A Detailed Explanation of How Many Litters Bamboo Rats Produce Per Year and Their Pregnancy Characteristics
Bamboo rats are surely no stranger to many people, and we can often see them in daily life. Bamboo rats have high nutritional value, so many people are now farming them. However, when farming bamboo rats, reasonable breeding is very important, and during breeding there are also many techniques that need to be mastered. Let us take a look together below!
How many times a year do bamboo rats breed
Bamboo rats breed 2 to 3 litters throughout the year, with 1 to 6 pups per litter, mostly 3 pups. The annual litter count is 3 litters, or 7 litters over two years, because the estrus period of bamboo rats is 1—3 days, with an interval of about 15—18 days. If the estrus period is missed, then more than 18 days will be delayed. The gestation period is about 45—60 days, and the lactation period is about 30 days in summer, while in winter it must be at least 35 days or more. There are also those with many pups, and weaning the pups is also very particular. If the pups are weaned all at once, the mother rat is very prone to mastitis, which will have a very bad effect on the mother rat's future fertility, or she may not conceive for a long time. Therefore, calculated this way, a sexually mature mother rat cannot produce 4 litters in a year.
How many litters a year do bamboo rats give birth to
Under normal circumstances, bamboo rats have 3 to 5 pups per litter, and 2 to 4 litters a year. Different varieties of bamboo rats have different litter situations. Generally, farmed bamboo rats can reproduce after 6 months of age, and generally reproduce more than 10 pups a year. The silver-star bamboo rat has a gestation period of 45 days, with 1 to 5 pups per litter, and a lactation period of 1 and a half months. The silver-star bamboo rat reaches sexual maturity at 8 to 10 months, has a gestation period of about 45 days, a lactation period of 30 to 40 days, has 1 to 5 pups per litter, and has three litters a year. The Chinese bamboo rat reaches sexual maturity at 7 to 8 months. The mother bamboo rat generally has a gestation period of about 2 months, a lactation period of about 40 days or more, has 2 to 6 pups per litter, and has 3 to 4 litters a year. The red-cheeked bamboo rat is a rare species with a small number. It reaches sexual maturity at 8 to 10 months, has a gestation period of 45 to 50 days, and has 3 to 8 pups per litter. The small bamboo rat has a gestation period of 60 days, a lactation period of 30-50 days, and 1 to 5 pups per litter, with a small number.
What are the characteristics of bamboo rat pregnancy
1. Usually, pregnant mother bamboo rats sleep more and are less active. They crouch and sit in the nest, arranging the nest very well. However, a few mother bamboo rats turn frequently in the pool, are restless and irritable, and do not like to tidy the nest. During routine cleaning, they will bite the broom. These phenomena do not affect later littering and lactation. Pregnant mother bamboo rats will attack male rats in the same pool, and even bite them.
2. Body weight gradually increases as the pregnancy progresses, the abdomen bulges, and the abdominal groove is full. In the early stage of pregnancy, 1-15 days, the nipples are red and glossy. In the middle stage of pregnancy, 15-30 days, the nipples are pink and upright, noticeably swollen and rounded compared with the early stage, a hairless area appears around the nipples, and the hair lies down in all directions. The genitalia slightly expand. In the late stage of pregnancy, 30-45 days, the nipples are protruding and rounded, and being upright is even more obvious. They are pinkish-white, and a few mother rats can have milk squeezed out. The genitalia expand obviously, accompanied by mucus. After 48 days, they are in a state of imminent birth.
Mating techniques for bamboo rats
1. Conventional mating method for bamboo rats: For mother rats that have never given birth, if males and females have been raised together in a mixed group since young, they can be allowed to freely choose mates. After pregnancy is found, the pregnant mother rat should be separated and raised alone. For mother rats that have already given birth, after weaning at 30-35 days, transfer the mother rat to a large pool to be raised together with other male and female rats, or separate her to be raised alone with the original male rat. If nutritional conditions are good, the weaning time is exactly the mother rat's estrus time, and after the male and female are grouped together for 2-3 days they can be successfully mated. If a mother rat about to be weaned bites the pups, and feed is not lacking, then it indicates that the mother rat is in estrus early, and the mother rat must be isolated in time so that the male rat can mate with her in time.
2. Blood mating method for bamboo rats (not recommended): This method is an effective way to shorten the breeding cycle and improve the mother rat's littering ability. For those raised with males and females in the same cage, the male and female must be separated at littering. Twelve hours after the mother rat gives birth, when her mood has stabilized and she shows behavior of looking for the male rat, “blood mating” can be carried out. The method is to take the mother rat out twice within 12-48 hours after littering and put her into the male rat's cage to mate again with two male rats respectively. These two male rats must have been raised together with the mother rat since young and be close to each other, otherwise the male and female will fight endlessly when they meet. The first mating can be carried out 12-24 hours after birth, and the second mating is carried out 25-48 hours after birth. Each time they are caged together for 1 hour. After mating is completed, the mother rat is put back into the littering nest room to feed the pups. Such repeated mating can increase the conception rate and the number of pups. Only by implementing “blood mating” is it possible to produce 5 litters a year. Only by implementing repeated mating is it possible for the number of pups per litter to reach more than 5-6. However, this method is not suitable for beginners to try.
When breeding bamboo rats, generally no more than four litters are produced each year. During breeding, attention must be paid to mating. Like humans, inbreeding is not suitable for reproduction. After breeding, management needs to be strengthened. There are also many techniques for judging whether breeding has been successful, which are introduced in detail in the above text. I hope it can be helpful to everyone.