What does the masked palm civet (Viverridae) eat as it grows? How much does a seedling cost each? How do you raise it so it grows fast?
The masked palm civet is a relatively precious wild animal in our country. Because its feeding method is simple and it is easy to tame, it is widely farmed. Most importantly, the artificially farmed masked palm civet fetches a high price, and with just a little care one can make a small fortune. So what does the masked palm civet eat as it grows? How much does a seedling cost each? How do you raise it so it grows fast?
The masked palm civet is an omnivorous animal. In the wild, it mainly feeds on wild fruits and grains, and also eats twigs and leaves, birds and bird eggs, frogs, rats, insects and similar foods.
When the masked palm civet is raised in captivity, the feed is mainly plant-based feed such as cornmeal and wheat bran, appropriately supplemented with some animal-based feed.
Plant-based feed: mainly corn, rice, sweet potato, pumpkin, peanut bran, soybean cake, rice bran, wheat bran, vegetables, melons and fruits, and green grass;
Animal-based feed: supplemented by rats, frogs, fish, livestock and poultry offal, light fishmeal, milk powder, etc. In addition, additive feed must often be provided, composed of multivitamins, cod liver oil, bone meal, calcium powder, food trays, trace elements, yellow mud, charcoal, Japanese climbing fern powder, etc.
Seedling price:
The market price of masked palm civet seedlings is about 100 to 300 yuan each. The masked palm civet is an omnivorous animal that quite likes eating juicy fruits. It mainly feeds on wild fruits and grains, also eats twigs and leaves, and even goes into orchards to eat fruit. It mainly inhabits forests, shrub thickets, rock caves, tree holes or earthen burrows, and can occasionally be found in reclaimed land. In places such as Jiangxi, Guangxi, Hainan, Fujian and Guangdong in our country, there is a large amount of captive breeding of masked palm civets.
Farming techniques:
1. Building the enclosure
The masked palm civet is active by night and rests by day, likes to move about inside its enclosure and live in groups, and has no special requirements for the civet enclosure. It also has no strict requirements for periodic changes in sunlight. The main forms of caging are cage rearing, group rearing, and a combination of cage rearing and group rearing. The cages are made of galvanized iron mesh, with small chambers and dark chambers built of brick inside the cage. Perches must be set up inside the cage for the masked palm civet to climb, jump and rest on. Its range of activity is relatively small, and the environment must be kept dry and quiet.
2. Selecting breeding stock and mating
For captive masked palm civets, a male-to-female ratio of 1:2 or 1:3 is more suitable. Male civets aged 4 to 6 have the highest mating success rate. When selecting breeding civets, one should choose an excellent civet group with a moderate body size, robust health, good fur quality, bright coat color, clear white patches on the head and face, moderate size, strong adaptability and fewer illnesses. Introduction of breeding stock should be carried out in November; introducing them too early means poor ability to adapt to the environment and low disease resistance.
3. Feeding
The masked palm civet's diet is mainly plant fruits, so different fruits can be fed according to different seasons, and their amount should account for one half of the weight of the daily ration. Attention should be paid to the diversity and reasonable matching of feed types; different fruits can be fed in different seasons and different regions. In summer, cucumbers, tomatoes and plum beans can be fed to it, and in winter, apples, red oranges, etc. can be fed, all of which can increase its appetite.
4. Common diseases
When the masked palm civet is constipated, its body takes on a defecating posture but no feces are passed; the body arches into a bow shape, the head shrinks down toward the belly, the tail hangs low, there is limited stool, sometimes the body shivers, it is unwilling to eat, and it stays away from the group. Usually feeding it more fruits such as plantain or sweet potato can prevent this. Diarrhea is the disease that poses the greatest threat to it. The normal feces of the masked palm civet are soft and strip-shaped (like normal human feces). Diarrhea manifests as thin feces mixed with mucus, and in severe cases it will die from dehydration.