Detailed Guide to Badger Farming Techniques: Feeding Management Methods and Precautions

The badger is one of the main fur-bearing animals. Together with the hog badger, its fur is marketed under the collective trade name "badger fur." Winter fur is the best quality, with a thick coat and long, dense down, and can be made into fur-lined jackets, mattress pads, collars, and so on. The plucked guard hairs are flexible and wear-resistant and can be used to make brushes and high-grade writing brushes, giving it considerable farming value. Let us take a look at badger farming techniques below!

Feed Formulation for Badgers

1. Estrus and mating period: cornmeal 40%, soybean powder 10%, wheat bran 6%, animal-based feed 30%, vegetable-based feed 3%, vitamin and mineral supplement 1%; add 1 egg for breeding males.

2. Non-estrus period for breeding badgers: cornmeal 60%, soybean powder 10%, wheat bran 6%, animal-based feed 10%, vegetable-based feed 13%, vitamin and mineral supplement 1%.

3. Fat-storage period for badgers: cornmeal 60%, soybean powder 15%, wheat bran 6%, animal-based feed 18%, vitamin and mineral supplement 1%; for vegetable-based feed, choose crops with high sugar content such as pumpkin, potato, and carrot as the main items, and feed as much as they can eat.

4. Gestation period for female badgers: cornmeal 60%, soybean powder 15%, wheat bran 6%, animal-based feed 18%, vitamin and mineral supplement 1%; do a good job of keeping warm and preventing cold.

5. Birthing and lactation period: cornmeal 40%, soybean powder 10%, wheat bran 6%, animal-based feed 30%, vegetable-based feed 3%, vitamin and mineral supplement 1%; add 25 grams of milk powder per animal per day.

Feeding and Management of Breeding Male Badgers

1. Early estrus period: 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 the breeding male badger well and strengthen taming; every day entice the breeding male badger to walk around inside the cage for half an hour, keep the body mass index (body weight/body length) between 100-115 g/cm, and every 2-3 days a small amount of feed that stimulates estrus, such as scallions and garlic, may be given as a supplement.

2. Mating period: do a good job of estrus identification, pair them for mating at the proper time, and strictly control the pairing time to ensure the breeding male badger gets sufficient rest. Each male badger per day can accept 1-2 test pairings and 1-2 mating pairings, 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 on consecutive days should rest for 1-2 days. During the mating period, sufficient clean drinking water should be provided. 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.

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-based feed, choose crops with high caloric content such as pumpkin, potato, and carrot as supplementary feed, and feed as much as they can eat. Provide clean drinking water once a day, and do a good job of preparing for the wintering period.

4. Wintering period: under artificial rearing conditions, badgers do not hibernate. Reduce the number of feedings; they can be fed 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 of keeping warm and preventing cold.

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 period: 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. Adjust the body condition of the female badger well and keep 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, may be given as a supplement.

2. Mating period: do a good job of estrus identification, pair them for mating at the proper time, and ensure the female badger is mated more than 2 times. During the mating period, sufficient clean drinking water should be provided, human interference should be reduced, and the 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 the hottest summer season, do a good job of preventing heatstroke and cooling down..

3. Gestation period: in early gestation, reduce the number of feedings 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. Clean drinking water should be provided once a day. During gestation, pay attention to protecting the pregnancy; female badgers showing signs of miscarriage should be given intramuscular injections of progesterone and vitamin E. Ten days before giving birth, clean and disinfect the birthing box; the birthing box can be disinfected by flame sterilization with a blowtorch. The birthing box should be kept warm, and the bedding straw should be added all at once 4-5 days before the expected due date.

4. Lactation period: under normal birthing conditions, if they give birth at night, check the next morning; if they give birth in the morning, check in the afternoon; if they give birth in the afternoon, check before dark; check at any time in abnormal situations. For female badgers that give birth to many young or have poor lactation, their young should be raised by methods such as foster care and artificial nursing. After the young badgers are able to feed independently, attention should be paid to separating them for feeding, and they should be weaned and separated into separate dens 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. Clean drinking water should be provided once a day.

Feeding and Management of Growing Badgers

Growing badgers should be fed 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. Clean drinking water should be provided once a day, and leftover food should be cleaned up promptly. Strengthen taming by methods such as food luring and petting. In the hottest summer season, do a good job of preventing heatstroke and cooling down; in winter, ensure sufficient bedding straw and do a good job of preventing cold.