What are the reasons for unsatisfactory estrus in breeding raccoon dogs

According to the breeding schedule of previous years, once February arrives, captive-bred raccoon dogs should come into estrus and enter the mating period, but this year is somewhat exceptional, as many breeding raccoon dogs show no signs of estrus. What exactly is the reason for this?

1. It is caused by inadequate body condition regulation. Since last winter and this spring, temperatures in our province have generally been higher than in previous years, and once the body condition of breeding raccoon dogs is not properly regulated, their body functions will not meet the requirements for estrus, that is, their physiological characteristics cannot receive the estrus signal, so naturally they cannot come into estrus normally.

If they are farmers with some experience, they should know that from feed supply to drug assistance, multiple measures must be taken simultaneously to forcibly bring the body condition of breeding raccoon dogs down as quickly as possible. After all, raccoon dogs come into estrus only once a year, and only before March 15 each year, with the estrus period lasting about 3 days. Otherwise, even if they come into estrus later, they cannot mate and conceive normally due to physical and climatic reasons. Feed should be reduced again and again, and estrus drugs should follow up. The drugs mentioned here are not hormone-type stimulant drugs, but auxiliary drugs such as vitamin E. Those without breeding experience must not take measures indiscriminately; reduce the feed a bit more and use a little less of the drugs, to prevent the opposite effect.

2. It is caused by improper feed feeding. Nowadays, most farmers feed complete mixed feed. This factory-produced feed is convenient and labor-saving to feed, and its greatest advantage is that raccoon dogs grow quickly and are less likely to get sick. However, this kind of feed has various disease-resistant and disease-preventing drugs added to it. Long-term consumption will definitely damage the raccoon dog's own functions. For fur raccoon dogs harvested for their skins within the year, this is not a big problem, but for breeding raccoon dogs it is very different. The year before last, the author conducted a household survey. The estrus and conception rate of breeding raccoon dogs raised by farmers feeding self-mixed feed could reach 95%, while those fed complete feed reached only 80%.

The author suggests that as long as breeding animals are retained, self-mixed feed should be fed starting from weaning, which is beneficial for long-term breeding and population safety. Of course, for breeding raccoon dogs that do not come into estrus after being fed complete feed, there are no very good remedial measures.

3. Reasons related to the breeding raccoon dogs themselves. Some farmers breed and raise their own animals, and the breeding raccoon dogs they retain are also kept from their own stock. Therefore, as long as they think the size is large and the fur color is good, they designate them as breeding raccoon dogs and raise them with special attention. In fact, the retention and determination of breeding raccoon dogs have relatively strict standards. Waste raccoon dogs with underdeveloped reproductive organs, defects in internal appendages, or that simply cannot mate are obviously not suitable to be kept as breeding raccoon dogs. Second, breeding raccoon dogs may have been frightened during the raising process, but the farmers do not know it. At that time, due to excessive fright, the breeding raccoon dogs had basically already lost their estrus inclination. For such breeding raccoon dogs, they should be designated as fur raccoon dogs, and taking the skin when harvesting spring fur is the best policy.