What protection level is the Eurasian badger (Mustelidae)? Diet, edibility, and farming price

The Eurasian badger, also known as "badger zhi", hemp badger, and mountain badger, is a common mustelid animal found in forests, lakes, fields, and other places, but in our country it cannot be captured at will. However, some people have now begun artificial breeding and selling them to farmhouse resorts, so what protection level is the Eurasian badger cub? What does it eat to grow up? Can it be eaten? How much does it generally cost per jin? How is it raised?

What protection level is it?

The Eurasian badger is a national second-class protected animal and has been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2008 Red List of Threatened Species. The Eurasian badger population distribution is not scattered and is very common in Russia, with 30,000 individuals recorded in 1999. A 2006 survey showed that the population density of Eurasian badgers in Europe had increased compared with previous decades. In Finland, it is distributed near the northern border at a relatively low density of about 2-2.5 animals/10 sq km, and the overall number tends to be stable.

What does it eat to grow up?

The Eurasian badger is omnivorous, feeding on plant roots, stems, fruits, and frogs, earthworms, small fish, sand lizards, insects (larvae and pupae), and small mammals. In grassland areas, it likes to eat food left over by wolves. During the sowing and ripening periods of crops, it damages newly sown seeds and soon-to-ripen corn, peanuts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, and melons. It inhabits various habitats such as forests or hillside shrublands, fields, graveyards, dune grasslands, and the sides of lakes and streams.

Feed formulation for artificial breeding:

1. Estrus and mating period: cornmeal 40%, soybean powder 10%, bran 6%, animal feed 30%, vegetable feed 3%, multivitamin and mineral additives 1%, plus 1 egg for breeding male animals.

2. Non-estrus period of breeding badgers: cornmeal 60%, soybean powder 10%, bran 6%, animal feed 10%, vegetable feed 13%, multivitamin and mineral additives 1%.

3. Fat storage period of Eurasian badgers: cornmeal 60%, soybean powder 15%, bran 6%, animal feed 18%, multivitamin and mineral additives 1%, and vegetable feed mainly crops with high sugar content such as pumpkin, potato, and carrot, given as much as they can eat.

4. Gestation period of female badgers: cornmeal 60%, soybean powder 15%, bran 6%, animal feed 18%, multivitamin and mineral additives 1%, and good insulation and cold protection work.

5. Birthing and lactation period: cornmeal 40%, soybean powder 10%, bran 6%, animal feed 30%, vegetable feed 3%, multivitamin and mineral additives 1%, plus 25 grams of milk powder per animal per day.

Can it be eaten? How much does it cost?

Wild badgers are national second-class protected animals and are not allowed to be hunted at will. However, since artificial breeding began here, badger meat has reappeared on dining tables at some local farmhouse resorts. Generally, the price of badger meat is about 50 yuan per kg. However, the most valuable part of the badger is not the badger meat, but badger oil.

Breeding technology:

Feeding and management of breeding male badgers 1. Early estrus: feed twice a day, once at 7 a.m. and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 40% of the daily ration and the evening feeding accounts for 60% of the daily ration. Clean drinking water should be provided once a day. In the later stage, adjust the body condition of breeding male badgers well, strengthen taming, and tease the breeding male badgers to walk in the cage for half an hour every day. The body mass index (body weight/body length) should be maintained between 100-115 g/cm. Every 2-3 days, a small amount of feed that stimulates estrus, such as scallions and garlic, can be supplementally fed.

2. Mating period: do a good job in estrus identification, place pairs for mating at the right time, and strictly control the pairing time to ensure sufficient rest for breeding male badgers. Each male badger can accept 1-2 trial estrus pairings and 1-2 mating pairings per day, and can successfully mate 1-2 times per day. Those mating twice should be separated by more than 12 hours. The number of consecutive days on which a male badger achieves mating (mating once per day) should not exceed 5 days; those that achieve mating continuously should rest for 1-2 days. During the mating period, sufficient clean drinking water should be provided, and feeding should be three times a day, once at 8 a.m., once at 12 noon, and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 30% of the daily ration, the noon feeding accounts for 20% of the daily ration, and the evening feeding accounts for 50% of the daily ration.

3. Fat storage period: feed three times a day, once at 8 a.m., once at 12 noon, and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 30% of the daily ration, the noon feeding accounts for 20% of the daily ration, and the evening feeding accounts for 50% of the daily ration. For vegetable feed, choose crops with high caloric content such as pumpkin, potato, and carrot as supplementary feed, given as much as they can eat. Provide clean drinking water once a day, and do a good job in preparations for the overwintering period.

4. Overwintering period: under artificial rearing conditions, Eurasian badgers do not hibernate. Reduce feeding frequency, and feed once every two days, generally at 4 p.m. Provide clean water once a day, ensure sufficient bedding straw in the den, and do a good job in insulation and cold protection.

5. Non-estrus period: feed once a day at 4 p.m. Provide clean drinking water once a day.

Feeding and management of breeding female badgers

1. Early estrus: feed twice a day, once at 7 a.m. and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 40% of the daily ration and the evening feeding accounts for 60% of the daily ration. Provide clean drinking water once a day, adjust the body condition of female badgers well, and maintain the body mass index (body weight/body length) between 100-115 g/cm. Every 2-3 days, a small amount of feed that stimulates estrus, such as scallions and garlic, can be supplementally fed.

2. Mating period: do a good job in estrus identification, place pairs for mating at the right time, and ensure that female badgers are mated more than 2 times. During the mating period, sufficient clean drinking water should be provided, human interference should be reduced, and cages should be checked and repaired to prevent badgers from escaping. Feed three times a day, once at 8 a.m., once at 12 noon, and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 30% of the daily ration, the noon feeding accounts for 20% of the daily ration, and the evening feeding accounts for 50% of the daily ration. In midsummer, do a good job in heat prevention and cooling work..

3. Gestation period: in early gestation, reduce feeding frequency and feed once a day at 4 p.m. In late gestation, feed three times a day, once at 8 a.m., once at 12 noon, and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 30% of the daily ration, the noon feeding accounts for 20% of the daily ration, and the evening feeding accounts for 50% of the daily ration. Provide clean drinking water once a day. During gestation, pay attention to protecting the fetus. Female badgers showing signs of miscarriage should be intramuscularly injected with progesterone and vitamin E. Clean and disinfect the birthing box 10 days before giving birth. The birthing box can be sterilized with a blowtorch flame. The birthing box should be kept warm, and bedding straw should be laid in sufficient quantity once 4-5 days before the expected birth date.

4. Lactation period: under normal birthing conditions, check the next morning for births at night, check in the afternoon for births in the morning, and check before dark for births in the afternoon. Check at any time in abnormal situations. For female badgers with many cubs or poor lactation, their cubs should be raised by methods such as foster care and artificial nursing. After the cubs can feed independently, attention should be paid to separating food, and they should be weaned and separated into nests at 60 days of age. Feed three times a day, once at 8 a.m., once at 12 noon, and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 30% of the daily ration, the noon feeding accounts for 20% of the daily ration, and the evening feeding accounts for 50% of the daily ration. Provide clean drinking water once a day.

Feeding and management of growing badgers: feed growing badgers three times a day, once at 8 a.m., once at 12 noon, and once at 5 p.m. The morning feeding accounts for 30% of the daily ration, the noon feeding accounts for 20% of the daily ration, and the evening feeding accounts for 50% of the daily ration. Provide clean drinking water once a day, and clean up leftover food in time. Strengthen taming by methods such as food luring and petting. In midsummer, do a good job in heat prevention and cooling work. In winter, bedding straw should be sufficient and cold protection work should be done well.