How to manage and care for raccoon dogs during pregnancy? These key points are what farmers need to master

I. Feed supply

Many farmers believe that after a female raccoon dog becomes pregnant, the amount of feed and supplements should be increased to boost nutrition. However, years of practical experience have proven that doing so is counterproductive. The correct ration of feed and supplements should be as follows: within 40 days after mating is completed, the feeding frequency should still be once per day, and the feed amount per animal is generally no more than 35 grams of corn flour or complete feed, 20 grams of fish meal, and for eggs, at most 1 egg (about 75 grams) for 5 raccoon dogs. If overfed, it is highly likely that excessive nutrition will cause the fetus to be absorbed, resulting in a false pregnancy. Therefore, farmers with limited experience must not feed too much each day during this period.

After 40 days of pregnancy, the fetus has basically formed, and the feed and supplements can be gradually increased, with a daily increase per animal of 10 grams of flour and 3 grams of fish meal every two days. By the 50th day, the total daily amount must reach 75-80 grams of flour, 35 grams of fish meal, and for eggs, half an egg per raccoon dog per day (boiled and fed separately at noon). After that, feeding should be divided into 2 times per day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

II. Medication feeding

In addition to the normal rotating feeding of vitamins A, B, C, E and cod liver oil, after 50 days of pregnancy, vitamin C (1 vial of liquid) should be added to the feed every day, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of red paw disease in cubs. No matter what medication is fed, it should be sprinkled as evenly as possible into the food to avoid leftovers.

III. Den care

When the female raccoon dog gives birth, the weather has not yet fully warmed up, and the temperature difference between day and night is relatively large, so the den should be kept warm and cared for. First, prepare straw mats made of rice straw. At around 1 month of pregnancy, first fully cover the rear den used for giving birth, so that the female raccoon dog has a correspondingly sufficient adaptation period. According to the expected due date, open the gate between the front and rear dens 5 days in advance, so that the pregnant raccoon dog becomes familiar with the "maternity ward" environment. At the same time, also cover the front entrance with a straw mat to prevent the female raccoon dog from being frightened by covering it again during birthing, which would be detrimental to giving birth. Before preparing the above measures, the bottom of the "maternity ward" must first be lined with rice straw or wheat straw to achieve the purpose of insulation.

After raccoon dogs finish mating, they enter the gestation period. Feeding and care at this time are crucial throughout the entire breeding process, so great attention should be paid; otherwise, all effort may be wasted and breeding may suffer losses. Generally, in March, most female raccoon dogs are in the gestation period, and farmers should grasp the following principles to ensure the fetal survival rate and the litter rate.