Basic knowledge needed for large-scale farming of the spiny porcupine

The spiny porcupine is an animal with high food and medicinal value, its meat is tender, tastes good and has a unique flavor. The spiny porcupine is a wild economic animal whose farming is permitted in our country and whose market is open, with broad market prospects. So, what nutritional value does the spiny porcupine have? Let us learn together about the nutritional value and rearing methods of the spiny porcupine.

1. The meat characteristics of the spiny porcupine

It has both medicinal and food uses. The meat of the spiny porcupine is delicious and tender, easy to digest and absorb, and is regarded by the public as a “rare delicacy of the wild.” The spines can be processed and used. The spiny porcupine is a versatile herbivorous animal; its meat is tender and delicious, belongs to the category of low-fat, low-cholesterol meats, has a strong wild-game character, is rich in protein, contains various amino acids and multiple trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus and iron, and also contains abundant melanin as well as the anti-cancer elements zinc and selenium. Its trace element iron content is 3 times that of soft-shelled turtle, making it the best tonic for women in childbirth and after surgery (its effect far exceeds that of soft-shelled turtle and black-boned chicken). Spiny porcupine meat is an ideal nutritional tonic and health food; nutrition experts call the spiny porcupine the beauty meat for women, the fitness meat for young people, the nourishing meat for children, and the anti-aging meat for the elderly. Spiny porcupine meat has a fairly obvious dietary therapeutic effect on stomach ailments, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and so on; in addition, zinc, selenium and other elements have anti-cancer effects. Therefore it is an ideal natural nourishing health product, with effects such as nourishing, beautifying the face and strengthening yang, and it has a good regulating effect on malnutrition, anemia, insomnia, poor appetite, fatigue and so on. Eaten regularly, it can also effectively balance the various nutrients the body needs, promote normal secretion and metabolism in the body, and enhance immunity.

2. Rearing essentials for the spiny porcupine

1. Rearing facilities

There are many ways to rear spiny porcupines, adapted to local conditions; the commonly used methods are generally: semi-indoor semi-outdoor half-pen half-free-range rearing, pool-style pen rearing, and three-dimensional large-scale factory farming.

2. Feed supply

The spiny porcupine has very omnivorous feeding habits, and normal growth, development and reproduction all require sufficient nutrition. The spiny porcupine is a herbivorous animal with a relatively high digestion rate for crude fiber, so concentrated feed and green feed should be supplied in proper combination.

① Concentrated feed: concentrated feed is mainly cornmeal, wheat bran, rice bran, etc., and piglet pellet feed can also be fed;

② Green feed: fresh tender grass, such as elephant grass, corn leaves, sugarcane leaves, tree leaves, green vegetables, fruit peels, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.

3. Rearing management of the spiny porcupine

Rearing management is the key to spiny porcupine farming, with the focus on preventing feed from becoming moldy or deteriorating. Compound feed is best mixed and fed as needed; when pellet feed is fed directly, clean water should be provided for drinking, or it can be mixed with feed and fed, with small meals and frequent feeding. Each adult has a daily ration of about 100 grams, fed twice a day, and the feeding trough should be kept clean and hygienic. After feeding concentrated feed, fresh green feed should be added at the same time; green feed is best cut and fed on the same day, with each adult eating about 50 grams of green feed per day, and feeding green feed contaminated by pesticides and the like should be prevented.

The rearing room should be kept quiet, with manure cleaned up every day and utensils frequently scrubbed clean. The relative humidity should be 45-55%, and good warmth preservation work should be done in winter to create a comfortable environment for the spiny porcupine.

Through the above introduction, we now know the nutritional value and rearing methods of the spiny porcupine. Farming spiny porcupines can effectively use local grass feed; especially when high-yield forage grass is planted to farm spiny porcupines, each farming household can obtain relatively large economic benefits in a very short time, and large-scale farming can be formed.