Nutria cub: how long is the pregnancy and the number of puppies, how to mate

Cultivation of nutria is considered a very exciting process. If everything is done correctly, this line of business can be made very profitable. In order for nutria cubs to be born on time and be he althy, it is important to provide animals with quality care. At the same time, it is not recommended to interfere with the birth process, since females become aggressive during this period and can bite their owner.

Coypu mating

Breeding nutria is easy. This process does not cause serious difficulties. By their nature, rodents are considered very precocious.The period of puberty begins as early as 4-5 months. But in order to obtain a full-fledged and viable offspring, it is worth starting reproduction a little later. Usually this is done no earlier than 6-8 months. This helps to achieve physiological maturity and increase weight. It is recommended to choose females for 7-8 months per tribe. In this case, the live weight should be at least 3.5-4 kilograms. Males should be older by 1-2 months. It is important that they weigh at least 4-4.5 kilograms.

The family should include 4-7 females. It is made up of sisters. The fact is that related animals get along best. Also, the family may include 1 unrelated male. When choosing animals for mating, it is important to consider that they must have high productivity and good conformation.

The strongest and he althiest nutrias are those that were born in winter. Therefore, mating for offspring is recommended to be performed in early autumn.

To increase the chances of fertilization, breeders use different methods:

1. Replanting, or manual - at the same time, from the 1st day of whelping, the female is planted with the male. This should be done within 5-7 days. Regardless of the result obtained, 24 days after whelping, the female is again planted with the male. Doing this takes 6-8 days. Mating animals in this way is possible only after whelping.
2. Mowing - this method is suitable for the first mating. At the same time, it is recommended to place 3-14 females in a small pen - it all depends on the size of the cage. There they are grown up to 5-6 months. It is usually recommended to choose individuals of the same size and weighing at least 2.5-3 kilograms. It is important that they have a friendly and non-pugnacious character. At 5-6 months, a male is planted with the females. In this case, they use an older animal.
3. Driven, or free - at the same time, several dozen females are placed in the same pen with several males. 1 individual is taken for 8-12 females. At the same time, pregnant individuals are gradually identified and transplanted. This method is considered the simplest.However, it also has a significant disadvantage. In this situation, it is not possible to determine the origin of the young. In addition, it is difficult to find individuals who will not enter into conflicts.
4. Family - this method is suitable for beginners. It is considered a type of kosachny. At the same time, the groups of females for the first coating include individuals from the same litter that have reached breeding age. Then an unrelated older male is placed in the cage. To minimize the number of fights, it is recommended to place 2-3 houses in the paddock.

After replanting a male to a female, she can behave irritably. When hunting occurs, individuals gradually approach each other. This process ends with mating. A fertilized nutria behaves much calmer. She rests and eats together with the male.Hunt in females is observed every 28 days. In this case, the interval between estrus can be 9-40 days. If mating does not happen immediately, fertilization occurs in the next hunt. This means that in 1-1.5 months all females will be fertilized.

How long does pregnancy last in animals

A pregnant female walks for 127-137 days. On average, this period lasts 132 days. In this case, the cubs are born sighted and completely covered with hair. If you have certain skills, already at 2 months you can feel the formed fruits through the abdominal wall.

Determination of the term

It is possible to reliably determine pregnancy 30-40 days before delivery. During this period, nutria gains a lot of weight. At the same time, her body takes on a spherical shape. During pregnancy, females are able to gain up to 2 kilograms. At the same time, at rest, it is possible to see how future cubs move in the stomach.

It is very problematic to detect pregnancy immediately after conception. This can only be done by experienced breeders. At the same time, it is impossible to accurately determine the presence of cubs.

How many puppies give birth

Usually 4-5 cubs are born in a litter. Sometimes this number increases to 10. There are cases when a female gives birth to 18 puppies at a time. At the same time, 2 puppies are possible per year, which can bring 22 cubs.

The process of whelping nutria

Coypu childbirth is usually easy and does not require human intervention. This process lasts from 20 minutes to 2 hours. The specific duration is affected by the physical condition of the female and the number of puppies. The intervals between their exits are 15 minutes.

It is important to ensure that nothing disturbs the female during childbirth. For about a day, she refuses food. After giving birth, the nutria also does not eat anything for several days.

Before giving birth, the nutria makes a nest for babies.However, sometimes she neglects it. In such a situation, there is a risk of death of the cubs from hypothermia. Therefore, it is important to control the presence of dry bedding in the cage. After the completion of the birth process, the nutria licks the young to clear them of mucus. Also at this stage, the female eats the afterbirth.

After the end of labor, the nutria can show aggression for a certain time and run around the cage. The appearance of such symptoms indicates the beginning of the hunt. In such a situation, the female needs to be placed in a cage with the male for a certain time.

Postpartum care

Within 2 months after giving birth, the condition of the nutria should return to normal. Aggression completely disappears. After the completion of the birth process, it is recommended to remove the old bedding, dead cubs and the remaining afterbirth from the cage.

After inspecting the nest, it is recommended to count the offspring and record the information in a log. Females usually bring 5-6 puppies. However, sometimes this number increases significantly. Fertility is affected by the following factors:

• number of cases;
• mass of nutria.

First births are usually characterized by small litters. In this case, the cubs are born weakened and often die. Nutria puppies are born already with teeth. Literally for 3-4 days they are able to absorb solid food. However, breast milk is considered an important part of nutrition. Most milk is produced between 2-4 weeks of lactation. Subsequently, its volume decreases. At 7 weeks, puppies can go without milk.

It is recommended to transplant young animals at 45-50 days. To facilitate the weaning process, it is worth isolating the female from the cubs. After that, the young should be in the same cage for some time.Subsequently, it is allowed to move to other pens - it all depends on the purpose of cultivation.

Cultivation of nutria has many features. To grow these animals successfully, it is important for them to provide proper care and a balanced diet. To obtain strong and he althy offspring, it is recommended to choose the right mating method and control the course of pregnancy and childbirth.

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