Is Porcupine Farming Profitable in 2019? A Detailed Guide to Farming Techniques

Porcupine, also known as the quill pig, is a Class III nationally protected animal. At present, quite a few farmers in China have already taken up large-scale porcupine farming. This not only enriches people's dinner tables but also reduces the hunting of wild animals. So, is porcupine farming profitable in 2019? What farming techniques are there?

I. Is Porcupine Farming Profitable in 2019?

Porcupine farming has low costs, a wide range of feed sources, and is easy to manage. Generally, one person can raise 400-500 porcupines in a year. If raising only a small number, no dedicated keeper is needed.

Porcupines have a stable market in China. They have long been regarded as a mountain delicacy and game meat with a very long history. In recent years, as people's understanding of the nutritional and health value of porcupines has increased, wild populations have dropped sharply due to heavy hunting and are on the verge of extinction. The state has also stepped up protection of wild animals, so artificially farmed game porcupines are becoming more and more popular. Therefore, the porcupine farming market has huge potential and high economic returns, making it a leader among specialty farming species.

Based on cost calculations, breeding porcupines currently sell for 4000 yuan per pair on the market, and the feed cost for a piglet from birth to market (marketed at 12.5 kg body weight) is 200 yuan. Calculating 2 litters per year, 2 per litter, that is 4 per year, at a market price of 140 yuan per kg. The first year of farming can earn back the cost. For an ordinary farming household raising 10 pairs, the second year can earn 20,000 yuan, and thereafter annual profit can reach 60,000 yuan.

In addition, porcupine quills can also be sold, and those with the means can even set up their own porcupine eco-leisure tourism project, which can multiply the economic value several times over.

II. What Porcupine Farming Techniques Are There?

1. Farming Site

Porcupines are suitable for farming on rural hillsides, in rock caves, in miscellaneous empty rooms, and in improved pig pens and similar places, but the farming site must be kept warm in winter and cool in summer, clean and hygienic, with porcupine droppings cleaned up promptly.

2. Feeding Porcupines

Weeds, wild vegetables, leaves, tree roots, and corn, sweet potato, sweet potato vines, green vegetables, radish, pumpkin, bitter lettuce, watermelon rind, sugarcane, wild vegetables and so on can be used as porcupine feed. To ensure balanced nutrition, cornmeal, wheat bran, or rice and polished rice can also be added. Feeding once in the morning and once in the evening each day is sufficient.

3. Disease Prevention

Porcupines have strong disease resistance and rarely suffer epidemics. If intestinal disease occasionally occurs, feeding ordinary anti-diarrhea medicine 1-2 times is enough.

Overall, every part of the porcupine is valuable. Its meat, brain, fat, heart, liver, gallbladder, stomach, and quills can all be used as medicine. Its farming returns are fairly obvious, and it is suitable for farming in most parts of China.