AGRICULTURE: GRASSCUTTER FARMING 2

GRASSCUTTER FARMING. STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. 

Article by: Edmund J. Omadudu

Although a relatively new aspect of animal husbandry, grasscutter farming Is fast growing in our society own to the large acceptance of its practice and high consumption rate of it meat (fur). One major advantage on grass-cutter is that, it is highly economical and pocket friendly to venture into however, with high economic value and profitability, unlike most other type of animal farming. This makes grasscutter farming readily accessible to all shades of people, irrespective of social status or creed.

More so, it can be stated without fear or contradiction that grasscutter farming is a proven economical animal farming with about the fastest pay-back period and huge return on investment. The history of grasscutter farming is not different from that of other animal, which dates back to pre-history when man, in his stone age, was predominantly engaged in hunting of wild animals and gathering of fruits. No doubt, modern man passed through various evolutionary stages from the early age through the medieval to the present era. With all these stages mark with different Developmental evidence, which saw man improved from hunting of wild life to rearing or domesticating of animals (animal husbandry).

Today, grasscutter amongst all other animals reared for commercial purpose, is enjoying increasing patronage and acceptability own to the fact that it is a viable, profitable and sustainable income earner, especially in a third world nation like Nigeria where poverty and lack of financial capital to start up gigantic business is the order of the day, as average income of a grasscutter farmer is highly appreciable as shown below:

SMALL SCALE
*1 family of grasscutter (4 females, 1 male) cost N45,000 
*Housing 5,000
*Feeding (annual) N5,000
*Total cost of farming = N55,000

MEDIUM SCALE
*3 Families (3 males and 12 females) = N135,000
*Housing = 15,000
*Feeding (annual) = N15,000
*Total cost of farming = N165,000

LARGE SCALE
*10 families (10 males and 40 females) = N450,000 
*Housing = N100,000 
*Feeding (annual) = N50,000
*Total cost of farming = N600,000

An investment of N55,000 on small scale, earns a farmer 360,000 as income at the end of the year. An investment of N165,000 earns 1, 080,000, while investment of N600,000 earns 3, 600,000 at the end of the year. All things being equal with good practices and management. This income tends to increase by two times the following year following the increase in the families, and procreating grasscutters.

The above statistic drives home the point that grasscutter farming does not require large capital investment and does not require imported material to succeed, and can be farmed anywhere in Nigeria, both at the urban and rural areas. Grasscutter farming therefore, is a project which offers profitable opportunities for small and medium scale entrepreneurs, thus a viable, acceptable means of employment generation and economic empowerment.

IMPORTANCE OF GRASSCUTTER FARMING
A relatively new aspect of animal husbandry like grasscutter farming does not come without its attendant importance. Below are some of the importances:

1. Grasscutter farming has comparative cost advantage over other animal husbandry like cattle rearing, piggery, poultry, etc. It is economical to venture into.

2. Grasscutter meat(fur) is white meat unlike the red meat synonymous with beef, pork, which causes increase in body weight.

3. Its meat is low in cholesterol, which makes it healthy for individuals who are conscious of their weight.

4. Its meat is also medicinal in that it helps boost man’s immune system, and cures some ailment associated with heart as well as diabetes. etc.

5. Grasscutter can be used for scientific researches in the laboratory to test for the effectiveness or otherwise of vaccines.

6. It is also a reliable source of animal protein void of any complications from its' consumption, unlike many other animals reared in farms.

7. It has no known disease, virus, etc. associated with other farm animals thus, making it human friendly.

8. If harnessed properly, grasscutter can be a steady and reliable source of foreign exchange.

9. Grasscutter farming meets international standard demand to sustain wild life and maintain the balance in the ecosystem, as the practice does not allow for the depletion or extinction of the species.

TERMINOLOGIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
This is otherwise known as the peculiar language/ names / signs / symbols associated with grasscutter farming just as any other aspect of life has its own terminologies.

BUCK: This is a fully grown male grasscutter. Just as we have boar in pig, Eve in sheep, Bull in cattle, Billy goat in goat. The buck represent the matured male grasscutter.

DOE: The fully grown female grasscutter. The doe represents the matured female grasscutter.

DAM: This is the nursing mother grasscutter. The matured grasscutter that has just given birth and is still weaning and feeding its children.

SIRE : This is also known as the nursing father. It is the fully matured male grasscutter that impregnated the now nursing mother.

KINDLING: Otherwise known as kittens, are the little baby grasscutters that has not attained maturity.

SUCKLING: This is the act of breast feeding the newly born grasscutter.

WEANING: This is the act of taking care of the stopping or putting an end to breast-feeding, in order to start them with other feed supplements.

FUR: This is the meat from grasscutter. It is however a white meat, hence no cholesterol that causes fat. Thus the fur is rich and healthy source of animal protein.

HEAT PERIOD: Otherwise known as the evolution period in matured grasscutter. At this period, the doe shows sign of restlessness indicating its readiness for mating with a male grasscutter.

COLONY: Grasscutters are identified by family. A family is made up of 4 females and 1 male. It is important to identify the different families in order to avoid in–breeding

HUTCH: This is the house for rearing grasscutter.

FEATURES OF GRASSCUTTER
*NON RUMINANT: Grasscutter unlike cows, sheep, and goat does not have complex stomach and does not chew its cord.

*HERBIVORES: Since they feed mainly on grass and little on other supplement, grasscutters are thus, herbivorous in nature.

*AVERAGE BODY SIZE: The grasscutter is neither too big nor too small. At maturity, it has an average body size of about 1.5 ft in length, 0.7ft in height with body weight of about 7kg

*WARM ENVIRONMENT: Grasscutter lives and procreates well in a warm environment than in extreme cold or hot environment.

*NONE VICIOUS: Grasscutter is not cruel, predatory, or harmful which makes it human friendly and easy to train/farm.

*COPROPHAGES: This is the act of feeding on their own faeces. Grasscutter unlike other rodents has the peculiar nature of feeding on their soft faeces, especially in the mornings.

*NOCTURNAL: Unlike other animals, grasscutter is very active at night than in the day. It is discovered that its feeding, plays, mating and other exercises takes place more between 5pm to 6am.

*CROSS-BREEDING: Grasscutter does not allow in-breeding, which is the act of mating a male and female from the same family. This leads to the death of one party due to fighting. Hence, a male and female from different family are allowed to mate for reproduction.

HOUSING OF GRASSCUTTER.
Grasscutters stay in hutches. A single (double-cubicle) apartment for a family of grasscutter. Grasscutter hutches can either be in wooden or brick form. However, the brick form is more permanent, enduring and expensive hence, recommended.

Large space is not required to build hutches or rear grasscutter as earlier stated. The backyard, side-wall, or any little space within the compound is enough to rear grasscutter on a commercial base. For example, a land space of 2m x 0.5 x 4m is adequate for grasscutter rearing on a medium scale.

A typical hutch is made up of two cubicles (in a room and parlor arrangement) the height is 1.5ft, the length is 4ft divided into two equal parts 2ft each. It then means that a typical hutch is demarcated at the center into two equal cubicles, while the width is 1ft.

FEEDING AND NUTRITION
For optimum result, grasscutters should be fed with grasses (their major feed) while the recommended concentrates are supplements for additional minerals and vitamins necessary for their healthy growth and survival.

TYPES OF GRASSES FOR FEEDING GRASSCUTTER
Grasscutters feed mainly on three different grasses namely:

1 Elephant grass
2 Guinea grass
3 Maize grass 

SUPPLEMENTS.
These are processed type of food to provide for additional vitamins and minerals for healthy and maximum growth of the grasscutter.

1 pellet = 80%
2 maize = 17%
3 Soya beans = 2%
4 Oyster shell = 0.5%
5 Salt = 0.5%

PATTERN OF FEEDING
The grasscutter can be fed thrice a day. Any of the aforementioned grass should be used to feed the grasscutter in the mornings and evenings, while the supplement is in the afternoons. To feed the grasscutter with supplement, fresh cassava or potatoe chips (white) are mixed with just a handful of the concentrates i.e a combination of Soya-beans cake, PKC, pellets, crushed animal bone/shell and little salt to taste mixed in powder form. All these are combined together and feed to grasscutter in the afternoon. Water can be administered once in two days during dry seasons or once in a week during rainy seasons. To know if the grasscutters are adequately fed, little or no grasses are left by the next morning. The hutches should be swept every morning before another set of feed is introduced.

PRODUCTION/REPRODUCTION
The grasscutter becomes fully matured at 7 months old and can be kept for another 1 year. However, it becomes mature for consumption from 3 months old and above.

MATING: At 7 months old, the female grasscutter is ready for mating. It shows this sign (heat) by it restlessness at this point a mature male is introduced to her. Don’t forget both should not be of the same family. Also importantly is the fact that, the male should be a month or two older than the female to allow for easy mounting on the female. The four females must have attained maturity in a hutch. When the male is introduced, it is left until the first female gives birth before the male is removed and kept in its own hutch to avoid cannibalism by the male. It is important to note that, from three months, all the males are kept singly in their own solitary cages . This is to boost its sexual prowess, unlike the females which grow in a set of four or more in the same cage from three months and above. The gestation period of the grasscutter is 5 months. After the last of the four females have given birth. The kittens are left with their mother for 4-6 weeks after which they are separated from their mothers (weaning), and the matured male is introduced again for another round of mating. At three months, the males are separated from the females. The males are kept singularly in different hutches,;the females are kept in a set of four which make a family. I believe this article will be of help to you if you were intending to run a grasscutter farm business. Thanks for your precious time.