, more and more often, entrepreneurs are considering such an activity as breeding nutria for wool and meat at home as a business. And it's true good decision. After all, they can be grown in open enclosures or specially equipped cages. Such breeding of nutria at home as home business not only profitable, but also quite exciting. This is exactly what the article will discuss.

Nutria farming as a business has many advantages. First of all, animals are a source of dietary meat, which has excellent taste. It is recommended to use it for problems with digestive system, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes mellitus and even sclerosis. It is also useful to include this product in the diet of children, adolescents and nursing mothers. In some countries, nutria meat is considered a delicacy, so it is one of the most expensive varieties.

Nutria fur is also valuable. It can be sold at a favorable price. In addition, if 10 skins removed from animals are similar in color, you can count on a significant increase in profit.

The simplicity and reasonable cost of maintenance deserve special attention. And the resistance of animals to various diseases, high fertility and unpretentiousness in food allow you to organize profitable business not only in household, but also in farm conditions.

Biological characteristics of animals

Nutria is a large semi-aquatic rodent. The live weight of an adult animal averages 5-7 kg. Sometimes these figures can reach 10 kg. The length of the tail is within 35 cm, the body - 60 cm. Nutria have short and five-fingered forelimbs, while the right finger is somewhat shortened. The hind limbs are united by swimming membranes, and the last toe remains free.

The animal has 20 teeth, of which the incisors are the most developed. They are bright orange and grow continuously. The nutria's head has a flattened appearance from above. Her ears are short and slightly pubescent. The upper lips and cheeks are covered with thick vibrissae hairs, which serve as organs of touch.

The fur on the belly of these rodents is short and thick, unlike the back. The process of hair change occurs gradually. On average, nutria live 6-8 years. Starting from the age of three, their fertility decreases.

A distinctive feature is the reproduction of nutria at any time of the year. They can mate regardless of the season. Activity in males is constantly expressed, but females are ready for copulation after 25 days. 1-3 days after whelping, females may experience sexual heat.

Nutria mate without crossing. The duration of coitus ranges from 20 to 40 seconds. Pregnancy lasts on average 137 days. The labor process, as a rule, lasts about 4 hours and occurs mainly at night. There can be up to 4 babies in a litter. IN in rare cases their number can reach 10-17. At competent organization conditions for keeping nutria, they are able to bear offspring twice a year.

If we compare nutria with rabbits or minks, the former are much more resistant to diseases. True, with poor sanitary conditions of the farm or inadequate feeding, dangerous illnesses can arise, often ending in the mass death of animals. These nutria diseases, which breeders most often have to deal with, cause a lot of trouble:

• paratyphoid;
• streptococcosis;
• pasteurellosis;
• listeriosis;
• tuberculosis;
• ringworm;
• tularemia;
• vitamin deficiencies;
• respiratory diseases;
• disturbances in the functioning of the genitourinary organs.

Their treatment should be carried out under the supervision of a veterinarian. Depending on what disease has been identified, the specialist determines how to treat the animal.

Nutria care and maintenance

During the construction of a room where nutria will be kept, one should take into account the fact that these are heat-loving creatures. In addition, they are able to jump over wooden or plastic houses. For year-round maintenance, it is better to use cages raised above the ground. In this case, care should be taken to ensure the availability of areas for walking animals.

In the warm season, nutrias should be given the opportunity to swim. In the walking area, you can equip a swimming pool, place a drinking bath, or at least give the animals a short shower. The water in the pool must be changed daily. Drinking baths need to be filled twice a day. If the water is contaminated, swimming in it is not in the best possible way will be reflected in the quality of the skins. The presented video (author Tatyana Savenko) will allow you to learn more about the features of feeding and keeping nutria.

Equipment on the farm must include the following items:

• transport cages necessary for transporting animals;
• feeders with high sides;
• drinking bowls, which can be represented by various containers;
• inventory, which includes buckets, watering cans, scrapers, shovels, brooms, baskets, dustpans, etc.

If we talk about the nutrition of nutria, then in their natural environment they consume mainly coastal plants and young shoots of marsh vegetation. Their favorite delicacy is reeds, reeds, telores, buckwheat, and duckweed. In farms that are close to water bodies, natural feed raw materials should be used to the maximum from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn.

However, it is not always possible to satisfy the nutritional needs of animals. Therefore, it is necessary to add grain feed, tubers, hay, green grass. By ensuring normal feeding of nutria, the business will certainly flourish.

Nutria home business

First, you need to draw up a business plan and decide for what purpose to breed nutria: for fur, dietary meat, or simply as a numerical stock. But, despite the assigned tasks, the following activities should be completed:

• allocate a plot of land to place a farm;
• build sheds or cages for animals;
• improve the territory;
• allocate a place for walking, bathing, and resting animals.

An important point is the purchase of animals. The optimal age for purchasing young animals is 2-3 months, and their weight should vary between 1.4-2.2 kg. It is also important to decide on the color of the skin. Thus, colored nutria fur is more expensive, but no more than 8 such puppies are born in 2-3 months, while the standard ones are about 15.

A pair of different-sex animals costs an average of 3,200 rubles. Young animals can be slaughtered at the age of six months. The carcass weighs 1.5 kg, which is about 800 rubles in price. Skins sell for around 450-640 rubles. a piece. It all depends on the color and quality of the fur. The expected payback period for the business is 6-8 months.

So, in 6 months you get this income from one pair of animals.

1. Sales of meat - about 15 carcasses weighing 1.5 kg for 495 rubles. (average price), in total 11 thousand 200 rubles;
2. Sale of skins - 15 pieces for 640 rubles, output - 9 thousand 600 rubles. In total you can get 20 thousand 800 rubles. minus the cost of a couple of nutrias (3200), resulting in a profit of 17 thousand 600 rubles.

As shown approximate calculations, the nutria business is cost-effective and quite profitable.

Let us describe in more detail nutria breeding as a business. Is it profitable or not to engage in such a business and what is needed for this? If you have your own plot of land outside the city, with a house or other buildings, then you should try to organize such a farm and make a significant profit without much effort.

Today, the fur and meat of these animals is valued very highly, and even at the state level the cost of their purchase increases and various benefits are offered for beginning businessmen in this direction. All you need to do is study a little about the peculiarities of growing nutria, organize suitable accommodation for them and periodically sell the finished product.

Business benefits

Breeding nutria at home has a number of undeniable advantages:

• The animals are quite unpretentious, easy to care for and do not require expensive food or equipment.
• The diet consists of affordable plant foods, which grow in unlimited quantities in Russian latitudes in the summer, which significantly saves the cost of their maintenance.
• Nutria have good immunity and, compared to others, are much better able to resist various diseases.
• High fertility allows you to significantly expand the volume of the farm without unnecessary financial investments; to begin with, it is enough to purchase up to a dozen individuals.
• Having clarified how much the skin costs, every entrepreneur will be delighted, since the high prices for this product make this type of business very profitable.
• In addition to fur, they also value meat for sale; it is dietary, in demand on the market and has a high cost.
• Fast growth breeding animals makes it possible to make the first profit within a few months after the birth of the young.
• The state offers benefits in the form of no tax deductions from the sale of fur and meat, however, their sale should only be carried out through special procurement organizations.

But many of the nuances of this business idea also depend on the choice of a particular breed of nutria. Thus, colored varieties are valued much higher, but have lower rates of fertility and weight gain. Therefore, it is worth initially thinking about which animals to choose, and which breeds will be more profitable to breed.

Also keep in mind that nutria is a fur-bearing animal from the order of rodents, that is, in fact, it is a valuable rat. Not everyone will want to care for such creatures, so you need to be mentally prepared for their appearance. In addition, the animals are very active, strong, and slaughter will require physical skill.

Despite the ease of care, maintaining nutria requires a lot of effort to maintain favorable conditions on the farm. Only after deciding that you are ready for this can you begin to arrange the territory.

Selecting a site and premises

In warm climates, nutria can be kept outside for most of the year. And only in cold period hide in a building specially prepared for them. Certain conditions must be created for animals:

1. There should be no draft in the area, and summer period shade from direct sunlight.
2. Enough space will be required to accommodate all the individuals, various areas for keeping them, walking, swimming, etc. For example, for 500 nutria you need about 0.7 hectares, on which 3000 cells are located. If the livestock increases to 1000, 1.3 hectares of land will be needed.
3. The room itself where the cages are installed is divided into several fenced areas - enclosures for living, a free area for walking and a cooler warehouse for storing food.
4. All partitions are made of wood covered with metal mesh or tin.
5. The bottom of the cages and walking areas are lined with hay, sawdust, etc.
6. Feeders need to be firmly attached to the wall or floor, because animals can easily turn them over or move them somewhere.
7. The dimensions of the enclosures should be about 2.5 square meters. m. each.
8. The walking area is fenced off with a meter-long fence, and the floor surface is concreted.
9. On the territory it is important to allocate a pond, a swimming pool, or at least place a basin with clean water. Only in this way will nutria be able to put their skin in order, wash and peel food, and feel comfortable. It is important to remember that the grooming and quality of the animal’s fur depends on the presence of a reservoir.
10. It is advisable to set the air temperature in the coop within about 20 degrees. Animals will withstand higher rates only in a shaded area in close proximity to water. And when the readings are below 18, their tails and paws will begin to freeze.
11. Nutria are considered very clean. Therefore, it is necessary to create ideal conditions for them every day. Clean the premises and walking area at least once a day, change the bedding, and clean the pond.

If you have set your sights on breeding nutria as a business and want to grow them on an industrial scale, then you will have to spend money on more successful arrangement premises. To do this, the cells are arranged in two tiers. If there are a large number of them, a pool is not installed, but they provide the opportunity to swim and cleanse themselves in a bathtub with clean water.

At the same time, a ventilation system is installed in the room and the level of air temperature, cleanliness of cages and free space for keeping a certain number of animals are carefully monitored. Pregnant females are given a separate quarantine to preserve their offspring.

What to feed?

As already mentioned, nutria is unpretentious in food. When it is kept on open area near a natural reservoir in the summer, you won’t even need to organize any additional food, since the stems, grass, and plants (water lilies, reeds) growing in the area will be enough for her.

In other cases, you need to prepare a lot of suitable food. Nutria eat grain, fresh or dry grass, reeds, horse sorrel, plantain, cereals, bread, vegetables, root vegetables, corn, apples, etc. winter period It is advisable to give some of the food not only in dry form, but also to enrich it with succulent food (beets, cabbage, potatoes).

To improve the quality of wool and to simplify feeding of animals, you can use ready-made feed and vitamin supplements. It is also undesirable to overdo it, so calculate exactly how much food the animals will need in each case.

Diseases

Although nutria have more stable immunity than rabbits or other similar animals, they still unfavorable conditions and poor care, they can also get sick. Therefore, carefully monitor the cleanliness of the enclosures, air temperature and other indicators. We list the main health hazards for these animals and what needs to be done in each case.

Diseases	Reason for appearance	Treatment
Bronchitis	Happens more often in winter as a result low temperatures in the interior, as well as due to the presence of drafts in the area	If the disease is detected at the initial stage, conditions can be adjusted in a timely manner and the condition of the animals will return to normal on its own.
Ringworm	With absence clean water, limited access to it, lack of sunbathing	The quality of the fur will improve if the animals are provided with the opportunity for daily bathing and plenty of sun.
Colibacillosis	Occurs more often in dirty cages in the absence of proper care and cleaning of the premises	The veterinarian prescribes a special serum and makes a vaccine against paratyphoid fever
Salmonellosis	A pathogenic bacillus enters the animal's body, most often from dirty water bodies or in an uncleaned enclosure. Individuals under 4 months of age are more susceptible to this disease.	Antibiotics are administered for 60 days

Since such diseases quickly spread among the inhabitants of the farm, it is necessary to identify them in time and eliminate the causes that caused the disease. For constant inspections and monitoring of animal care, it is advisable to have a veterinarian on staff.

Nutria breeding

Since this species of animals has high fertility, it is enough to acquire only a few different-sex individuals to start with. For optimal breeding, it is recommended to keep one male for every 5 females, but he should not be their direct relative.

Nutria are capable of giving birth to a healthy litter within four months after birth, but experienced producers advise waiting this period for up to six months. Thus, babies will have a better chance of survival, will be healthy and strong, and their parents will not stop growing and developing.

If fertilization is too early, females' fertility rates are significantly reduced, which is unprofitable for the business as a whole. The male is ready to breed when he reaches a weight of 4500 grams, which usually happens at the age of 7-9 months.

Pregnancy lasts 132 days, and childbirth can take place without human assistance. More often this happens at night. The amount of offspring depends largely on the age and health of the female, her breed and conditions of detention. Usually these are 10-14 cubs, but more valuable varieties have smaller numbers. After just two months, the female is ready for new fertilization.

It is advisable to keep individuals for permanent breeding separately from those you intend to sell. Each time their level of fertility turns out to be higher. If there are a lot of nutria on the farm, then pregnant females are placed separately, as their aggressiveness and risk of miscarriage increases.

Within six months after birth, young animals are used for sale in various ways:

• live when purchased by other farmers for breeding;
• as a dietary, tasty and healthy meat;
• dressed fur skins, which are especially highly valued on the market.

Staff

It is advisable to arrange separate housing for staff on site. After all, growing nutria requires constant presence and care. Therefore, people must work around them around the clock. And although most employees are not expected to have special knowledge or specialization, people need to be selected in such a way that they are responsible, hardworking and healthy.

You can sell nutria meat or fur through different channels:

1. A regular market in the city.
2. Special procurement organizations.
3. Fur factories.
4. Through the Internet.
5. Live animals are also sold to other farmers for breeding.

Almost no advertising is required. Typically, such information is spread by word of mouth, and personal meetings are also organized with the owners of procurement companies or fur factories. When exporting nutria meat to the market, it is enough to make a sign with information about the benefits of such a product.

Financial calculations

It is important to draw up a business plan in advance, according to which it will be possible to predict the payback rate and profitability of the project. For small volumes, they focus on such numbers.

But this amount may be significantly less. For example, if you have your own plot of land and make all the cages and enclosures yourself, then the initial investment will be lower.

Income depends on sales volumes, its form (animals, meat, fur), market prices, the breed of nutria being bred and their fertility. It is believed that if you keep 100 females per year, you can earn about 110,000 rubles from the sale of skins and carcasses.

From the profit received, you will only need to purchase food and pay salaries to the staff. As a result, within 2-3 years your investment will fully pay off. With larger farm volumes or keeping rarer and more valuable breeds, profits will be higher.

Video: nutria – hobby and business.

Nutria is called an aquatic beaver; this mammal belongs to the order of rodents. Near the person it appeared not long ago, but has already become popular. These mammals are bred at home not only for beauty and prestige, but also to simply survive in our difficult times.

Externally, nutria looks like a large rat; it has a dense build. In the wild, this mammal can be found in the southern part of the South American continent. This place was not chosen in vain, all because the animal is very afraid of frost.

Nutria is large in size, and the weight of nutria reaches 12 kg. Her fur is thick and her tail is long and hairless. The teeth are long and orange.

Breeding nutria at home

Modern entrepreneurs view nutria cultivation as a business. The solution is not bad, besides, for growing it you will need either an open enclosure or a special cage. If you take the process seriously, it will turn out to be not only profitable, but also exciting.

Nutria are bred for their beautiful skins and nutritious meat - this is a profitable business. Fur maybe different colors, it is durable and dense. The meat tastes like rabbit, it contains many useful microelements.

Let's take a closer look at how to breed nutria:

1. No need to finish the special educational institution to breed nutria. All the necessary information can be found on the Internet, as well as by talking with experts on this issue.
2. Mammals are not picky about their diet; plant foods are the basis. If you buy grains, vegetables and grass, it will not be very expensive. And if these products grow in their own fields, then the business will be low-cost.
3. The animals are little susceptible to disease, and raising them is a pleasure.
4. Fertile animals will regularly produce new offspring, which will quickly grow, gain weight and develop.
5. Nutria have valuable skin and tasty, nutritious meat. Animals grow very quickly and reach the required size for subsequent implementation and prosperity of the business.

The animal loves quiet, standing and shallow bodies of water, which is why it nicknamed the swamp beaver. But in addition to moisture, they also need warmth; they do not live in freezing reservoirs.

An adult male weighs from 10 to 12 kg, females are slightly smaller. They have excellent hearing; at night they see better than during the day, in the light. This species is very active, and its peak occurs at night.

Nutria farm - choosing a location

In order for the chosen business to generate income, you need to arrange everything correctly. You need to start by ensuring the conditions in which the nutria will be kept. When setting up a farm, you need to take into account the food supply and a source of clean water, which should be very close. Preference should be given to water from a well, since water from nearby reservoirs can be contaminated with various microorganisms. And they, in turn, can lead to disease or even an entire epidemic of animals.

Having a main source, you can independently arrange ditches for animals. Their width at the top should be 2.5 meters, at the bottom 0.5 meters, depth 0.7-0.8 meters. The ditches are concreted, and cages are installed along them. The length of the ditch will depend on the number of cells placed on its sides.

The farm area needs to be fenced off and trees planted to protect the animals from the scorching summer sun.

The place must be level, a slight slope is allowed. If the area is open, then you need to decide what winds prevail there, but experts recommend setting up a farm on the leeward side.

Along with the farm, you need to build a kitchen, since constantly cooking food for animals in the house is not very convenient. You also need a barn in which to store a supply of grain and vegetables, as well as the necessary equipment.

To reduce maintenance costs, farms are built without a swimming pool. Only in this case you need to monitor the animals very carefully so that they do not overeat. Overfeeding with subsequent obesity has a very bad effect on the offspring. Fat females are unable to bear offspring. A moderately well-fed female will have a small amount of fat around the withers, on the stomach and under the arms.

Summarizing the information from this chapter, it should be noted that the area for nutria must meet the following requirements:

• mild climate;
• the presence of a body of water that would freeze in winter time for a maximum of 2-3 weeks;
• a warehouse in which grain, hay, and vegetables will be stored;
• the presence of a forest or shelterbelt nearby, in which you can get hold of oak or hazel branches, which nutria are very fond of.

Nutria cage

It is built from concrete, the size of which is 2.5 × 1.5 × 0.8 meters. The fourth wall is made of metal mesh, the edges of which are embedded in the concrete side walls. Her Bottom part sinks into the water, serving as a barrier for animals to bathe. And the upper part bends 30 cm into the cage, which prevents the nutria from making escapes from it.

The floor in the cage is concrete, has a slope of 30°, and serves as a walking area for nutria.

You can make the cells yourself, or you can buy ready-made ones. They can be stationary or portable, single-story or consisting of several tiers.

Basically, cages are made for 6-9 individuals, their size should be up to 2 square meters. It is necessary to equip an exit for walks in the enclosure on fresh air. In order for the animal to move comfortably, it is necessary to provide the exit with straw bedding.

If the nutria have a cramped cage, there is no pond for swimming and a house in which they will hide in times of danger, then they will have to wait a very long time for offspring. In such conditions, high-quality skins will not be kept.

Conditions

In order for nutria to survive the winter painlessly, they need to be kept in a warm room, the temperature in which will not be lower than 18°.

Cages that are equipped according to all the rules and installed correctly help the animal to withstand the heat. If it is very hot outside and there is no pool, the nutria may suffer from heatstroke or die. Sad outcome It can also happen when the temperature drops below the permissible level. Having warm fur, nutria are very sensitive to cold, especially their paws.

So, caring for nutria includes only three main points:

• cleanliness of cages and pool;
• constant temperature regime;
• regular balanced meals.

Feeding methods

The animals are not picky about food. If they lead an active lifestyle, then they cannot overeat, no matter how much you feed them. If you don't feed them well, this will affect the quality of skins and meat. The ideal option would be one close to wild habitat conditions:

• fresh grass - they love clover and tops of root crops;
• vegetation from swamps - favorite algae;
• roots;
• ground cereals;
• tree branches;
• balanced feed.

All vegetables given to nutria must be clean, and the feed must be diluted with water.

Animals can be given boiled potato peels, porridge, dry white or black bread, soups with water or broth.

Feeders and containers for fresh water can be purchased or made independently. The main thing is that they need to be securely fastened to the walls of the cage so that active animals cannot turn them over.

Peculiarities

Animals are aggressive only in a few cases:

• with constant malnutrition;
• females - during pregnancy;
• when mating.

The rest of the time nutria are very kind. Don't forget that they may also not like something. For example, when you try to scratch their belly or stroke their back. They do not like noise and are frightened by loud sounds. If they experience constant discomfort, then fertility decline guaranteed, as is a possible manifestation of aggression.

If you need to move animals to another place, then you should remember to be careful. A bite from a nutria's teeth is very dangerous.

Nutria grow up to fifteen months. They live up to seven years. But on farms where nutria breeding as a business is well established, the animals do not live to this age. The fact is that their productivity decreases after three years of age, and breeding becomes impossible. They are kept for a month, their movements restricted, so that they gain weight, and then they are sold.

Nutria selection

If you decide to breed nutria, you can buy healthy individuals from breeders who maintain entire nutria farms. This is the only way to be sure of the health of the animals and future healthy offspring. Today the following breeds are popular:

• golden;
• black;
• white Italian.

The ideal option would be to acquire more than half of the offspring of one of the species, and the rest from the category of ordinary nutria. Thanks to this crossing, it is possible to increase the offspring to 5-6 cubs.

To breed nutria at home, it is advisable to buy young individuals from different places. Animals must be at least three months old, then they are considered fully adapted to the environment, and their weight can range from 1 to 2.3 kg.

Experienced entrepreneurs advise finding out the smallest details of the condition and origin of the livestock.

Reproduction of animals

Individuals that are 7 months old are suitable for mating. To get strong and healthy offspring, you need to carefully choose your parents. They should not weigh less than 5 kg, be active and mobile.

As soon as the female becomes sexually estrous, the mating process must begin. Males are always ready for mating.

There are two types of reproduction:

1. Family breeding is when several females are placed in a male’s cage at the same time. The main condition for such reproduction is peaceful relations between females. If in this case something went wrong, then they resort to the second type.
2. Manual is when there is one female and one male in the cage. The process continues until fertilization occurs.

The animals' pregnancy lasts 132 days; there are cases when labor begins 9 days earlier, or 9 days later. Nutria offspring range from 5 to 8 pieces, in rare cases more. They can mate several times a year and give birth twice.

If the cubs are born very weak, then you definitely need to adjust their diet. The diet should include cottage cheese and meat, milk and fishmeal. Animals are not very willing to eat any food in its pure form, so you need to combine it with crushed grains. The female feeds her cubs for two months, her milk is very nutritious and has a fat content of 28%.

Benefits and Benefits

Breeding nutria cannot be called popular, but it is a very profitable business. There is always a demand for meat and fur. There are no specific prices, it all depends on the quality. Young individuals can be sold to private individuals or farms. If you establish a permanent sales channel, then you can build a good business on nutria.

It makes no difference where the animals will be kept: in an enclosure or in cages.

If a cage is being made, then for one individual you need a space one meter long, 60 cm wide, and 50 cm high. To make the cage, you can use wood, you just need to cover it on the walls and floor with mesh.

In the cage, you need to lay out dry grass on the floor and change it regularly.

It must be remembered that domestic animals, like wild animals, love water and regular bathing. They even wash their food in water before eating.

In winter, the animals do not bathe, which will be very economical for the farm. In summer, to avoid the spread of various infections, you need to change the water in the reservoir every two days.

When creating a nutria farm, you need to consider love of animals for water and warmth. It is necessary to create special places for swimming, but do not forget that nutria gnaw on everything, and from the first days of their life. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude wood and plastic from the material, since it will not last long.

We studied a lot of information regarding breeding and growing nutria at home. We decided to try it. We are preparing an enclosure and a swimming pool. We are looking for breeders.

Attention, TODAY only!

When growing nutria, each owner aims to obtain large and beautiful skins, as well as high-quality meat. However, to achieve the desired result you need to know the subtleties breeding work and keeping animals.

Nutria should be kept in cages with free ranges. The minimum cage area for an adult should be half square meter, and the walking area is about one and a half meters. When kept in smaller cages, animals' fertility decreases and young animals develop more slowly. Useful tips on breeding and keeping animals you will find in this article.

Where does nutria breeding begin?

The essence of breeding work is based on a set of activities (feeding, selection, maintenance, veterinary care), which should improve the productivity and breeding qualities of animals. Depending on the age of the animals, groups are assembled for further breeding. They try to use females to their full potential until they reduce their reproductive functions. Compliance with the rules of keeping and proper feeding ration affects the production of high-quality offspring in terms of quantity and viability. The number of males and females in a herd depends on the breeding method used on the farm. When breeding animals using the family method or in pairs, the ratio can be 1:2-3, for example, when breeding on amateur farms, very often a family consists of one female and one male. When using the shoal mating method on a farm, there may be ten females per male. When a young male is added to the herd, much fewer females are assigned to him than to adults. If colored males are used on the farm, then it is necessary to reduce the number of females assigned to him.

During the formation of the main herd, it is necessary to select adult individuals, which will be replaced by young animals raised for replacement.

Note: During the selection of individuals for the desired color, purity of color and good pubescence, preference is given to animals that stand out better development against the background of the rest of the herd. When slaughtered, such an animal can produce a larger skin at a much earlier age.

When breeding, it is necessary to avoid related matings, as they lead to degeneration of the species. If inbreeding is necessary, it should not be prolonged. In practice, it has been proven that moderate inbreeding is best. To prevent related matings, you need to purchase a male from another farm.

Recommendations for selecting nutria for breeding are given in the video.

Nutria breeding methods

The main goal in pair selection is to transmit to the offspring the positive qualities of the parents in order to produce offspring High Quality. It is also necessary to adhere to the basic rule of selection, which is to mate the best males with the best unrelated females, and females according to qualitative features inferior to the male. In addition, the purpose of selection is influenced by what quality of the animal needs to be improved: size, color, fur layer.

Table 1. Criteria for selecting individuals for breeding

Methods for breeding nutria are homogeneous and heterogeneous (Table 1). They will be described below.

Homogeneous selection - homogeneous

During use this method For reproduction, animals are selected based on economic similarities. The homogeneous selection method is the best option for mating on a useful trait, since animals that are related are very rare. The consolidation of the distinctive valuable qualities of such individuals is considered to be breeding material.

Heterogeneous selection - heterogeneous

This selection method is widely used in domestic household plots. When using the heterogeneous method, males should be better than females, as a rule, animals are mated with a variety of positive qualities. For example, a female with excellent coloring, but a poorly developed fur layer is mated with a male of worse coloring, but better pubescence. It is expected that the offspring will exhibit best qualities both parents.

When breeding livestock, the percentage of culling can range from 30-45% of the total number of the main herd (Table 2). If the farm has bred a sufficient number of replacement young stock to cull adults, the percentage can be increased, but if there is no required quantity young animals, the sample is reduced.

Note: Breeding advice also includes monitoring the behavior of young females to prevent panic behavior and unnecessary anxiety, as such behavior can have a significant impact on reducing the number of puppies. In adult queens, fertility is much higher than in young queens.

It is advisable to slaughter animals subject to culling to obtain high-quality skins. Such nutria are:

• Females and males that do not meet the quality requirements for skins. These animals include individuals with sparse and short fur, which is transmitted genetically. When using a variety of feeds and good housing conditions, as well as timely slaughter, these animals produce second-class offspring (25% cheaper than first-class skins).
• Females that give birth to offspring with unsatisfactory pubescence, poor coloring and insufficiently high-quality skin.
• Females after abortion and unsuccessfully whelped queens, which were kept in normal conditions and with a good diet.
• Unfertilized queens during the mating period during seasonal reproduction or during a 4-month period during year-round reproduction. This condition is relevant if females are kept with males with good productive ability.
• Males that are unable to impregnate a female using any mating method.
• Females with low reproductive ability, which are kept in normal conditions and have a good feeding diet, and give birth to 4 puppies over the past two years.
• Individuals with reduced reproductive ability, which has decreased due to aging, animal diseases and increased aggressiveness of animals.

Table 2. Evaluation and rejection table

Culling of animals must be carried out adhering to quality standards, by which the special value of the individuals can be determined. Also during culling, the state of activity and nervousness of the animal is taken into account. A male with a low level of activity and inactive is in most cases sent to slaughter. Excessive manifestations of aggression and anger in males also affect culling, since such males leave wounds and bites on the female’s skin.

How to make offspring productive

To carefully select young nutria for the tribe, the following factors are taken into account:(Table 3):

• Young animals are large in size and have well-developed muscles;
• Good animal fur layer in color and density;
• Reproductive performance must be higher than that of culled adults, since then there will be no improvement in the quality of the herd.

Table 3. Selection table for productive breeding stock

Females that begin to reproduce before the end of the growth period (with an immature body) are not recommended to be left for breeding. It is also not advisable to leave for reproduction females that gave a large litter during the first whelping, since already during the second pregnancy the fertility of most queens is reduced.

Males are usually selected from the same-sex groups in which they live after spawning.

Note: Testing for the activity of the sexual reflex is carried out by placing a female, calm in behavior, in a cage with males for a fifteen-minute period of time.

If males at the age of 7-8 months try to cover a female, then these are selected and placed in shoal groups for mating with females.

Breeding nutria: profitable or not?

Nutria farming is a relatively new but very popular industry. Agriculture. Raising animals at home is simple compared to other types of animal husbandry, and meat and skins can be successfully sold.

When planning breeding, it is better to immediately buy several individuals of the same breed and color. This will make it easier to sell animal skins after slaughter. But if long-term breeding is planned, it is better to buy several breeds to quickly make a profit.

If you want to have a nutria, breeding and keeping animals will still require some time and labor.

Breeding nutria at home for beginners includes several important aspects:

• Site selection for placing animals. It will be better if the pens or enclosures are located near a pond so that they can walk and swim freely.
• Breed selection- necessary condition to make a profit. By choosing the right breed, you can quickly make a profit from selling skins and meat.
• Construction of cages or enclosures a necessary condition for breeding nutria at home for beginners. You can make cages yourself or fence off part of the territory by arranging summer enclosures.
• Purchase of feed is also an important condition breeding. In addition to succulent, roughage and green feed, you need to stock up on mineral supplements and vitamins that will help raise healthy and productive animals.

In addition, for breeding you need to stock up on a first aid kit, and insulate the premises if you plan to keep animals year-round. The video shows how to properly maintain nutria at home.

Previously, it was believed that in a household plot where nutria are bred, there must be a shallow body of water. However, recent studies show that these animals adapt well to various living and maintenance conditions, therefore, both on an industrial scale and in homesteads, animals can be kept without water for bathing.

Note: Some farms practice bathing animals immediately before slaughter (15-20 days before) or in the summer they are kept in cages with pools or baths. The water in the baths is changed twice a day and then used to water the garden. Examples of baths and pools are shown in Figure 1.

To give nutria enough moisture and improve the quality of their fur, you can spray them with thin stream sprayers (15 minutes every 5 days). Some owners bathe animals in barrels. To do this, the individual is taken by the tail and immersed in a barrel of water for a few seconds. The procedure is repeated four times. Small swimming tanks can also be installed in urban areas.

Water for drinking in the summer must be in drinking bowls. It is especially important for pregnant women and females with young animals who are kept in cages without swimming pools. The rest of the time, drinking water can be replaced with vegetables.

Figure 1. Options for baths and pools

Nutria are very sensitive to temperature environment. Therefore, if a household plot is located in a region with cold winters, they need to ensure optimal temperature conditions. This is due to the fact that the areas of the animal’s body that are not covered with fur easily become frostbitten.

If animals are cold, they refuse food and bury themselves in the bedding, and young animals born in frost may die in the first few hours after birth.

Therefore, if individuals are kept outdoors in cages, they must be moved to a warm room for the winter and the animals must be provided with warm, high-quality bedding.

You can use straw or hay as bedding. In some cases they are replaced with sawdust. However, fine sawdust can reduce the quality of the fur, so it is still preferable to use grass hay or wheat straw.

For the normal development of nutria and maintaining their productivity, the cells must be cleaned daily of manure, hair and food debris. The contaminated litter is removed and a new one is laid out in its place. Cells are cleaned at the same time, and disinfection procedures are carried out every few months. Figure 2 shows options for equipping cages and paddocks for nutria.

Figure 2. Types of cages for keeping

Before transporting a nutria, it must be shown to a veterinarian in order to obtain a conclusion about its state of health and the absence of contagious diseases. For transportation, it is better to use portable individual cages (especially if adult animals are transported). If you plan to transport several animals in one cage at once, you need to choose animals with a calm character so that they do not harm each other.

Note: Nutria can be transported over short distances in any container: bags, bags or boxes. Upon arrival at the place, you don’t have to take the animal out of the bag, but immediately shake it out into a cage or pen.

If a nutria is carried in a mesh box, it may become frightened and start hitting the walls. To prevent the animal from injuring itself, the cage is covered with thick dark fabric.

Nutria very quickly get used to people, have a calm and gentle character, so they can be kept not only in household plots, but even in living areas at schools. They quickly remember their nickname and respond to it when approaching the owner.

Note: You need to treat nutria extremely friendly, do not shout at them, do not make sudden movements and do not talk loudly. If hurt, it may make her angry or reduce her productivity.

To catch an individual for inspection, you need to carefully drive it into a corner and grab it by the middle of the tail with one hand, and with the other under the chest. In this case, you should not make sudden movements, since jerking can cause the uterus or penis to fall out of the genital slit. If it is angry, its head is covered with a shovel so that the animal does not bite a person. This is necessary because nutrias have very sharp teeth with which they can bite a finger. Aggressive individuals are carried from cell to cell by the tail, and for transportation over long distances they are placed in a bag.

To examine the female's abdomen, she must be quickly turned over and placed on her back on the roof of the house. Particular care should be taken when handling pregnant females. They should not be jerked sharply or held vertically for a long time, as this can cause abortion. An approximate diagram and photo of the inspection are shown in Figure 3. Cleaning the cage from manure should be done when the animal is on the walk, and the walker cleans it when it is in the house.

Figure 3. Proper examination of the back and abdomen

You should not touch the back of a nutria unless absolutely necessary, as they do not like such touches. Animals enjoy having their bellies rubbed much more. In addition, they get used to humans much faster when tamed at an early age. As a rule, examination is necessary to diagnose pregnancy in females or determine the sex of newborn puppies. From the video you will learn how to distinguish a male nutria from a female shortly after birth.

Aviary maintenance

Keeping nutria in enclosures is considered one of the most convenient. In this case, animals can move freely and require minimal care. If you plan to breed a large population, you need to equip several enclosures: to keep a male with several females, separately pregnant females, and another separate enclosure for young animals (Figure 4).

Note: Enclosures for keeping at home should be made in different sizes. For example, the enclosure for males and females should be larger (about 2.5 by 5 meters), and enclosures for pregnant females can be made smaller.

To make the enclosure comfortable for animals, the floor in the pen must be made of concrete. Later it is covered with litter, but some farms do without it. It is better to make walls from metal mesh, but some partitions can be made from slate or metal sheets.

Figure 4. Keeping nutria in enclosures

From the video you will learn more details about the enclosure keeping of nutria.

If you want to try keeping nutria in pits, you need to properly prepare the area:

• Pit depth should be approximately 2 meters;
• Inside the pit it is necessary to install a water container (an old trough or bathtub). This way, keeping in pits will be convenient for animals and they will feel at home in their natural environment;
• Pit walls it is better to cover it with brick or slate so that animals do not dig holes in the ground;
• Top of the pit it is advisable to cover it with a removable roof to make it convenient to give out food to the animals, drinking water and clean the room.

In general, nutria tolerate slight cold weather well, but severe frosts can cause frostbite. Therefore, keeping nutria outside in winter is impossible without special insulated cages.

Note: This condition is especially true for pregnant females whose whelping occurs in the winter. They should be kept in well-insulated cages without drafts, and the bedding should be changed regularly.

• Each family is placed in a separate cage, the size of which corresponds to the number of individuals;
• It is better to place the cells a short distance from the ground. But if this is not possible, they put it under the cage wooden boards with insulation;
• During severe frosts, animals burrow into the litter. This is a clear sign that they are cold, so you need to increase the amount of bedding and make the feeding regime more nutritious.

Nutria is an animal of the rodent order. Natural environment habitats - bodies of water. The body size ranges from 40 to 60 cm. The tail can reach 35-40 cm. The average weight of an adult is 5-7 kg. Females are smaller in size than males. Animals similar to beavers arrived from South American lands. They gained great popularity among private breeders. Breeding nutria at home is a simple and interesting activity even for beginners. Valuable fur, tender meat, nutritious fat that goes into the most expensive sausages - all this can become a source of good income.

Housing and care

Nutria is a heat-loving animal. Year-round breeding and keeping them outdoors is not possible. A specialized building on a suburban site is best suited for this. It must maintain a temperature well above zero and have a swimming pool. Nutria are very clean. The peculiarities of their wild existence suggest the presence constant contact with water. If there are a lot of animals, then a couple of pools should be installed. The absence of these will lead to a deterioration in the quality of the fur and an excessive set of fatty tissues.

Important! The cleanliness of the pools should be continuously monitored. Change the water promptly and remove contaminants. Otherwise, it will negatively affect growth and development.

Cages in the room should be arranged in multi-story tiers. Their size is about 2 m² for 6-9 individuals. It is necessary to equip an exit for walks in the enclosure in the fresh air. It is imperative to provide it with straw bedding for comfortable movement of animals. Active life is of great importance for this species. Its peak occurs at night.

The optimal temperature for the healthy existence of nutria is 18-20ºС. If the cages are installed and equipped according to all the rules, then the individuals tolerate the heat well. Not having a pool in these situations can lead to heatstroke and death. If the temperature drops below comfortable conditions, this also leads to a sad outcome. Despite their warm fur, animals are very sensitive to cold, especially their limbs.

Caring for nutria does not involve anything labor-intensive. There is no need to study a lot of literature in detail, learn special skills, or invest huge amounts of money for maintenance.

Important! Just keep their home clean, ensure a constant temperature and timely balanced nutrition.

Feeding methods

Animals are very unpretentious when it comes to food. They do not suffer from overeating, but lack of food negatively affects the quality of the skin and meat. The most useful option will be one that is close to wild habitat conditions. Nutria feeding consists of:

• fresh grass. Animals love clover, tops of root crops;
• They also like swamp vegetation;
• roots;
• ground cereals;
• seaweed. Nutria's favorite treat;
• tree branches (willow, birch);
• balanced feed.

Important! All products must be clean. Failure to do so may result in illness. Compound feed should not be given in dry form. It needs to be diluted with water.

Behavior and characteristics

Nutria are friendly and social. Aggression on their part is rarely noticed. This is only possible during malnutrition, mating, or in pregnant females. You should not make contact with their back. Animals don't like it, but they will happily let you scratch their belly. It is prohibited to make noise near them. Strong sharp sounds frighten them. This can lead to aggression and a decline in fertility. Animals should not be disturbed during the mating season.

If you need to move animals, you must remember to be careful. Because of their powerful teeth, their bite is traumatic and dangerous. You should grab the tail and support the animal's chest with the other hand. It can be moved by holding the hind legs.

Breeding

You can mate individuals that have reached the age of 7-9 months. To get good offspring, parents must be strong and healthy. Their weight should not be less than 5 kg. Before mating, it is important to examine everyone and choose the right ones. Slow, lethargic, very obese individuals are not suitable.

You need to start when the female becomes sexually estrous. Males are always ready for mating. There are two types of reproduction:

1. Family. Several ready-made females are moved into the male’s cage. In the future they will exist in this format. The main factor is the peaceful attitude of females among themselves. If this type reproduction is impossible, then they resort to the second method.
2. Manual. The male and female are placed in a separate cage. The action is repeated daily until fertilization occurs. One male can cover several females in a day.

Benefits and Benefits

Breeding nutria as a business is not the most popular, but profitable activity. Animal meat and fur are in great demand. The single number of offspring ranges from 5 to 8 nutria. Known cases more. During the year they are able to mate several times.

The price of meat varies favorably from 400 to 600 rubles/kg. Fur is bought by ateliers or fur factories. There are no clear prices for it. It is quite profitable to sell young individuals to farms or private owners. By establishing a permanent sales channel, it is possible to build a good business.