Detailed explanation of bamboo rat breeding techniques, master scientific breeding methods

    Bamboo rats prefer a quiet, clean, dry environment with appropriate light and fresh air, and are more active at night. Their activity patterns can be divided into activity cycles and rest cycles. They like warmth, with a living temperature range of -8 to -35°C, and an optimum temperature of 8-28°C. They like to hide in corners with very dim light; if placed under direct sunlight, they run incessantly and appear restless. When a person blows air at them, they immediately bare their sharp, thick incisors and emit a "hu hu--" sound as a threat display.

    Under artificial rearing conditions, they reach sexual maturity at 4-5 months of age when body weight exceeds 1 kg, and breed after 6 months of age, generally producing more than 10 young per year. Young rats reach a body weight of 0.5 kg after 3 months of rearing, and can reach more than 1 kg at 5 months, with the largest reaching 2-3 kg.

    I. Pen and housing

    Empty rooms, cellars and air-raid shelters can all be used for rearing, or pens of 1.2 x 1.0 x 0.8 m can be built with bricks, divided by bricks into two compartments with an opening in the partition wall, one compartment serving as an inner chamber and the other as the rearing area. Group rearing at 5 pairs per sq m, or cage rearing is also possible.

    1.2 Young rats

    Refers to bamboo rats within 3 months of age after weaning. They need to be fed fresh, easily digestible feed rich in nutrients, such as succulent feeds like carrots, sweet potatoes, bamboo shoots and melon rinds, as well as concentrated feeds like corn, wheat bran and dried steamed buns. At the same time, add fish meal, bone meal, salt, vitamins and growth promoters to the daily ration to improve feed digestibility and promote the growth and development of young rats. The types of food must remain relatively stable; if changes are made, there should be a transition period. Young rats consume 14-17 g of feed per day, fed twice daily, with less in the morning and more in the afternoon. They should be raised in separate pools according to body weight and physical strength, with 4-5 per cage. Weak individuals should be raised separately to promote recovery of their physical condition.

    1.3 Adult rats

    Adult rats have strong disease resistance and grow rapidly, with a body weight of 1.2-1.5 kg. They should be fed at fixed times and in fixed amounts, once each in the morning and evening, with 150-200 g of straw per rat per day and 15-20 g of concentrated feed. The basic daily ration needs no change throughout the year; if changed, there should be a transition period. Adult rats' teeth grow quickly, so a bamboo pole or hard wooden stick should be placed in the cage for them to gnaw on. Check daily whether the bamboo rat's feces are smooth on the surface and granular, like medicinal capsules. Note whether the coat color is glossy and whether they are lively in activity; if there are any abnormalities, deal with them promptly.

    Breeding male rats. Breeding male rats are required to be well developed, with a body weight above 1.3 kg. The back should be straight, the body robust, the testes prominent, sexual desire strong, tolerance to roughage good, and they should not fight. Mating movements should be quick and semen quality excellent.

    The quantity and quality of semen in breeding male rats are related to nutrition, but they must not be fed too fat. Green roughage includes bamboo leaves, bamboo stalks, bamboo shoots, corn stalks, reed stalks, sugarcane and carrots. The compound daily ration is: cornmeal 55%, bran 20%, peanut bran 15%, bone meal 3%, fish meal 7%.

    Breeding rats are mated 1-2 times per day. In spring and autumn, when temperatures are suitable, male rats have strong sexual desire and good semen quality. Each estrus lasts 1-3 days, with mating at night. The male-to-female breeding ratio is 1:2-3, with 1:1 being better.
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    Breeding female rats. Breeding female rats are required to have a high litter rate, strong maternal instinct, strong feed intake, and a body weight above 1.2 kg. Because young rats are growing and developing, and adult female rats also need to raise their young, the daily ration formulas for young rats and adult female rats are as follows: (1) Corn 55%, bran 20%, peanut bran 15%, bone meal 3%, fish meal 7%. Additionally add 0.5% salt and growth promoters based on the total amount. (2) Bamboo powder 20%, flour 35%, cornmeal 10%, soybean cake meal 13%, wheat bran 17%, fish meal 2%, bone meal 2%, salt 0.2%, sugar 0.8%. In addition, supplement each kg of feed with folic acid 1 mg, niacin 20 mg, zinc oxide 75 mg, D-L methionine 400 mg, potassium iodide 0.5 mg, manganese sulfate 60 mg, VA 1500 IU, VD3 1500 IU, VB12 20 mg, VB2 6 mg, VE 30 mg. Mix the above feeds, add water and knead into steamed bun shapes or granules, then sun-dry or oven-dry, and feed to the bamboo rats.

    The gestation period of female rats is 60 days; during this period the feed should be clean, fresh, diversified and kept relatively stable. After becoming pregnant, female rats should be raised separately, and the housing should be kept clean regularly, with dry, soft bedding. Delivery takes 2-4 hours, and at the fastest it still takes 1-2 hours to complete. Six to seven days before parturition, the female rat's nipples become exposed, activity decreases and movement slows. Before parturition, she emits "gu--gu--" sounds from time to time; during parturition, the young rats are delivered together with the fetal membranes and placenta. The female rat eats the fetal membranes and placenta while giving birth, and at the end bites off the umbilical cord and licks the amniotic fluid off the young rats' bodies. At this time the "ji--ji--" cries of the young rats can be heard. Twelve hours after giving birth, the female rat begins to nurse the young rats.