Four key points to master in muskrat breeding management

The muskrat, also known as the Qinggen mink or water rat, is a valuable fur-bearing animal that is active in water and lives on land. Managing muskrats well requires passing through four key points: pool water, temperature, food, and the rat house.

1. Pool water. Muskrats like to be active in water, so the cleanliness and hygiene of the pool water are crucial. The principle for supplying water to muskrats is that except during the freezing season, clean and hygienic bathing water should always be provided, because muskrats both excrete in the water and drink the pool water; therefore, frequently changing the water is an important means of ensuring muskrat health. Water changes are generally done in the evening, when muskrats are more active and are disturbed relatively less. Depending on the weather and water quality, the water can be changed 1-2 times a day. In hot seasons, a small amount of potassium permanganate can also be mixed into the pool water, and if conditions permit, a drinking trough can even be added to reduce the occurrence of disease. It should be noted that during the few days when male and female muskrats are in estrus and mating, the pool water depth should be controlled at 8-10 cm, with the principle of not exceeding the female's height; at other times, the pool water depth should be kept at about 20 cm.

2. Temperature. Muskrats have a very wide range of adaptation and can be successfully raised from 20-70 degrees north latitude. Muskrats are relatively cold-tolerant; in severe winter, when the outdoor temperature at the shed is -30°C and the indoor temperature is -2 to -1°C, they can still safely overwinter, and frostbite or freezing to death rarely occurs. However, in summer, muskrats adapt poorly to hot weather; strong direct sunlight and stuffy weather can greatly affect their reproductive capacity, and sometimes can even cause death. Therefore, in summer, attention must be paid to heat prevention and cooling work. A shade awning should be added above the rat house, and a small amount of ventilation should be ensured inside. Muskrats use the pool water to cool down, so the pool water can be changed frequently to ensure it is cool and clean. In addition, muskrats fear light and people, so during mating, a covering should be placed above the exercise yard or the top of the small chamber should be sealed, to reduce the intensity of direct light and human disturbance and ensure smooth mating.

3. Food. Muskrats are herbivorous animals, and under domestic rearing conditions there are many feedstuffs they can eat, mainly aquatic plants, wild grasses, vegetables, the tender twigs, stems, and leaves of various plants, carrots, watermelon rind, sweet potato, and so on. Concentrate feed can be corn, wheat bran, rice bran, soybean cake, and so on. In the daily diet, attention should be paid to diversifying the feed to ensure comprehensive and balanced nutrition. Muskrats have the habit of storing food, so concentrate feed should not be fed too much, to prevent indigestion. More green and succulent feed can be provided to ensure normal intake, and leftover food should be removed as soon as possible to prevent contamination of the pool water and rat house. For the concentrate feed reserved for muskrats, attention should be paid to preventing mold and insects; green feed should also be preserved by methods such as low-temperature storage, drying, and pit storage for freshness to maintain quality.

4. Rat house. Muskrats belong to the family Cricetidae in the order Rodentia, and they have the habit of gnawing on things and digging holes, and they need to frequently gnaw hard objects to wear down their incisors; therefore, the rat house should be built with bricks, and the exercise yard should be enclosed with iron wire rather than aluminum wire. The nest chamber of the rat house should be large in area, divided into inner and outer chambers, so that muskrats can carry out sexual activity here, as well as give birth, nurse, and allow the growth and development of the young. In front of the nest chamber, an exercise yard of a certain area should be set up, and a platform for placing food should be provided; the platform should have a certain slope to keep it dry. Overall, the rat house should be dry and clean, with a small amount of controlled ventilation, and it should also be conducive to observation and preventing the spread of disease.