What conditions are required for porcupine farming?
AbstractPorcupines are mostly raised using a semi free-range method. Suitable terrain should be chosen to build the farm, and feed should also be prepared according to certain requirements. In addition, the ratio of male to female porcupines raised on the farm is best set at 1:3 or 1:4, as this helps promote the growth and reproduction of porcupines.
I. Farming conditions for porcupines
1. Porcupines are generally raised in a semi free-range manner. A hilly area facing south with good drainage and deep soil is usually chosen to build the farm. The surrounding walls should be about 1-1.2 m high, and an iron gate that allows keepers to enter should be installed properly.
2. The size of the site is determined by the porcupine breed designed to be stocked. The most suitable male-to-female ratio for porcupines is 1:3 or 1:4.
3. Under wild conditions, porcupines like to eat corn, wheat, rice, green vegetables and many other crops. Porcupines have relatively strong digestive ability, so when feeding porcupines, in addition to the feed mentioned above, some squirrel roots, holly branches and so on can also be provided appropriately.
4. The total amount of porcupine feed provided is best when they finish it each night with a slight remainder. The remaining feed must all be cleared out the next day.
II. Precautions for porcupine farming
1. Feed quality
(1) Porcupines mainly feed on green grass plants, so during porcupine farming, many people feed porcupines green grass feed, and many people choose to cook the green grass before feeding it to the porcupines.
(2) However, cooked green grass is less nutritious than the original feed, and it very easily causes porcupine food poisoning.
(3) Therefore, when feeding porcupines, the feed must not be cooked; it is enough to crush the feed.
(4) It should be noted that porcupines must not be fed moldy, spoiled food or unsanitary feed.
(6) Green grass feed must be fresh grass picked the same day, otherwise it may very likely cause porcupines to become poisoned and sick.
2. Feed feeding
(1) Many porcupine farmers feed porcupines only green feed when raising them. Although green feed is relatively suitable for the growth of porcupines, the nutrients it contains are not very comprehensive.
(2) When feeding, green feed must not be the only feed given, and the amount of feed provided must not be too much, especially for young animals.
(3) Because the digestive system of porcupines is not yet fully developed, and green grass feed contains a large amount of water, excessive feeding of green grass feed will cause porcupines to develop diarrhea, and may even trigger some other gastrointestinal diseases.
3. Emergency measures
(1) In the process of porcupine farming, factors such as feed and pig pens can be controlled by people, but some weather conditions are difficult for us to predict, so we should take corresponding emergency measures according to each different type of weather.
(2) For example, in early spring, the temperature has not fully risen, and the temperature difference between day and night is relatively large, so we should promptly do a good job of cold protection and warmth preservation for porcupines.
(3) In the high-temperature and dry weather of summer, good work should be done in cooling and replenishing water to ensure that the temperature inside the pig pen does not exceed 32°C. If the temperature is too high, porcupines may suffer heatstroke.
(4) In autumn, cold winds blow easily and the temperature is low, so windproof measures should be taken well to prevent porcupines from catching cold from the wind.