Breeding nutria is considered a very exciting process. If everything is done correctly, this line of business can be made very profitable. To ensure that nutria babies are born on time and healthy, it is important to provide the animals with quality care. At the same time, it is not recommended to interfere with the birth process, since females during this period become aggressive and can bite their owner.
Nutria mating
Breeding nutria is not difficult. This process does not pose any serious difficulties. By their nature, rodents are considered very precocious. Puberty begins at 4-5 months.But to obtain 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 achieve physiological maturity and gain weight. It is recommended to select females that are 7-8 months old for breeding. In this case, live weight should be at least 3.5-4 kilograms. Males should be 1-2 months older. 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, a 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.
To increase the chances of fertilization, breeders use different methods:
- Drawer, or manual - in this case, from the 1st day of whelping, the female is placed with the male. This should be done for 5-7 days. Regardless of the result obtained, 24 days after whelping, the female is again placed with the male. It takes 6-8 days to do this. It is possible to mate animals in this way only after whelping.
- Joint - 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. They are grown there for up to 5-6 months. It is usually recommended to select 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 placed with the females. In this case, an older animal is used.
- Pen, or free - in this case, several dozen females are placed in one 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 animals. In addition, it is difficult to find individuals who will not enter into conflicts.
- Family - this method is suitable for beginners. It is considered a type of joint. At the same time, the groups of females for the first coating include individuals from the same litter that have reached breeding age. An older, unrelated male is then placed in the cage. To minimize the number of fights, it is recommended to place 2-3 houses in the paddock.
After a male is introduced to a female, she may behave irritably. When hunting begins, individuals gradually move closer together. This process ends with mating. Fertilized nutria behaves much calmer. She rests and eats together with the male. Hunting in females is observed every 28 days. In this case, the interval between estrus can be 9-40 days. If mating does not occur immediately, fertilization occurs during the next heat. This means that in 1-1.5 months all females will be fertilized.
How long does pregnancy last in animals?
A pregnant female lasts 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 in the 2nd month you can feel the formed fruits through the abdominal wall.
Determining the term
Pregnancy can be reliably determined 30-40 days before birth. For this period nutria is gaining 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, in a state of rest, it is possible to see how the future cubs move in the stomach.
Detecting pregnancy immediately after conception is very problematic. Only experienced breeders can do this. However, it is impossible to accurately determine the presence of cubs.
How many puppies does it give birth to?
A litter usually produces 4-5 babies. Sometimes this number increases to 10. There are known cases of a female giving birth to 18 puppies at one time. At the same time, 2 whelpings are possible per year, which can bring 22 cubs.
Nutria whelping process
Nutria births are usually easy and do not require human intervention. This process lasts from 20 minutes to 2 hours. The specific duration is influenced 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, nutria also does not eat anything for several days.
Before giving birth, the nutria makes a nest for the babies. However, sometimes she neglects this. In such a situation, there is a risk of the cubs dying from hypothermia. Therefore, it is important to control the presence of dry bedding in the cage. After the birthing process is completed, the nutria licks the babies to clean them of mucus. Also at this stage the female eats the placenta.
After the end of labor, nutria may 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 birth, the condition of nutria should normalize. The aggression goes away completely.After the birth process is completed, it is recommended to remove old bedding, dead cubs and remaining afterbirth from the cage.
After inspecting the nest, it is recommended to count the offspring and record the information in a journal. Females usually give birth to 5-6 puppies. However, sometimes this number increases significantly. The following factors influence fertility:
- 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 with teeth. Literally within 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 this, the young animals should remain in the same cage for some time. Subsequently, it is allowed to be moved to other pens - it all depends on the purpose of cultivation.
Nutria breeding has many features. To raise these animals successfully, it is important to provide them with proper care and a balanced diet. To obtain strong and healthy offspring, it is recommended to choose the mating method wisely and monitor the course of pregnancy and childbirth.
