Grasscutter Farming

Grasscutter Farming Business Plan & Manual PDF / Word

Topics covered

OPERATIONAL  COST  FOR  STOCKING  20  GRASSCUTTERS

(16FEMALES  AND 4MALES)

PRE PRODUCTION FEEDING

(10 months period before mating and gestation period)

GRASSCUTTER FATTENING FOR (MEAT PRODUCTION)

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS FOR STOCKING AND FATTENING

PROFIT PROJECTION FOR 20 GRASSCUTTERS

MARKETING & PROCESSING OF GRASSCUTTERS

GET YOUR GRASSCUTTER FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA. To place an order, pay N10,000 to

GTBank (Guaranty Trust Bank)
Account Name – Chudi-Oji Chukwuka
Account No – 0044157183

After payment text your name, your e-mail address and bank teller number to 08060565721 and you’ll receive your GRASSCUTTER FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA / FEASIBILITY STUDY.

The Business Plan for Grasscutter Farming  will be sent to your email address after your payment has been confirmed.(Soft copy only)

ALSO INCLUDED ARE

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GRASSCUTTERS

Introduction

Origin of the grasscutter

Behaviour in the wild

Behaviour in confinement

Social behaviour

Life span/longevity

ECONOMIC POTENTIALS OF THE GRASSCUTTER

Conservational Problems Associated with Grasscutter Demand

Grasscutter as Minilivestock

Scientific Potentials of the Grasscutter

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Handling Grasscutter

When catching Grasscutters with your hands, keep the following in mind

Maintaining hygiene in grasscutter farming

CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSING / CAGE

Housing

Rearing shed

Rearing pen

Feeding and drinking troughs

FEEDING

Planning

Forage and concentrates

Water and mineral supplements

Stocking food

A self-mix Grasscutter feed formula

REPRODUCTION

Sex Determination

The Male Genital Tract

The Female Genital Tract

Sexual Maturity

Mating in Grasscutter

Pregnancy and Birth

Pregnancy Diagnosis

Gestation Length

Weaning.

PRODUCTION PLANNING

HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT

Basic hygiene measures

Symptoms of sick Grasscutter

Veterinary treatment

Parasitic Diseases of the Grasscutter

RECORDKEEPING

TRANSPORTATION CAGES

GET YOUR GRASSCUTTER FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA. To place an order, pay N10,000 to

GTBank (Guaranty Trust Bank)
Account Name – Chudi-Oji Chukwuka
Account No – 0044157183

After payment text your name, your e-mail address and payment details to 08060565721 and you’ll receive your GRASSCUTTER FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA / FEASIBILITY STUDY/ MANUAL.

The Business Plan / Manual for Grasscutter Farming  will be sent to your email address after your payment has been confirmed.(Soft copy only)

MORE ON GRASSCUTTER FARMING IN NIGERIA

Feasibility reports  on grasscutter  farming  ventures indicate  that  the long  term  profitability  is

comparable  to  that  of  poultry  farming  and  higher  than  cattle  ranching  However,  the  high

costs  of  initial  inputs  (cages.  breeding  stocks),  the  slow  returns  and  the  limited  technical

expertise  has  hampered  the  adoption  of  back-yard  grasscutter  f arming  by  rural  households

and  the  development  of  large  scale  commercial  ventures.  The  market  for  both  fresh   and smoked  grasscutter  meat  is  effectively  unlimited  and  there  is  therefore  the  need  to  invest  in research to develop  cheaper  ways  of production  and  extension  services  to  enable the  transfer of appropriate technologies to small scale farmers.

The grasscutter  (Cane-rat) is  a  hystricomorphic rodent endemic to Africa.  The  animal  occurs in  savannah  grasslands,  forest  clearings,  cultivated  lands  and  secondary  forests,  where  it  is very  common  and  is  heavily  hunted  as  a  food  resource  in  man y  areas  on  the  continent.

Grasscutters  are herbivorous,  their  favorite’s  food  being  savannah  grasses  .In captivity;  they

will  also  take  sugar cane, corn  stalks  and  cassava  peelings. The  animal  is  a  wasteful  feeder,

cutting  the  grass  at  a  characteristic  angle  with  its  very  powerful  incisors  to  eat  the  more

nutritious,  succulent  inter-nodes,  leaving  behind  scattered  pieces  of  stem  on  the  feeding

grounds. This characteristic feeding behavior is exploited by hunters who look for  the feeding

sites,  an  indication  of  where  the  animals  were  active  the  previous  night  and  concentrate

hunting  efforts  in  such  areas.  The  animal  does  not  burrow?  But  may  shelter  in  hollows  and

burrows  made  by  other  animals.  This  means  enclosures  for  captive rearing  can  be  fenced  in

by  mud  walls.  The  grasscutter  has  a  long  gestation  period,  about  five  months,  a  relatively

small litter size, maximum  of  four in the wild but up to twelve has been  recorded in captivity.

The young are born  with their  eyes open and  the  coats  fully  developed and are able to follow

the mother immediately after birth. Females can be re-fertilized after parturition if paired with

the  male,  thus  two  litters  are  possible  in  a  year.  Average  weight  of  wild  Grasscutters  is  4  –

5kg;  males can reach  up to  10 kg.  Captive  Grasscutters can be kept in  cages  or box es  but  are

best  kept  in open areas enclosed within mud walls  or other fencing material where males and

females can be  kept together. Depending on the size of cages used, stocking  rates of one male

to  five  females  are  possible.  Pregnant  females  must  be  separated  at  full  term  since

cannibalism of males on the newly born young ones is common.

Within  the  West  African  sub-region,  grasscutter  is  the  favorite  bush  meat  species  and

accounts  for  the  greater  proportion  of  bush  meat  sold  in  markets.  In  most  of  the  countries

within the sub-region,  grasscutter  meat fetches  higher prices than that  of beef. The popularity

of grasscutter  meat led to the choice  of the animal as the subject  of several studies during  the

early 1970s, aimed at domesticating  the  species  for large scale  farming an d production of  the

meat for human consumption.

 

ORIGIN OF THE GRASSCUTTER

Grasscutter is  a  wild  herbivorous  rodent  found in  the  sub-Saharan region  of  Africa.  It  is  the

biggest  after  porcupine  in  the  rodent  class.  It  is  referred  to  as  Cane  rat  or  cutting  grass  by

many.  Scientifically,  it  is  referred  to  as

Thryonomys  swinderianus

.  Its  sub-order  is  that  of

Hystricomorpha (porcupine  relatives) and  the  super family  is Petromuroidea (Rock rat- like),

with genus

Thryonomys.

Kingdom  :

Animalia

Phylum  :

Chordata

Vertebrata

Subphylum :

Class  :

Mammalia

Order

: Rodentia

Suborder  :

Hystricomorpha

Family  :

Thryonomyidae

Genus

:

Thryonomys

Species

:

Thryonomys swinderianus

The Species Are of Two Types

Thryonomys swinderianus

Temminck which is the giant breed and

Thryonomys gregorianus

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION OF GRASSCUTTERS

The  body  length of

Thryonomys  swinderianus

varies  from  25-70  cm,  with  an  average  of  48

cm and  their tail  reaches  0.65-26 cm in length The total body weight of adult  ranges between

4-12  kg.  The  h eaviest  bodies  have  an  average  weight  in  males  of  4.5  and  3.5  kg  in  females

which  looks  like  a  giant  guinea  pig  with  a  short  tail.  The  body  is  heavily  built, small round

with  bristle  fur and coat  and  a  circular ear.  The  fur  reflects  the  general  co lour of the  animal,

with  brownish colour from the base to the middle of  the fur,  while  the upp er fur appears light

yellow  to  reddish.  The  combination  of  these  colors  gives  the  animal  brownish  yellow/red

colour. Besides these, common colors that range f rom grayish black to brown ex ist.

The Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), matured adult measures 40-60 cm long;

weighs 2-6 kg; mixture of reddish brown and grey fur; monogastric herbivore; quick

runner; skilled swimmer; poor vision; good sense of smell; lives up to 4 years in captivity;

Induced ovulator; Gestation period 150-156 days; litter size up to 6.

GRASSCUTTER BEHAVIOR IN THE WILD

Grasscutters  are  more  active  during  the  night  and  at  dawn,  as  compared  to  daytime.  The

grasscutter  does  not  dig  holes  or   burrows,  nor   does  it  live  in  tunnels.  Depending  on  the

ambient temperature,  they  rest either on top of or  under  a heap of  dry grass. When in  danger,

however,  they hide  wherever  they  can  find  shelter.  The  grasscutter  is  an  excellent  swimmer,

has  good  eyesight,  a  delicate  ear  and  a  sharp  scent.  It  also  has  a  good  sense  of  orientation.

Usually,  they  live  in  small  groups  of  family  colonies,  comprising  a  buck,  one  or  more  does

and their offspring. Only males live solitarily.

Grasscutters  feed  on  vegetation,  and  are  able  to  convert  the  highly  cellulotic  material  into

valuable  animal  protein.  This  is  of  particular  importance  with  regard  to  supply o f  protein  of

animal  origin  for  the  poor,  who  may  not  afford  sheep,  goat  or  cattle.  The  animal  meets  its

mineral requirements by eating soil.

GRASSCUTTER BEHAVIOR IN CONFINEMENT

Grasscutters  can  be  subdivided  into  2  categories,  the  docile  and  indocile  grasscutter.  The

docile grasscutter adapts well to life in confinement and becomes  accustomed to man quickly,

whereas  the  indocile  grasscutter  panics  when  people  approach  and  tries  to  escape  from  its

cage or pen. Grasscutters easily  recognize their  cage  or pen and the  individual  who  takes care

of them. The animals communicate with each other and produce different sounds that indicate

well-being, warnings as well as submission.

Phases of activity and rest  in the animals alternate. Generally, they tend to  rest during the hot

o

hours of  the  day.  If  environmental  temperatures fall  below  18

C, Grasscutters activity is  also

severely decreased.

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR OF GRASSCUTTERS

Thryonomys  swinderianus

is  a  semi  nocturnal animal and they live  in  colonies comprising of

one  male  and  several  females  in  each  colony  and  the  young  ones  from  more  than  one

generation. Even though  it possesses digits equipped  with power  and sharp  claws, it  does  not

crawl  on  vertically  erect  wall  or  object  unlike  African  giant  rat.  It  burrows  into  the  ground,

but  can  temporarily  shelter  in  hollow  made  by  other  animals.  It  is  sensitive  to  noise  and

almost very frightened  when it senses danger.

The  animal  always  shelters  itself  with  dry  grass  to  provide  warmth  since  the  animals  is

allergic  to  cold  weather.  Grasscutter  cannot  jump  any  obstacle  above  3  ft.  Many  of  the

animal’s  weaknesses make  it  prone  to easy capture  when spotted b y  hunters,  capture team or

predators. Nevertheless,  grasscutter  has the  ability  of  freezing  up  while  hiding under  grasses without being d etected  when  it  is  being  hunted. That  is  why  hunters  usually  adopt the  heavy use  of fiend dogs  to  flush it out during hunting.  The  animal  tends  to  always  protect  its  home range (feeding, nestin g  and mating territory) against another animal of their kind.  That is whyglasscutter’s house  and  enclosure are  divided into  many  partitions  suitable  for  easy  grouping

of  the  animals  to  avoid  cannibalism  and  fighting  among  animals,  more  especially  during mating.

Grasscutter Farming Business Plan Nigeria

GET YOUR GRASSCUTTER FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA. To place an order, pay N10,000 to

GTBank (Guaranty Trust Bank)
Account Name – Chudi-Oji Chukwuka
Account No – 0044157183

After payment text your name, your e-mail address and payment details to 08060565721 and you’ll receive your GRASSCUTTER FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA / FEASIBILITY STUDY.

The Business Plan for Grasscutter Farming  will be sent to your email address after your payment has been confirmed.(Soft copy only)

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