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Breeding nutria as a business. Nutria breeding as a business is profitable or not? Premises and equipment

Nutria have long and very successfully grown in captivity. However, it is impossible to call the breeding of nutria mass, as, for example, or rabbits, although interest in these animals is gradually growing.

Unpretentious, easily accustomed to various conditions of keeping and feeding, nutria are grown for tasty meat and valuable fur skins. Young nutria for keeping at home are purchased at the age of 2-3 months. By this time, cute and rather friendly animals weigh a little less than one and a half kilograms, but by six months, with proper care and feeding, they grow up to 5–6 kg. By this time, the nutria, usually living up to seven years, are ripe for reproduction.

To get offspring, one male should have from 4 to 6 females. Moreover, in each litter there are from 5 to 18 cubs. In nature, young nutria appear at positive air temperatures. At home, females consistently bring 6–8 animals, giving two litters a year, regardless of the season.

Despite the excellent adaptability and unpretentiousness of animals, it is necessary to create the proper conditions for the successful breeding of nutria. What environment is most suitable for these, not the most ordinary pets? How to choose a habitat and diet for nutria?

These and other questions are sure to arise for those who are planning to breed nutria at home as a business or have purchased furry animals for personal needs.

Conditions for breeding nutria

Until the moment when new residents arrive at the farm, nutrias need to prepare housing, stock up on balanced food, take care of water and the right temperature.

If the animals receive good care and live in proper conditions, already in 5-7 months they reach 75-85% of the maximum possible weight and have high-quality fur.

If you are going to start breeding and keeping nutria at home, the owner of the household plot must remember that the animals need:

in a reservoir, the capacity of which is calculated from 70–80 liters per animal;
in clean water, which in the reservoir must be changed at least once every two days;
in spacious, durable cages, where there are no more than 2 animals per square meter;
in maintaining a comfortable temperature of about 15-25 ° C:
in a balanced diet with a predominance of succulent food and in fresh drink.

Protection from thick fur allows the animals to withstand frosts up to 30 ° C, but even novice breeders should not allow this when breeding nutria at home. In cold weather, the paws and tail of rodents are often subject to frostbite. In the summer heat, animals feel better if they have constant access to a reservoir.

A video about nutria breeds, their breeding, keeping and caring for fluffy inhabitants of water bodies will provide a lot of informative information. The visually presented material will help you navigate when organizing your own farm for growing these interesting animals.

Feeding nutria when kept at home

When bred at home, nutrias show themselves to be extremely unpretentious pets both in terms of living conditions and nutrition. Animals are practically omnivores. The diet of these large rodents in central Russia includes grain, fresh grass and hay, animal feed and root crops.

With a lack of succulent feed, which is most preferable, nutria do not disdain waste from grain processing, leftovers from the human table, weeds from the beds, young branches and other very simple food.

But to achieve the best growth and quality of wool with the help of a "random" diet will not work.

In order for the animals to develop really well, breed and flaunt in beautiful fur coats, they need:

the maximum amount of juicy, vitamin-rich feed;
two meals with the main emphasis on morning feeding, during which nutria should receive up to 70% of the total daily feed;
receive a sufficient amount of vegetable and animal protein, which ensures a rapid increase in body weight and good quality wool;
four times more fresh food than concentrated and dry food.

For those who are just learning to breed nutria at home, it will be interesting for novice owners of these large rodents to know that animals treat food in the water with special appetite and interest. In the reservoir used by pets, you can throw any root crops, vegetables, and grass.

Nutria breeding cages

It is not enough to have nutria on the farm, prepare enough food for them and take care of acceptable living conditions. Often, novice owners of these rodents do not rejoice at new pets for long because of their own hindsight.

Nutria, like otters, muskrats and beavers, are not averse to tasting not only the food offered to them, but also their own cages, if they are made of wood. In a matter of hours, gnawing through the racks or areas near the bars, the animals simply run away. Therefore, for this type of animal it is better to equip reliable housing made of durable metal:

The walls of the cages and fences are made of mesh or fine mesh, which provides good ventilation and helps to look after the animals.
Floors can be either solid or slatted. In the latter case, you need to accurately select the size of the cell so that the animals do not get hurt.

A place for cages and walking of nutrias when breeding them at home is chosen so that the pets are not disturbed by drafts, and curious animals do not have the opportunity to escape.

If, nevertheless, nutrias were able to overcome all obstacles and left the cage, following their instinct, they go to the nearest body of water. Here they can be lured by juicy root crops. And in some cases, accustomed to the place where they are fed, the animals themselves find their way to the farm.

A video about breeding nutria at home tells in detail about all the nuances of caring for animals, about the features of arranging housing for rodents and choosing a diet.

Breeding nutria in aviaries and cages - video

Breeding nutria at home as a business is becoming more popular and profitable. Animals are not demanding on the conditions of detention, and you can earn not only from the sale of expensive fur, but also delicious meat, as well as live nutria. The price of the skin largely depends on the region and the breed of the animal, but colored skins are always sold more expensive than ordinary ones.

Any business starts with choosing a goal and drawing up a plan, and starting a nutria farm is no exception to this rule. Growing nutria as a business means not only obtaining fur, but also dietary, tasty and expensive meat. In Europe and the USA, a kilogram of nutria meat costs more than beef and pork. In Russia, it is still a delicacy, but many restaurants and health food stores buy it with great pleasure. An important factor in starting a successful business is having experience or an experienced adviser. If there are no friends who already contain nutria, you can find information on the Internet, as well as visit several nurseries and talk to breeders.

Also, before making a decision on breeding nutria, it is necessary to agree on the subsequent marketing of products: meat and fur.

Next, you need to decide which method of breeding animals to give preference. It depends on the number of livestock. If the livestock is large (more than 500), then it is better to organize cage keeping. Smaller stock can be kept in enclosures or pits. If the winters are not snowy and warm, then enclosures can be carried out throughout the year. In cold winters, a warm barn with cages is needed.

A business plan must take into account several points:

Selection of a land plot (purchase or lease).
Coordination of the necessary veterinary and other documentation.
Construction of enclosures, sheds, warehouses for feed.
Digging a reservoir (with captive content).
Landscaping.

Also, when drawing up a business plan, it is necessary to determine the number of females in the main breeding herd. Based on this, a land plot is selected. So for a breeding herd with a quantity of at least 500, a plot of 0.7 hectares is enough, on which about 3000 places for young animals will be placed. If the number of females is more than 1000, then a plot of 1.3 hectares or more will be required.

A large farm is more profitable and pays off faster, but requires:

ancillary buildings,
Good access roads
permanent plumbing,
Places for the disposal of faeces and wastewater,
Electricity,
Employees and housing for them,
Starting capital.

With a herd of one or more thousand females, it is necessary to consider the issue of organizing your own feed workshop and a feed warehouse, a block for slaughtering animals and storing meat, and a quarantine block. To assess how profitable it is to breed nutria, you can familiarize yourself with the performance indicators of animals with the right content. The annual output of skins from 100 females will be at least 900 pieces, from 1000 females - at least 9000 pieces, the annual meat yield will be at least 18 and 180 centners.

A small farm can be served by two workers, but to serve a herd of 1000 heads, you need to hire at least 10 people.

Conditions for keeping nutria

To install cages and organize enclosures, they choose the quietest places, without noise, wind and drafts, protected from direct sunlight. To ensure a normal life, animals need good ventilation, warmth in the winter season, dry air and cleanliness in cages or aviaries. In winter, the minimum temperature in the room should not fall below + 18 degrees.

The fur can protect the animal from severe frosts, but the bare tail and paws are quickly supercooled.

Also, cold is harmful to newborn puppies and young individuals. To accommodate a thousand single-tiered cages, the minimum size of the barn must be at least 12 by 100 meters with a ceiling height of about 2.5 meters. With a two-tier arrangement of cages, over 3,500 animals can be accommodated in a similar area. On large farms, nutria are kept in cages without pools. Most often, a nutria cage consists of a rest area or nest, a feeding area and a small paddock. If it is possible to organize a small pool for animals, this is a plus. If it is not possible to organize a permanent pool, you need to periodically put a bathtub.

Nutria feeding

The nutria is a herbivore. The basis of their diet consists of plants, rhizomes, young shoots of shrubs. In nature, they prefer marsh plants. Under the conditions of breeding on a farm, plant foods also make up a large part of the diet, but they are also given various crops, compound feeds, succulent feeds (root crops, vegetables, fruits). In winter, the grass is replaced by hay and dry branches.

One nutria can eat up to 1500 grams of plant food per day. However, when feeding concentrates with grass and hay, the animal needs no more than 200 grams of succulent feed. On small farms, nutrias are prepared with mash from soaked or steamed grain, bran, animal feed, boiled potatoes and vitamin supplements. Nutrias are also given the remains of cereals, pasta, various soups, bread and crackers, meat and fish waste. All vegetables and root crops are pre-washed and cleaned, and especially large fruits are cut into two parts.

With a large livestock, it is more convenient and more profitable to feed with special compound feed and grain.

In winter, the grain needs to be germinated and fed 15-20 grams for each individual. It is a good and natural source of vitamins and many mineral elements. When feeding with compound feed and grain, animals need constant access to fresh and clean water.

animal breeding

Nutria are capable of reproduction from the age of four months, but it is recommended to wait up to six months until the female gains weight above 3500 grams. Males are allowed to mate at seven to nine months with a weight of 4500 grams. Otherwise, the offspring will be small and unviable, and the male and female will stop developing and remain small, will not be fertile.

Pregnancy lasts about 132 days. Childbirth most often takes place at night and the female copes with the process of giving birth to puppies without outside help. The number of puppies in a litter depends on the breed and conditions. With sufficient nutrition and good cell organization, there can be up to 14 cubs in a common nutria litter, although more often about 10. The normal weight of newborns is 350-400 grams. Nutrias of colored breeds are less prolific and when crossed, they bring no more than 7 - 8 puppies. To improve the fertility of female nutrias of colored breeds, they are knitted with ordinary males. In such a litter, puppies of standard color and colored puppies are equally divided. The female is ready for a new mating two to three days after giving birth. She feeds nutria puppies for about two months.

The mowing method is recognized as the most effective breeding method. It consists in the formation of a broodstock, consisting of 10 -15 females and one male.

The herd can be kept in one large cage or enclosure, where the minimum area for each individual is about 0.7 sq.m. With this content, the animals themselves control the process of reproduction. Within a broodstock, all females can be related, but a male should be chosen without close family ties. The male is changed every 2-3 months.

Financial indicators of breeding nutria

Breeding nutria as a business involves the maintenance of a large livestock of animals, which will constantly update itself, and a reliable market for the sale of products. If the breeding stock consists of one hundred individuals, then the annual profit will be over 110 thousand rubles (sale of skins, meat), a livestock of 500 individuals will bring more than 600 thousand rubles of profit. The return on investment is three years.

If you purchase a broodstock of 500 individuals, then in two years you can make a profit of 1,000,000 rubles. When planning a business, it is important to remember that colored skins are many times more expensive than ordinary ones. The skins of the following breeds are recognized as the most expensive:

silvery,
mother-of-pearl,
pearl,
Lemon,
white Azerbaijani,
smoky,
Beige
golden,
pearl,
Pastel.

Often, many novice breeders have doubts about who is more profitable to breed: nutria, rabbits or muskrats.

The most prolific animal is the rabbit, but rabbit and muskrat skins and meat cost much less than nutria.

Muskrat also loses weight to nutria. On average, a high-quality rabbit skin can be sold for 250-300 rubles, a muskrat skin for 350-400 rubles, and the price of a standard nutria skin starts at 600 rubles. Particularly successful breeders with regular customers sell standard nutria skins at a cost of 1,200 rubles, and colored ones - from 2,500 rubles.

An important factor in determining whether it is profitable to breed nutria is their health. Unlike rabbits, they are less susceptible to various diseases, and young animals are resilient. The average price of nutria meat starts from 800 rubles per kilogram. Slaughter is carried out when the animal weighs at least 3.5 kg, and the meat yield is about 55%. The mass of an adult nutria can reach 12 - 15 kg, but it is not recommended to let breeding animals for slaughter.

You can also make money by selling live nutria. There is a particularly high demand for colored animals, which are bought both for breeding and as pets.

If you are looking for a profitable business that does not require an impressive start-up investment, nutria breeding as a business may well suit you. This waterfowl herbivore is a huge source of income. In addition to wonderful fur of various shades, it gives dietary valuable meat of amazing taste.

Benefits and troubles of business

Raw materials that are highly in demand on the market are not the only plus of breeding nutria at home. Obvious benefits include:

animals are unpretentious to the conditions of detention and food;
the vegetable diet of animals significantly reduces the cost of their food;
nutria have high immunity to most diseases;
multiply and grow quickly, which makes cultivation uncomplicated;
the skin looks and feels very similar to expensive fox or mink fur, so there will be no problems with sales;
dietary meat is highly valued.

But before you start the calculations and figure out the possibilities of growing nutria at home, ask yourself a few control questions. Based on the answers to them, you can draw up a further plan of action.

Remember that a nutria is a rat, albeit a water one. How squeamish are you about them?
Despite the fact that the animal is a rat, it is very clean. Are you ready to devote most of your time to cleaning the enclosures and preparing clean food?
To slaughter nutria, you must have good physical data. Are you physically and mentally prepared enough for this procedure?

If you have no problem answering the questions, you can continue with your plan for organizing nutria breeding at home.

We organize conditions and feeding

For nutrias, it is important not just a warm and clean room. They need to allocate space for walking. If you have a shed and a small yard attached to it, consider that this part of the plan is completed. For enclosures for animals, cages or boxes with an area of \u200b\u200bat least 2.5 square meters are suitable. m. Partitions made of slate, tin or wood are placed inside. In the latter case, the wooden elements must be upholstered with a fine mesh so that the animals do not gnaw them. The bottom of the enclosure is covered with hay or sawdust.

The space for walking is concreted and fenced with a fence at least a meter high. There must be a container with water on the territory so that the animals can drink, take care of the skins, and most importantly, wash food before eating. In addition, growing nutria at home will require a separate quarantine room and another for storing clean bedding and grain.

Please note that the ambient temperature comfortable for nutria is 15-20°C. On hot summer days, they are able to withstand 40 ° C, but if they are in the shade next to the water. Peak activity falls at night.

The main diet of nutria is made up of grain and herbs growing near water bodies: reed, wood lice, reeds, horse sorrel, plantain. Moreover, they eat the plant completely - from tubers to leaves. But at home, nutria can be fed with cereals, bread crusts, vegetables, of which they most value root crops. For feeding nutria, include in your plan the construction of special feeders - troughs or grooves. It is advisable to attach them to the wall of the enclosure so that the animals do not turn them over - they disdain to pick up food from the floor. Plan to give about one and a half kilograms of fresh food per adult. Feeding should be done twice a day at the same time. The same regularity should be observed when cleaning the enclosures. After all, a dirty aviary is a breeding ground for diseases.

Although nutrias are resistant to various kinds of diseases, they can still get sick and even die. Most often, these animals have such diseases:

Bronchitis. It usually occurs in winter due to insufficiently heated rooms, drafts. For treatment, it is enough to eliminate these causes. If the disease is at the initial stage, the animal quickly recovers.
Ringworm. A catastrophic disease for those owners whose main purpose of breeding is fur. Wool begins to fall out, bald patches form on the skin. The most effective treatment is to give the nutria more water, to organize access to the sun. The disease goes away on its own.
colibacillosis. It occurs due to the ingestion of E. coli in the body of an animal. Its presence can only be determined by a laboratory method. For treatment, a special serum or paratyphoid vaccine is prescribed. One animal will need 10 ml of medicine.
Salmonellosis is an infectious disease that occurs in an acute form. Due to the ingestion of salmonella bacilli, some internal organs, primarily the spleen, increase 10 times. The greatest risk of catching this infection is in animals under the age of 4 months. They are treated for two months with antibiotics.

Therefore, do not rely too much on the strong body of the nutria. Watch and take good care of them.

Profitability

Having decided that such a business is within your power, you can calculate the cost and income plan for this business. Two heterosexual nutria will cost 3.2 thousand rubles. In principle, one male is enough for five females to have a regular litter. In two months you will have an offspring for another 10-15 pieces. Although for the first offspring, the appearance of 5-8 cubs is normal. The best time for its survival and adaptation is spring-summer. Note that if you already have a large brood, pregnant females should be quarantined immediately to prevent them from aborting. This is the period of their high aggressiveness.

The average life expectancy of a nutria is 6-7 years, so with careful planning, a continuous and even flow of new individuals can be established. An adult animal weighs about 5 kg, but some can reach 20 kg with age. Every month it should gain a little more than a kilogram.

You can let the animals into consumption when they reach the age of six months. At this age, an adult weighs at least four kilograms. Moreover, males are 20 percent heavier than females. For their meat, you can get about 800 rubles, and for the skin, depending on the shade, 400-600 rubles. That is, the business payback plan can be implemented in 6 months. By the way, according to the shades, the nutria skin can have black, golden, smoky, white, mother-of-pearl and other colors.

Speaking in numbers, at a cost of 3.2 thousand rubles. you will receive an income of 17.6 thousand rubles. from sale:

meat 15 carcasses at a price of 495 rubles. - 11.2 thousand rubles;
skins of 15 carcasses at a price of 600 rubles - 9.6 thousand rubles.

If you want to increase the profitability of your business, include the development of dressing in your business development plan. Processed raw materials are more expensive. For the continuity of sales, you can conclude contracts with buyers.

This animal outwardly resembles a huge rat, but differs from its tailed relative in economic importance. Increasingly, farmers are breeding these rodents as a home fish. And this is easy to explain - breeding nutria at home as a business is a very profitable and not difficult business. All you need is a suitable room and aviary, food and the desire to raise animals. Features of doing nutria business, we will tell in our review.

Before starting any business, you need to decide on the goal, in this case - why breed nutria. These animals have valuable fur, as well as healthy dietary meat. Grow animals up to about 7-8 months. At this age, males reach a weight of about 6-7 kilograms with a pure meat yield of 2.5-3.5 kg. However, few people know about the value of this animal.

Many may ask: "Why nutria, and not rabbits?". The answer is simple and every breeder of these animals will immediately say it - the benefit is greater and the meat is healthier. Nutrias do not need to be vaccinated, they are less whimsical to the conditions of detention and are far superior to eared pets in terms of output. In addition, nutmeat is officially recognized as dietary healthy meat. In the years of the USSR, it was produced and sold as a food product for diabetics, people who had tuberculosis and many other immune diseases.

Consider in more detail all the advantages of this business:

animals are unpretentious and do not require a lot of space;
there are no problems with feed - all waste from the garden, as well as from the table, is used in the private courtyard;
nutria are resistant to diseases;
the animals multiply rapidly and give a good healthy offspring;
meat, fat and animal fur are highly valued - as the breeders say, the demand for products is high and only increases every year;
the business does not require a lot of investments and all expenses quickly pay off.

Is it profitable to have a nutria business, look at the video from the Volgograd-TRV channel. "Volgograd 24".

Natural and productive features

Nutria or swamp beavers belong to the nutria family and originate from South America. Animals lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle. A favorite habitat is reservoirs with low-flowing or stagnant water, swampy banks of rivers and lakes. Animals are social and live in families both in the wild and in domestic conditions.

Nutria meat differs from pork and beef in its delicate taste and pleasant aroma. In terms of the content of minerals, proteins and vitamins, it is difficult to compare with well-known commercial products. Many consider the meat of these animals a real delicacy. Fat and fur of nutria are also highly valued. Fur coats, coats, collars and hats are made from fur. He is not afraid of moisture and is often used to imitate mink and fox fur.

In standard nutria, the fur has a brown and not expressive color. However, as a result of deliberate selection and breeding by humans, animals today boast an abundance of colors. There are black, white, beige, silver, golden, cream, smoky and others.

Business stages

The planned activities in order to profitably breed nutria consist of the following steps:

Preparation of the site and premises for growing animals.
Arrangement of aviaries or cages for the main content, a corral with a pond or a paddock for walking.
Procurement of fodder, purchase of grain, hay.
Purchase of animals. Experts advise beginners to purchase 1 male and up to 10 mature or walking females to form one family.
Preparation of documentation for the sale of products.
Search for buyers, market for meat, skins, conclusion of contracts.

Breeding features

Females and males of coypu reach puberty at 3-4 months, but they are allowed to mate at the age of not earlier than 6-7 months. During this period, the animal's body completely completes its formation and is ready to give birth to healthy, strong babies. Females walk only two days a month, so it is very important to choose the right moment for mating. The offspring of a female nutria bears an average of 4.3-4.5 months and can give birth 2 times a year. At the age of 1.5-2 months, the grown up young animals are separated from the parental family.

For mating, it is necessary to select healthy, well-formed individuals that are not related to each other.

The most profitable group method of mating. The family is formed from 5-6 females and one male. After a month and a half, the females are checked for pregnancy and placed in a separate enclosure. The process of childbirth most often occurs at night and does not require human intervention. Females do an excellent job with the role of mothers, caring and calm. Nutria puppies are born fully developed: immediately after birth, they see, move independently and can eat adult food in a couple of days.

Conditions of detention

To keep nutria, you will need a warm room. Foreigners from tropical latitudes do not tolerate cold well. Keeping in cramped cages in winter is especially detrimental to animals. In nutria, paws and tail are very sensitive to cold, so it is recommended to keep them in a warm room on deep litter. The minimum allowable temperature is not lower than 8 degrees for the main livestock and not lower than 16 for females with offspring.

The optimal pen size for one family is 3 × 3 square meters. meters or an average of 20-25 square meters. centimeters per person. Partitions must be made of metal or use slate and other durable roofing materials. Animals will gnaw at the tree and parts of the corral will quickly become unusable. You will also need shelter houses with an approximate size of 120x60x80 cm. Two or three houses will be enough for a group of young animals of 10-15 individuals.

Another important requirement is the presence of a reservoir. According to breeders, an aviary with a pond is the closest to the natural habitat of animals. At the same time, the animals grow better, are more active and social, they have more beautiful fur and better meat. The water in the pool is also a source for drinking, so it needs to be changed every day.

Feeding

Few people know that the taste of nutria meat depends not only on the breed and the diet itself, but also on the purity of the food. Having a reservoir at their disposal, the animals try to wash it before eating food. Therefore, food, this applies to root crops, must be thoroughly washed before feeding to animals. As for the general rules of feeding, in this regard, nutria are very beneficial animals: they eat almost everything. In the diet of animals, you can include all root crops, vegetables, fruits, herbs and grass, cereals, leftovers from the table.

The main meal is better to organize in the morning and in the evening. During the day, you can sprinkle animals with greens, tops of vegetables, root crops. The grain mixture is prepared from five main components: barley, wheat, corn, bran, beet pulp. For one individual per day, a food norm of approximately 200-300 grams of dry food (cereals), about 2 kilograms of root crops and greens is calculated.

Financial questions

Like any business plan, a nutria breeding project should also have a financial plan with an approximate calculation of income and expenditure.

The main expense in the maintenance of animals will be occupied by the fodder base. It is necessary to purchase grain or compound feed, as well as hay, root crops. However, costs are significantly reduced if you have your own garden and land for growing greens and cereals. Therefore, in the expenditure part, accounting for the cost of feed is taken averaged over the cost of dry cereals.
The cost of one sexually mature female is about 1200 rubles, 1500 rubles - a pedigree walking individual. The price of a sexually mature male is about 1000 rubles.
Animals are kept for fattening for about 6-7 months. At this age, the average live weight is about 5 kilograms, the carcass comes out up to 3 kg of pure meat. The average selling price of a kilogram of nutria meat is 300 rubles.
The selling price of one skin is from 300 to 700 rubles.

The business pays off after six months, but look at the charts to see what benefits you can get.

Video "Rural stories with Sergey Kurochkin"

Farmer Sergey Kurochkin shared his experience of breeding nutria. what beginners need to know, look at the video from the Kuban 24 channel.

Growing nutria on the territory adjacent to household plots is not only profitable, but also exciting. There is no age limit for this activity. The result that this business can bring is valuable fur, dietary meat and nutritious fat. You can cook delicious dishes from the meat of these animals, and if you are not an adherent of such an unconventional option, then you will definitely be able to successfully sell the skins.

If we consider the question of whether it is profitable at home from an economic point of view, then the answer is definitely positive. You will be able to sell young animals, meat, and sell the skins of slaughtered animals even in raw form to wholesale buyers. And if you manage to pick up at least 10 skins with the same color, then the profit can be increased. Moreover, the animals do not consume much food.

Where to start and how to run a nutria business?

The first step is to determine for yourself the purpose for which a business such as breeding nutria at home will be carried out. For their dietary meat, expensive fur, or just as pets? If the goal is to sell fur, then animals should be selected with the same color. Nutria breeding should begin with the following activities:

select a plot of land for the farm;
erect a building for raising animals or improve an existing one;
make cells;
to improve the territory, which implies the manufacture of a reservoir and pens in which animals can walk.

Selection and purchase of animals

It is recommended to start breeding nutria at home with the purchase of young animals, whose age does not exceed 2-3 months. Their weight at this age, as a rule, ranges from 1.3 kg to 2.3 kg. At this stage, you should decide which nutrias you want to breed. At the same time, it is important to remember that colored skins are sold at a relatively high price, but colored breeds have a lower birth rate. So, if a female nutria of a standard breed is able to bring up to 15 puppies throughout the year, then a white Italian - no more than eight.

It is better to purchase animals in special nurseries. If you take from private breeders, then it is advisable to visit the farm, see the conditions and condition of the animals. We do not recommend buying nutria on the market, as the necessary conditions are rarely met there. Having chosen the right place to buy, you need to decide on the type of animal. By color, it is customary to distinguish 9 mutational and 7 combined types of nutria, of which the most common are:

Cages and houses

The premises in which nutria will be kept must meet the following requirements:

it is desirable that the structure be wooden;
good ventilation;
lack of humidity in the interior.

Pet cages can be purchased ready-made, but you can make them yourself. The optimal size of the cage is 100x60x50 cm. Closer cages can provoke a decrease in the growth of young animals and their low survival rate. There should be a distance of at least 70 cm from the floor to the bottom of the cages. A special bedding is laid out on the floor of the room, and the walls are covered with a metal mesh.

Diagram of nutria cell equipment

It is important to consider that cages, like aviaries, should be located in quiet places, protected from winds and cold. A feature of these animals is susceptibility to the presence of strong noises. With their constant exposure to animals, the birth rate decreases, they begin to lose weight, and among them even a case may begin.

It should be remembered that during the breeding season, nutria become aggressive and irritable. The bite of a nutria is so strong that it can easily bite a person's finger. Therefore, during this period it is better not to disturb them in vain and try to touch them as little as possible.

Nutria breeding technology

The most important step, on which depends how successful the breeding will be at home, is the constant monitoring of nutria. It is important not to miss the period that will be most favorable for mating. Females begin to mate from 6-8 months with a weight of at least 3.5 kg. Males are chosen 7-10 months old, the biological mass of which exceeds 4.5 kg.

Mating can be done in three different ways:

decoy;
mowing;
combined.

For young females and doing business, the mowing method is the most optimal. With it, shoals are sorted, which include two- or three-month-old young females. Their number can vary from 4 to 15 heads. At the same time, they try to select individuals that have a similar coloring. After four months, one active and strong male, larger than each of the females, sits down in such a school.

Cavalier should not be directly related to females. The male needs at least 2-3 months to live with "girlfriends". Throughout this period, it is necessary to palpate the females from time to time to detect pregnancy. If formations similar to soft beads with a diameter of about 2 cm are felt, this means that the female's pregnancy is 50 days. Such females should immediately be planted in separate cages.

Norms of the area required for one individual

For the normal functioning of nutria, at least 300 cm2 of space must be equipped for each nutria. If there is a need to keep a large school, which will consist of 15-25 individuals, then at least 1-2 square meters should be allocated for each. m. If the area is limited for some reason, then the school should not contain more than 4-6 individuals. Throughout the warm season, nutria must have access to water bodies to prevent them from receiving heat strokes. Even a small container of water, such as an old bathtub, will do.

What to feed?

Nutria is included in the class of herbivores, and therefore plants are the basis of their diet. At the same time, preference is given to aquatic vegetation, which grows on the banks of rivers, streams and stagnant reservoirs. All parts of plants, including stems, roots and leaves, go into their diet, which can significantly reduce the cost of their maintenance. In addition, the diet of animals can be diversified with fodder grains and a wide variety of vegetables. To feed an adult, up to 1.5 kg of plant food is needed.

Business plan

Breeding nutria is an economically profitable business. If the right approach to business, based on a preliminary calculation, is carried out, then it becomes unconditionally profitable. At the stage of calculations, the costs of improving the farm, creating a stock of the necessary feed in the required quantity and acquiring the animals themselves should be taken into account.

Before starting a breeding project, it is necessary to calculate the indicators of profitability and self-sufficiency of this business. It is also necessary to make an economic analysis of the situation existing in the region chosen to start this business. It is important to take into account the prospects for the emergence of a struggle with competitors and the availability of a market for finished products. The following approximate calculations will help you navigate the field of activity:

to purchase a male and female nutria, you need about 3200 rubles;
the female is able to bear offspring in the amount of 10-15 puppies every four months;
the weight of one adult reaches 1.5-2 kg of meat, which can be sold for 800 rubles;
for one skin you can get from 480 rubles to 640 rubles;

A simple calculation suggests that the costs will pay off in 6 months.

Video "Maintenance of nutria at home"

After watching this video, you will get answers to most of the questions that beginner nutria breeders have. The information will be useful to everyone starting their own business.