What precautions should be taken in bamboo rat breeding and reproduction

The bamboo rat has very high economic value and is a good species to breed, because every part of it is useful; breeding bamboo rats is very promising and is a good breeding project for making a fortune, but breeding bamboo rats requires mastering certain techniques, so that you can better breed bamboo rats and obtain good profits. Special attention must be paid to reproduction in bamboo rats; it cannot be done carelessly. Today we will give a detailed introduction based on what needs attention in bamboo rat breeding.

1. Pair breeding of bamboo rats  If there are not enough females at the time of purchase, male-female pairs can be arranged. Pairing must be between male and female rats from different litters (referring to at birth). This kind of 1 male and 1 female pairing makes it easy to keep detailed breeding records, helps maintain purebred lines, and is mostly used in selective breeding of superior stock. 2. Group breeding of bamboo rats  One male with 2 females or 1 male with 3 females forms a group, but most practices use 2 males with 4 females, 2 males with 6 females, or 3 males with 12 females. In this pairing method, females may be from the same litter, but males must never be from the same litter. When selecting pairs, attention must also be paid to the compatibility between males and females. If after being kept together for one week they still fight or the female comes into heat multiple times without successful mating, this indicates poor compatibility between the male and female in that combination, and they are not suitable for pairing or grouping, so they should be regrouped. 3. Monogamy in bamboo rats  Bamboo rats have relatively strong memory and are basically monogamous. Once paired or grouped for breeding, it is very difficult to separate them and regroup them, so whether pairing or grouping, proper arrangements must be made from the time they are young and living in groups. 4. Preventing inbreeding in bamboo rats  Male and female rats with direct kinship within three generations are not suitable for pair breeding. Therefore, male and female rats from the same litter cannot be directly paired or grouped; they must be cross-matched with another litter to avoid inbreeding. On larger farms, after weaning, young rats from different litters are raised separately for one month, then placed in a large pool for group raising. After grouping, they are matched into breeding groups before being sold, so farmers introducing breeding stock should pay attention to this issue.

5. Mating techniques for bamboo rats. A. Conventional mating method for bamboo rats  For females that have never given birth, if males and females have been raised together in groups since young, they can be allowed to choose mates freely, and once pregnancy is detected, the pregnant female is separated and raised alone. For females that have already given birth, after weaning at 30-35 days, the female is moved to a large pool to be raised in a group with other males and females, or separated out to be raised alone with her original mate. If nutritional conditions are good, the time of weaning is also exactly the time the female comes into heat. After the male and female are kept together for 2-3 days, mating can be successful. If a female about to be weaned is found biting her young, while feed is not lacking, this indicates the female has come into heat early, and the female must be isolated in time so the male can mate with her promptly. B. Blood mating method for bamboo rats (not recommended)  This method is an effective way to shorten the reproductive cycle and improve the litter-bearing capacity of females. For males and females kept together in cages, the male and female should be separated at the time of birthing. Twelve hours after the female gives birth, when her mood has stabilized and she shows signs of seeking the male, “blood mating” can be carried out. The method is, at 12-48 hours after birthing, to take the female out twice and place her into the male's cage to remate separately with two males. These two males must have been raised together with the female since young and be close to each other; otherwise, when the male and female meet, they will fight endlessly. The first mating can be carried out at 12-24 hours after birthing, and the second at 25-48 hours after birthing. Each time they are kept together for 1 hour. After mating is complete, the female is put back into the birthing nest chamber to nurse the young. This repeated mating can increase the conception rate and the number of offspring. Only by implementing “blood mating” is it possible to produce 5 litters a year, and only by implementing remating is it possible for one litter to reach more than 5 – 6 young, but this method is not suitable for beginners to try.