Breeding nutria: how to keep and propagate at home, for beginners

Domestic livestock breeders have been breeding nutria since the 1930s. Animals were brought from South America for acclimatization. They took root in the Transcaucasus, became a popular object of hunting and household. The nutria is also known as the water rat or swamp beaver. Animal meat is a dietary product, and fur is cheaper than beaver, but not inferior in quality. Therefore, growing nutria is considered a profitable and extraordinary additional income.

Description of the animal

The swamp beaver is a mammal of the nutria family, a detachment of rodents.

External features:

• massive body 60 centimeters long;
• moving rat-like tail covered with scales, 45 centimeters long;
• the head is large, with a rounded wide muzzle, like a beaver;
• front teeth protruding, long and bright orange;
• ears are small, round, mouse-like, covered with fine fluffy fur from the inside;
• eyes are small, brown;
• front paws with tenacious fingers, with claws;
• toes of larger hind feet are webbed;
• wool is made up of long hard hairs and a soft short undercoat.

Sexual dimorphism of animals is manifested in size - females are lighter and smaller than males, but they are colored the same. Nutria live near swampy lakes and slow-flowing rivers. Swamp beavers do not build dams, but dig burrows and build nests in reeds.They are nocturnal animals with excellent hearing but poor eyesight. Clumsy on land, nutria are very agile in the water, able to dive to a depth of 3 meters and hold their breath for 10 minutes.

Despite their fearfulness, swamp beavers are easily tamed and get used to humans. They are kept alone or in pairs as pets. By nature, nutria are similar to chinchillas and cats. Animals love to be petted and treated to treats.

Nutria are clean and, with timely cleaning of the cage, do not smell. The life expectancy of animals is 8 years. The natural color of swamp beavers is brown. But with the development of the fur industry, types of bright and noble colors were bred.

Varieties of nutria for breeding

Standard or colored swamp beavers are bred on home farms. Breeds differ in color and fertility, but each has its own advantages.

Standard

The domestic nutria breed originated from wild relatives. Animals are characterized by a brown color of various shades.

Pros and conshigh fertility;suitable for growing for meat.simple skin color.

There are up to six cubs in the offspring. 2-3 offspring are obtained per year, which allows increasing the livestock for fattening and the number of products. A lower price is set for the fur of a standard nutria.

Colored breeds

As a result of crossing individuals of the standard breed with a large number of white spots, Italian cream and snow-white Azerbaijani nutrias appeared. In the course of subsequent breeding experiments, mutational and combined varieties of marsh beavers appeared, capable of transmitting the distinctive features of the breed during interspecific and thoroughbred crossing.

Most famous species:

• beige;
• black;
• pearl;
• lemon;
• golden;
• smoky;
• pearl.

Pros and consbright fur of various shades;higher cost of skins.less prolific.

Colored females give birth to up to four cubs.

Productivity of nutria

The average fecundity of marsh beavers is 10 cubs per year. Animal fur gains quality in 6-8 months. At 7 months, the animals reach a lethal weight - 5-6 kilograms, regardless of coat color.From one carcass, 50-70 percent or, on average, 3 kilograms of meat are obtained. The meat productivity of females is less by 10 percent. Comparison of the meat productivity of nutria and rabbits:

Rabbit 54.5

Percent production		Meat with bones
	56.9
Leaver	4.5	3.8
Fat	6	7

Liver, kidney and heart can make up 7 percent of a nutria carcass weight.

Criteria for choosing an animal

Nutria is chosen according to the following parameters:

• direction of productivity;
• fertility;
• age;
• price.

First of all, they determine the desired direction of the economy - meat or fur.Most swamp beaver breeds are versatile. The sale of puppies becomes a separate source of income. To obtain a large volume of production, you should choose fertile breeds of nutria: standard, white Italian, golden or mother-of-pearl. To obtain meat, it is recommended to buy any one breed of animal.

Favorable age for buying puppies is 3 months. The cubs have already weaned from their mother's milk, are independent and ready to be fed. It is better to buy nutria at specialized farms and nurseries. There, animals constantly undergo veterinary control, and the owners monitor the purity of the breed.

Pros and cons

Pros and conscheap and affordable vegetable and granular feed;no unpleasant odor from animals;simple diet;rare diseases;calm nature of swamp beavers.sensitivity to cold;intolerance to loud sounds.

Immunity in nutria is stronger than that of rabbits. Investments in the purchase and arrangement of the farm will quickly pay off due to the high fertility and productivity of animals. Swamp beavers withstand short-term frosts without loss. But in constant cold, they freeze their tails, which leads to death. Therefore, in winter, animals should be kept in a warm room, protected from drafts. Nutria meat is a specific product that sometimes causes misunderstanding and disgust. The disadvantages also include potential difficulties with the sale of rodent carcasses.

Conditions and care

The nutria is an aquatic animal, so it is imperative to equip a pool for it. If swamp beavers don't bathe in summer, their coats lose their valuable sheen and softness.

Equipment required

Cultivation of nutria begins with the arrangement of the premises. For convenient accommodation of animals you will need:

• metal cages 100x60x50 centimeters;
• drinkers - simple, nipple or vacuum;
• feeders - nursery, bunker type;
• 4 liter swimming baths.

On two square meters contain 15-25 individuals. On a smaller area, the livestock is limited to four to six individuals.

Marsh beavers gnaw on wooden objects. Therefore, advice for beginner breeders - it is advisable to choose all products from stainless steel.

Cage-houses with a walking area and an indoor pool are suitable for keeping nutria in warm regions. For females with cubs, you will need separate cages-houses with two compartments - for feeding and nesting.

Housing selection and arrangement

Methods of keeping nutria:

• closed - in cages without bathing;
• free - in the pen in the fresh air;
• semi-free - putting away young animals for the summer in a corral.

The first method is suitable for raising swamp beavers for meat. To obtain high quality fur, animals need fresh air, movement and water. In summer, it is good to keep nutria in a fenced grassy area. Fine-mesh mesh is suitable as a fence. A pool is placed in the center of the corral, and cages are placed around it. Coypu lodge in metal rabbit or makeshift houses. They can be placed in two floors.

Cage doors are left open.In order for the animals to descend from the second floor, boards or ladders are placed at the entrances. The two-story complex saves space when you need to accommodate a large flock. The ideal option is to install a summer aviary on the shore of a natural reservoir or pond on the site.

In winter, an insulated barn is used as a dwelling for marsh beavers. The interior arrangement is the same as in the summer aviary. The floor is covered with straw. The minimum temperature in the room is +15 degrees. Animals are also kept in closed individual cages with feeders and baths.

In the apartment for nutria they put a large cage with a feeder inside. A water container is also placed inside or placed outside for the animal to bathe while walking.

The location for a nutria farm should be quiet and clean, away from a garbage dump and a cesspool. Animals are afraid of sharp sounds. You should not put a farm next to a noisy highway, a forge, an aviary with hunting dogs.If it is impossible to find a quiet place, the room with nutrias should be finished with soundproof material.

Staff

You don't need to hire a special staff to take care of nutria. You can handle twenty nutrias on your own. If the population increases by 2-3 times, then an assistant will be needed to clean the cages.

Hygiene

Detailed description of care rules:

• water in drinking bowls and pools is changed every day;
• regular drinkers are placed in cages for half an hour after eating, so that animals do not wet their paws in them and do not drink dirty water;
• if the room temperature is below fifteen degrees, put straw bedding on the floor and in the cages, change it 2-3 times a week;
• animals are fed and watered at the same time.

Cleanliness in cages and swimming pools is essential to the beauty of swamp beaver pelts. Animals are combed after bathing with claws, and dirt from the water or bedding is smeared on the coat. As a result, the skin loses its luster and attractiveness.

What to feed the animal?

In order for nutria to produce meat and high quality fur, you need to take care of their proper nutrition. Swamp beavers are herbivores. In nature, the diet of animals consists of succulent stems of reeds, reeds, roots and young twigs of trees.

At home, nutria is fed grass with the addition of cereals and mineral supplements. Swamp beavers eat grain: rye, oats, wheat, barley, corn. They also benefit from legumes, cake and bran. To fill the need for amino acids, animals are given compound feed. The menu is adjusted according to the season.

In winter

The basis of the winter diet of marsh beavers is hay and straw, vegetables, fruits. A useful substitute for fresh grass will be sea kale. Also for nutria, young shoots of fruit trees are harvested for the winter, cereals are germinated. Silage is useful for swamp beavers in winter, as it stimulates appetite.

Components are mixed into a homogeneous mass so that animals do not choose the most delicious pieces. Nutria are fed twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. The evening portion should be larger than the morning portion. The swamp beaver's appetite wakes up at night.

Summer

Food for swamp beavers during the warm season includes:

• fresh grass - alfalfa, reeds, clover;
• cereal concentrates;
• vegetables.

Nutrias in an enclosure on the shore of the pond will feed on reeds, like their wild ancestors.This will reduce feed costs. One adult per day has a kilogram of grass, and young growth - 500 grams each. This is how much the stomachs of animals can hold. Consumption of feed or grain mixture - 150-200 grams per head. Swamp beavers take 1-3 days to digest food, so food is consumed sparingly.

Vitamins and minerals

Fortified food includes vegetables. Animals eat up to a kilogram of carrots and beets per day. Fishmeal, chalk and s alt are added to the winter nutrition of nutria. An additional source of calcium is feed phosphate. Also, in winter and spring, the daily ration should consist of 1 percent vitamin premix.

Pregnancy and whelping, offspring care

Reproduction of marsh beavers in captivity occurs naturally.The most favorable time for mating is spring and summer, although nutrias are ready to mate all year round. Puberty of females occurs at 4-5 months, and males - at 7-8 months. Before the first mating, they wait another month. Females should weigh 3.5 kilograms and males 4.5 kilograms. One male is added to a flock of eight females. With this method of maintenance, the likelihood of fertilization increases. It is dangerous to keep several males with females, as they can injure each other in a fight.

Determination of pregnancy

Pregnancy lasts 120-130 days and is determined in the middle of the term by external signs. The female is recovering, and spherical seals are felt in the abdomen - puppies. In the last month before giving birth, her nipples swell, but this symptom is applicable only for the first whelping. Nipples do not shrink after childbirth.

Pregnant females need complete rest and quiet as their susceptibility to noise increases. From fear, they have a miscarriage.Therefore, separate cells are prepared for pregnant women. Human assistance is not required during childbirth. Until the cubs appear, the cage should not be approached to change food and water.

Puppy care

Marsh beavers are born with open eyes, fur and teeth. In a room with cubs, you need to maintain a temperature of +20 degrees and above and protect from drafts. The weight of a newborn nutria is 200 grams. Babies are mobile, but slowly gain weight. At two months, their mass reaches a kilogram. Until this age, they should eat mother's milk at the same time as grass. Two-month-old nutrias are being transferred to general maintenance.

Marsh beavers breed until the age of three. Therefore, after three years, you need to change the individuals-producers.

Disease prevention

Nutrias have stronger immunity than rabbits. Illnesses happen when kept in cold and dirty cages.

Breeders pay more attention to preventive measures:

• daily change of water in drinkers and bedding;
• once every six months disinfection of the premises, cages, dishes and cleaning equipment;
• a special rug soaked in antiseptic is placed at the entrance to the enclosure;
• stop the spread of rats and insects in time.

Purchased animals are first kept in a separate enclosure for two weeks, and then planted in a flock. Swamp beaver puppies get salmonellosis. To avoid infection, nutria is vaccinated. Before settling in the old premises of the new party, a complete disinfection is carried out.

Product sales, expenses and revenues

If nutria is bred for meat, the products are sold through the following channels:

• private buyers;
• supermarkets;
• restaurants;
• to procurement offices.

Cooperation with government agencies for food procurement is beneficial due to tax incentives. Ateliers and clothing factories buy fur. The price per kilogram of marsh beaver meat is 250-300 rubles. For the skin - 250-400 rubles. The average payback period for a nutria farm is a year.

The success of the nutria business depends on competition and demand in the region. The situation in this area needs to be clarified in advance. The first profit is usually spent on the further development of the enterprise: the purchase of new animals, feed, veterinary care and renovation of the housing. In practice, additional net income can be expected only in 2-3 years.

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