What are the methods to improve the reproductive rate of porcupines
1. Multiple-mating reproduction method
During the peak estrus period of the female porcupine, after it has mated with the male porcupine in the same breeding pen for 6 hours, place this female porcupine into a spare male porcupine breeding pen to allow it to receive a second mating. After that, raise the pregnant female porcupine separately until it gives birth. Note that the male porcupine used in the multiple-mating reproduction method must not only be unrelated by close blood to the female porcupine, but had best have grown up together with the female porcupine since young so that they can be close to each other, in order to avoid possible fighting between the male and female porcupines. Research shows that with the multiple-mating reproduction method, although the annual number of litters per female porcupine is the same as with the single-mating reproduction method, the multiple-mating reproduction method produces an average of 1 more young per female porcupine per year than the single-mating reproduction method, and its reproductive efficiency has been significantly improved.
2. Blood-mating reproduction method
Within 1-3 days after giving birth, the female porcupine shows estrus, and at this time the female porcupine can accept a male porcupine and mate with it. Therefore, this characteristic of the female porcupine can be used by adopting the blood-mating reproduction method. This method is: within 12-48 hours after the female porcupine gives birth, place the porcupine into two male porcupine breeding pens separately on two occasions to mate with them. These two male porcupines must not only be unrelated by close blood to the female porcupine, but had best have grown up together with the female porcupine since young so that they can be close to each other; otherwise, the male and female porcupines may fight each other. The first combined-pen mating is carried out within 12-24 hours after the female porcupine gives birth, and the second combined-pen mating is carried out within 25-48 hours after the female porcupine gives birth. The interval between the two matings is 12 hours. Each combined-pen mating of the male and female porcupines lasts 1 hour. After mating is completed, put the female porcupine back into the original breeding pen to continue nursing the young. Research shows that with the blood-mating reproduction method, the female porcupine produces an average of 1 more litter per year than with the multiple-mating reproduction method and the single-mating reproduction method, an average of 2 more young per year than with the multiple-mating reproduction method, and an average of 3 more young per year than with the single-mating reproduction method, and its reproductive efficiency has been significantly improved.
3. Drug-induced estrus method
Because the female porcupine has the ability to go into estrus throughout the year, after the young porcupines are weaned and separated into pens, estrus-inducing drugs can be fed to the female porcupine to promote earlier estrus and shorten the non-pregnant time. In order to reduce drug residues from estrus-inducing drugs and reduce the side effects of estrus-inducing drugs on porcupines, it is best to use the Chinese herbal medicine estrus-inducing method. For the Chinese herbal medicines used to induce estrus, some ready-made estrus-inducing Chinese herbal medicines can be purchased from veterinary drug stores, such as Estrus-Inducing Powder. Some estrus-inducing Chinese herbal medicines can also be mixed yourself. The reference formula is Angelica 15%, Codonopsis 10%, Cistanche 10%, Epimedium 15%, Actinolite 15%, Morinda officinalis 10%, Goji 10%, Atractylodes macrocephala 10%, and prepared licorice 5%. Feed each female porcupine 20-30 grams per day, and generally after about 20 days the female porcupine begins to go into estrus. Practice has proved that through the Chinese herbal medicine estrus-inducing method, the non-pregnant time of the female porcupine can be greatly shortened, and the female porcupine can even reach a reproductive efficiency of 3 litters per year.