Rules for breeding and keeping nutria at home for beginners

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

Description of the animal

The marsh beaver is a mammal of the nutria family, an order of rodents.

External characteristics:

• massive body 60 centimeters long;
• movable tail, similar to a rat, covered with scales, 45 centimeters in length;
• the head is large, with a rounded wide muzzle, like a beaver;
• the front teeth protrude, long and bright orange;
• the ears are small, round, mouse-like, covered on the inside with thin fluffy hair;
• eyes small, brown;
• front paws with tenacious fingers and claws;
• the toes of the larger hind paws are connected by webs;
• The coat consists of long, hard guards and a soft, short undercoat.

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

Nutria are clean and, if the cage is cleaned in a timely manner, do not smell. The lifespan of animals is 8 years. The natural color of swamp beavers is brown. But with the development of the fur industry, species of bright and noble color were developed.

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

There are up to six cubs in the litter. 2-3 offspring are produced per year, which allows increasing the number of livestock for fattening and the amount of production. Standard nutria fur has a lower price.

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 arose. In the course of subsequent breeding experiments, mutational and combined varieties of swamp beavers appeared, capable of transmitting the distinctive characteristics of the breed through interspecific and purebred crossing.

The most famous types:

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

Females of colored breeds give birth to up to four cubs.

Nutria productivity

The average fertility rate of swamp beavers is 10 cubs per year. Animal fur gains quality in 6-8 months. At 7 months, the animals reach slaughter weight - 5-6 kilograms, regardless of coat color. From one carcass they get 50-70 percent or, on average, 3 kilograms of meat. The meat productivity of females is 10 percent less. Comparison of meat productivity of nutria and rabbits:

The liver, kidneys and heart can make up 7 percent of a nutria carcass weight.

Animal selection criteria

Nutria is selected according to the following parameters:

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

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

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

Advantages and disadvantages

Nutria's immunity is stronger than that of rabbits. Investments in the purchase and arrangement of a farm will quickly pay off due to the high fertility and productivity of animals. Swamp beavers can 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 of detention and care

Nutria is an aquatic animal, so you definitely need to set up a pool for it. If swamp beavers do not bathe in the summer, their coat loses its valuable shine and softness.

Necessary equipment

Growing nutria begins with arranging the premises. For comfortable placement of animals you will need:

• metal cages 100x60x50 centimeters;
• drinking bowls - simple, nipple or vacuum;
• feeders - nurseries, bunker type;
• Swimming bathtubs with a volume of 4 liters.

They contain 15-25 individuals per two square meters. In a smaller area, the population is limited to four to six individuals.

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

Choosing and arranging housing

Methods for keeping nutria:

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

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 is suitable as a fence. A pool is placed in the center of the pen, and cages are placed around it. Nutria are housed in metal rabbit houses or homemade houses. They can be placed on two floors.

The cage doors are left open. To allow 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 house a large flock.The ideal option is to install a summer enclosure on the shore of a natural reservoir or pond on the site.

In winter, an insulated barn is used as housing for swamp beavers. The interior arrangement is the same as in the summer enclosure. The floor is covered with straw. The minimum room temperature 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 container of water is also placed inside or placed outside so that the animal can bathe while walking.

The location for the nutria farm should be quiet and clean, located far from the trash bin and cesspool. Animals are frightened by sharp sounds. You should not place the farm next to a noisy highway, a blacksmith shop, or an enclosure with hunting dogs. If it is impossible to find a quiet place, the room with nutria should be decorated with soundproofing material.

Staff

There is no need to hire special staff to care for nutrias. You can handle twenty nutria 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;
• ordinary drinking bowls 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 basking areas is important to the beauty of swamp beaver pelts. Animals comb themselves after bathing with their claws, and dirt from the water or bedding is smeared onto their fur.As a result, the skin loses its shine and attractiveness.

What to feed the animal?

In order for nutria to produce high quality meat and 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 tree branches.

At home, nutria are 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 meet the need for amino acids, animals are given mixed feed. The menu is adjusted according to the season.

in winter

The basis of the winter diet of swamp beavers is hay and straw, vegetables, and fruits. Sea kale will be a useful replacement for fresh grass. Young shoots of fruit trees are also prepared for nutria for the winter and cereals are sprouted. Silage is useful for swamp beavers in winter, as it stimulates their appetite.

The components are mixed into a homogeneous mass so that the animals do not choose the most delicious pieces. Nutria are fed twice a day, morning and evening. The evening portion should be larger than the morning portion. Swamp beavers' appetite awakens at night.

In summer

The diet of swamp beavers in the warm season includes:

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

Nutria in an enclosure on the shore of a pond will feed on reeds, like their wild ancestors. This will reduce feed costs. One adult needs a kilogram of grass per day, and young animals - 500 grams. This is how much animal stomachs can hold. Feed consumption or grain mixture is 150-200 grams per head. It takes marsh beavers 1-3 days to digest food, so food is used sparingly.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitaminized food includes vegetables. Animals eat up to a kilogram of carrots and beets per day. Fishmeal, chalk and salt are added to nutria's winter diet. Feed phosphate serves as an additional source of calcium. Also in winter and spring, the daily diet should consist of a vitamin premix of 1 percent.

Pregnancy and whelping, care of offspring

Reproduction of swamp beavers in captivity occurs naturally. The most favorable time for mating is spring and summer, although nutria are ready to mate all year round. Puberty in females occurs at 4-5 months, and in males at 7-8 months. They wait another month before the first mating. 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. Keeping several males with females is dangerous, as they can injure each other in a fight.

Definition of pregnancy

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

Pregnant females need to be provided with complete peace and quiet, as their sensitivity to noise increases. From fright they have a miscarriage. Therefore, separate cells are prepared for pregnant women. No human assistance is required during childbirth. Before the babies appear, you should not approach the cage to change food and water.

Caring for puppies

Swamp beavers are born with open eyes, fur, and teeth.In the room with the cubs, the temperature must be maintained at +20 degrees or higher and protected from drafts. The weight of a newborn nutria is 200 grams. The babies are active, but slowly gain weight. At two months their weight reaches a kilogram. Until this age, they should be fed mother's milk along with grass. Two-month-old nutrias are transferred to general housing.

Swamp beavers reproduce until they are three years old. Therefore, after three years it is necessary to change the breeding individuals.

Disease Prevention

Nutria have stronger immunity than rabbits. Diseases occur when kept in cold and dirty cages.

Breeders pay more attention to preventive measures:

• daily replacement of water in drinking bowls and litter;
• once every six months disinfection of the premises, cages, dishes and cleaning equipment;
• a special mat soaked in antiseptic is placed at the entrance to the enclosure;
• promptly stop the spread of rats and insects.

Purchased animals are first kept in a separate enclosure for two weeks, and then added to the flock. Swamp beaver puppies get salmonellosis. To avoid infection, nutria are vaccinated. Before moving into the old premises, the new party is completely disinfected.

Sales of products, expenses and income

If nutria are 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 swamp beaver meat is 250-300 rubles. For a skin - 250-400 rubles. The average payback period for a nutria farm is a year.

The success of a nutria farming 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 premises. In practice, additional net income can be expected only after 2-3 years.