How to Increase the Breeding Rate of Bamboo Rats? Practical Methods Shared
Secondary Selection of Breeding Stock and Repeat Mating
First, when purchasing breeding stock, try to choose superior individuals. Then, through self-breeding and self-rearing, select and retain the offspring that produce 4 or more litters per year, with 4 or more pups per litter, and keep the superior individuals that weigh over 250 grams at weaning at 30-35 days of age as breeding stock. Through secondary selection, the breeding rate and litter size of female rats can both be increased by more than 80%. After the female rat gives birth and after weaning, there are two optimal mating times. The first is called "blood mating," which is often difficult to achieve for those who are not skilled; beginners should firmly grasp the opportunity after weaning. After weaning, immediately take the female out to mate with the male. About 1 hour after mating, separate the male and female, and mate again half a day later. This is called repeat mating, which can increase litter size by more than 50%.
The Ratio of Male to Female Rats Should Be Appropriate
Theoretically, 1 male with 2 or 3 females is most suitable. But practice has proven that under current technical conditions, this speculation is wrong. Because most breeders have not done a good job of grouping the young rats together, males and females are often only temporarily paired when they reach adulthood. Since bamboo rats have strong memory, if they are not the original mates, they often need to live together for 2-3 months before adapting to each other and mating. After giving birth, the male and female are separated, and after weaning, they need a period of time to adapt again when re-paired. Therefore, when 1 male mates with multiple females, the breeding stock's adaptation period is long and the breeding rate is low. When 1 male mates with 1 female, 4-5 litters per year can be guaranteed, while with 1 male and multiple females, most can only produce 2-3 litters per year.
Carefully Protect the Pregnancy and Wean at the Right Time
Miscarriage after pregnancy or eating the pups 20 days after lactation in bamboo rats is caused by insufficient water in the feed. After the bamboo rat has been pregnant for 1 month, supplement with juicy, tender green feed. From 10 days before birth to after birth until weaning, feed 20-30 grams of jicama and water chestnut daily. At the same time, add bone meal and multivitamins to the concentrated feed. Wean the bamboo rat at 30-35 days after birth.
Carefully Mix the Feed to Ensure Nutrition
Supply 150-200 grams of roughage of 2-3 varieties every day. Concentrated feed (generally full-price chick feed for meat-type chickens) 20-40 grams. Mix the concentrated feed with thin porridge and add a little salt and mineral feed additives. 80% of the roughage is required to be fresh. Feeding dry roughage or moldy, deteriorated concentrated feed will stop the growth, development and reproduction of bamboo rats.
Sufficient Roughage, Fresh and Tender Green Feed Must Not Be Interrupted
Bamboo rats are plant-eating animals. During the day they hide in their burrows and gnaw, and at night they come out to look for food. When there is little roughage, bamboo rats often feel hungry, and even if the concentrated feed is sufficient, it will affect reproduction. Generally, put in the green roughage before getting off work in the afternoon. If by the next morning when cleaning the burrow, there is still a lot of uneaten fresh green roughage, that indicates the feed supply is reasonable; if only some uneaten old bamboo stalks are seen in the enclosure (those are for the bamboo rats to gnaw on to wear down their teeth and have very low nutritional value), it means the roughage is insufficient. If fresh, tender green roughage is interrupted, the living conditions of the bamboo rats cannot be satisfied, and reproduction will also stop.
Clean and Hygienic, Comfortable Living
Some specialized households raise bamboo rats with a large quantity of good-quality concentrated and roughage feed, but they do not pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene. The bamboo rats' burrows and enclosures are damp and cold, and the bamboo rats can hardly find a dry place to sleep. If this continues, no matter how good the feed is, they will not mate and reproduce.
Quiet Environment, Suitable Temperature
Moving, noise, strong light and noise stimulation, and human disturbance will all cause bamboo rats to stop mating for 2-3 months, and even if they can mate, it is difficult to succeed. The suitable temperature for bamboo rat reproduction is 10-28 degrees. When nutritional conditions are good, take appropriate cooling and protection measures; otherwise, the female rat will eat her pups due to thirst or die of heatstroke. When the temperature is below 5 degrees, a fire should be kept in the room for heating, or double layers of plastic film should be covered over the burrow and enclosure for insulation, and the nesting grass should be thickened, so that the pups born in winter can survive.