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Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony - Agriculture (5) - Nairaland

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Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 3:10pm On Mar 19, 2021
this is how we package our grasscutter when ever we want to transport them. a colony was sent to Benin yesterday. kindly indicate if you are the nairalander that purchased a colony from us. thanks for your patronage

Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 3:19pm On Mar 19, 2021
HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE A MALE FROM A FEMALE GRASSCUTTER.
most grasscutter looks alike and it would be a little bit difficult for a newbie to differentiate between them.
mere looking at them, you can easily differentiate them buy looking at their nose. a female grasscutter has a short and kind of oblong nose which a male grasscutter has a long and abit pointed nose.
it is always easier to detect them by their sizes also as a male grasscutter are always bigger than their female counterpart.
lastly, you can also differentiate them by looking at their genitals. a male genital is abit far from where they pass their waste than that of the female

1 Like

Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by enoone7: 8:09pm On Mar 20, 2021
aquadude15:
this is how we package our grasscutter when ever we want to transport them.
a colony was sent to Benin yesterday.
kindly indicate if you are the nairalander that purchased a colony from us.
thanks for your patronage
How did you able to put the colony into the keg
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 9:43pm On Mar 20, 2021
enoone7:
How did you able to put the colony into the keg
they are still small so they will fit in to the keg conveinently
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by calaohuru(m): 5:48pm On Mar 21, 2021
How much is a colony?





Http//www.impala.com.ng
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 7:54pm On Mar 21, 2021
calaohuru:
How much is a colony?




Http//www.impala.com.ng
80k
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by positiveequator(m): 8:02am On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

thanks for your article

you're welcome
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by TheStakeHolder(m): 8:21am On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

80k
Please explain something to me...

You said a colony contains a male and about 3 females. That's 4 for 80k

If I sell each at 7k or 8k, how is this profitable?

Please help clarify the cost price and selling price. I believe I'm missing something here.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 12:52pm On Mar 22, 2021
TheStakeHolder:
Please explain something to me...

You said a colony contains a male and about 3 females. That's 4 for 80k

If I sell each at 7k or 8k, how is this profitable?

Please help clarify the cost price and selling price. I believe I'm missing something here.
a colony contains 5 grasscutter, I.e 2males and 3females.
their is nowhere in Nigeria a grasscutter will go for even 10k presently.
since they are hard to comment, it makes the demand high, reason why you get to sell your little grasscutter faster to other farmers willing to buy.
you only sell the aged ones when their reproduction reduces.
I priced a processed Matured grasscutter last month when travelling along osun last month, and the last price I got was 18k.
kindly confirm the price around your vicinity

1 Like

Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by oz4real83(m): 1:03pm On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

a colony contains 5 grasscutter, I.e 2males and 3females.
their is nowhere in Nigeria a grasscutter will go for even 10k presently.
since they are hard to comment, it makes the demand high, reason why you get to sell your little grasscutter faster to other farmers willing to buy.
you only sell the aged ones when their reproduction reduces.
I priced a processed Matured grasscutter last month when travelling along osun last month, and the last price I got was 18k.
kindly confirm the price around your vicinity
please stop this exaggeration. This thread is educative but remove the lies. Where in Nigeria is a grasscutter sold for N18,000? Even an antelope that is more expensive doesn't sell for that amount.

1 Like

Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by emperor00(m): 1:31pm On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

a colony contains 5 grasscutter, I.e 2males and 3females.
their is nowhere in Nigeria a grasscutter will go for even 10k presently.
since they are hard to comment, it makes the demand high, reason why you get to sell your little grasscutter faster to other farmers willing to buy.
you only sell the aged ones when their reproduction reduces.
I priced a processed Matured grasscutter last month when travelling along osun last month, and the last price I got was 18k.
kindly confirm the price around your vicinity

I still bought around Akure last month for 7k.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by TheStakeHolder(m): 2:07pm On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

a colony contains 5 grasscutter, I.e 2males and 3females.
their is nowhere in Nigeria a grasscutter will go for even 10k presently.
since they are hard to comment, it makes the demand high, reason why you get to sell your little grasscutter faster to other farmers willing to buy.
you only sell the aged ones when their reproduction reduces.
I priced a processed Matured grasscutter last month when travelling along osun last month, and the last price I got was 18k.
kindly confirm the price around your vicinity
Okay thanks
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by TheStakeHolder(m): 2:29pm On Mar 22, 2021
oz4real83:
please stop this exaggeration. This thread is educative but remove the lies. Where in Nigeria is a grasscutter sold for N18,000? Even an antelope that is more expensive doesn't sell for that amount.

Thanks for the comment.
How much does it cost? Like the range of price for each?
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by TheStakeHolder(m): 2:31pm On Mar 22, 2021
emperor00:


I still bought around Akure last month for 7k.
Same price someone told me.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by oz4real83(m): 2:35pm On Mar 22, 2021
TheStakeHolder:


Thanks for the comment.
How much does it cost? Like the range of price for each?
within the range of N8000-N10,000 here in Benin city for a dead grasscutter. It is cheaper if u buy directly from the hunters or villagers.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by TheStakeHolder(m): 3:36pm On Mar 22, 2021
oz4real83:
within the range of N8000-N10,000 here in Benin city for a dead grasscutter. It is cheaper if u buy directly from the hunters or villagers.
ok tnx
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 4:48pm On Mar 22, 2021
emperor00:

I still bought around Akure last month for 7k.
kindly drop the contact of the person that sold it to you sir. we can all benefit from it. I am willing to patronise the person to
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 4:50pm On Mar 22, 2021
oz4real83:
please stop this exaggeration. This thread is educative but remove the lies. Where in Nigeria is a grasscutter sold for N18,000? Even an antelope that is more expensive doesn't sell for that amount.
kindly price a matured and processed grasscutter in your area sir and get back to us sir.
thanks
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 5:03pm On Mar 22, 2021
oz4real83:
within the range of N8000-N10,000 here in Benin city for a dead grasscutter. It is cheaper if u buy directly from the hunters or villagers.
it seems we are deviating already.
this trend is not about pricing but let me make some clarification.
you can't compare the price of an hunter that goes to the bush and kill a grasscutter with a farmer that breeds them for over 3years.
this price you are stating here, I guess it is the price of a dead grasscutter, but have you put into consideration the size?? I believe you can even buy a grasscutter of 3k, but I am talking here of a non reproductive grasscutter and I belief you should be able to imagine the size.
anyway. I just want to enlighten people about grasscutter farming, other people ideas are welcome and if you have a contact of any person that sells lesser, kindly post the person contact, I would also be willing to patronise the person

1 Like

Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by oz4real83(m): 5:22pm On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

kindly drop the contact of the person that sold it to you sir.
we can all benefit from it.
I am willing to patronise the person to
come to uwa market in Benin city very close to tv road, u Will see alot of assorted bushment both fresh or dried.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by oz4real83(m): 5:26pm On Mar 22, 2021
aquadude15:

it seems we are deviating already.
this trend is not about pricing but let me make some clarification.
you can't compare the price of an hunter that goes to the bush and kill a grasscutter with a farmer that breeds them for over 3years.
this price you are stating here, I guess it is the price of a dead grasscutter, but have you put into consideration the size?? I believe you can even buy a grasscutter of 3k, but I am talking here of a non reproductive grasscutter and I belief you should be able to imagine the size.
anyway. I just want to enlighten people about grasscutter farming, other people ideas are welcome and if you have a contact of any person that sells lesser, kindly post the person contact, I would also be willing to patronise the person
in your comment that I respondeded to, u were talking about a processed grasscutter that u got for 18k, is a processed grasscutter not a dead grasscutter? The killer only went ahead to process it and added his expenses that was incurred in the processing, that took the price to 18k. Maybe u even bought it in one of those high-end supermarkets that overinflate their prices.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by MightyFortress: 4:01pm On Mar 27, 2021
taylorpositive:
Grasscutter Farming; A Complete Guide on How to Start Grasscutter Farming in Nigeria


Are you searching for information on how to start a grasscutter farming venture in Nigeria? Then you’re in the perfect spot as this grasscutter farming guide will teach you everything you need to know about grasscutter farming techniques in Nigeria.

Have a good read.


Grasscutter Farming – An Introduction

Animal farming has always been an important aspect of the Nigerian agricultural sector.

Over the years, we experienced the rearing of farm animals like cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry, and the likes.



But one animal whose rearing hasn’t gained as much popularity as it should is the grasscutter.

Commercial grasscutter farming in Nigeria is a highly lucrative business, and you might want to look into it if you want to be unique in the world of animal rearing.

Read on if you want to find out more about grasscutters and how to start grasscutter farming in Nigeria.


Related Cucumber Farming in Nigeria; Complete Guide on How to Start (2021)


Grasscutters
The Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus), popularly known as Grasscutter is a wild herbivore generally found in the riverbeds and swamps of sub-Saharan Africa.

In size, they are second only to Porcupines in the rodent family.

However, they do not possess long pointy spikes like their immediate cousins.

Species of Grasscutters are captured and reared mainly for their meat, which is highly-stacked with protein, therefore making it of great economic value.

Grasscutter in Yoruba is known as “Oya”.

Grass cutter animals proliferate in large numbers and very quickly too.

A mature female Grasscutter has a gestation period of 140 – 150 days (5 months or approximately 22 weeks).



They may deliver two times annually, giving birth to an average of four to seven offspring each time, and in some cases, up to ten.

In other words, a single mature female grasscutter can produce between 4 to 20 offspring in a year.

Since it can be quite difficult to capture these animals, rearing them in domestication is the better option to access their meat.


Facts You Should Know about Grasscutters
Their limbs, fur, tails, and skin can detach easily, making it difficult to capture and handle them
Grasscutters are quick runners and swimmers
They live above ground and are nocturnal in nature
Grasscutter fur color ranges from a mixture of brown-reddish and gray hairs that vary depending on its habitat, depending on their habitat.
These rodents can live up to 4 years in captivity.
They have relatively poor vision. However, they possess impressive hearing and a great sense of smell.
They are important pests of cane fields – hence the name Cane Rats in some regions. They are also known to mainly feed on grasses.
A fully mature female grasscutter may weigh up to 3.5 kg, while a fully mature male may weigh up to 4.5kg.
The Suckling period for baby grasscutters is 40 days (6 weeks) before weaning
Grass cutters live in colonies. A grasscutter colony in captivity consists of one male and three to four females. In the wild, a single male can service up to ten female grasscutters.
Two males cannot co-exist in one colony, so never put two male grasscutters in a single colony.
The presence of a male grasscutter triggers the ovulation periods of the females.

How to Start Grasscutter Rearing in Nigeria
Grasscutter farming/rearing in Nigeria is steadily becoming a lucrative animal farming option in the country and Africa as a whole.

Grasscutter farming in Ghana is also quite lucrative.

This is due to the great taste of grasscutter meat and its rarity in the market.

Grasscutter and rabbit farming have some similar principles, but they are not the same.

Grasscutter rearing is more popular in rural areas because of the availability of grasscutters in the region.

Moreover, businesses operating in the urban regions are mostly big-time companies and white-collar establishments.





In this article, you will learn some of the best grasscutter farming and management practices in Nigeria.

By the time you’re done reading this article, you will have learned all about grasscutter farming in Nigeria.

Think of it as a free grasscutter farming manual for beginners.

Note that you may need to hire or seek advice from a grasscutter farming expert for some practical aspects of this venture.


Advantages of Rearing Grasscutter in Nigeria

Requires Little Capital to Start
Compared to rearing other animals like goats, cattle, pigs, sheep, and even chickens, kickstarting a grasscutter rearing business in Nigeria requires only a little capital to start.

You can begin your grasscutter rearing journey with as low as 50,000 Naira, and you can upscale with time.

High Market Demand
Grasscutter meat, also known as bushmeat is widely eaten by many Nigerians and Africans. Its meat is one of a kind, and many people crave to have a taste.

However, grasscutters are not as common as other sources of meat like chicken, pig, and cattle, which makes their meat rare in the market. This rarity makes grasscutter meat of high demand in the market.

Relatively Cheap to Maintain
After purchasing your grasscutters, you don’t need to break the bank to keep or maintain them.

If you’re starting with one colony (one male and three to four females), you will only need to construct a small pen which won’t cost much.

Also, you can feed them with grasses and other relatively cheap supplements.


Combines Well with Crop Farming
Since grasscutters will eat grasses and other crops like rice, corn, millet, and so on, you can easily combine it with crop farming.

Instead of having to buy or source for feed for these animals, you can just take some of the proceeds of your crop farm and feed it to them.

This will also help in minimizing losses when you cannot store excess harvests and would’ve otherwise sold at cheap prices.

No Taboo
Everyone eats grasscutter meat.

There are no known religious or tribal constraints on the consumption of grasscutter meat in Nigeria, unlike other meat products like pork and even beef.

This widens the customer base for grasscutter meat.

Grasscutters are Relatively Clean Animals
Compared to other animals, grasscutters are clean animals. They do not urinate or excrete a lot, and grasscutter cages aren’t usually overwhelmed with foul smells. This means you can keep them close to the house to properly monitor them without being scared of horrid odors.


Feasibility Study for Grasscutter Farming in Nigeria
Formulating a business plan and conducting a feasibility study will put you on the right path in your grasscutter farming journey.

You have to consider all the key elements that control the dynamics of running a successful grasscutter farm by looking into past data and learning from established grasscutter farmers in Nigeria.

This step will help you prepare for possible threats and challenges, and other things like market value, and how to sell your grasscutters to make profits when they become mature.

So, conduct a grasscutter feasibility study and draft a business plan before starting any grasscutter farming procedure.

Note: It is advisable to start with one or two grasscutter colonies. This will help you understand the venture and learn from the experience at little or no risk. You can upscale as time goes on.


Grasscutter Housing
The best way of rearing grasscutters is in an intensive care system.

You cannot leave grasscutters to wander as you could do for cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens.

The method of housing could either be a cage or a specially-designed shed.

Grasscutters in captivity can be sensitive to certain environmental conditions, which can negatively affect their growth.

This is why their housing/habitat must be constructed according to certain specifications.


Specifications for Grasscutter Housing
For sheds:
Properly roofed pens with wire hutches
Proper aeration and lightening
The length of the shed should be 1.5 m tall, with the upper half covered with chicken wire.
Close proximity to a clean water source
Easily accessible
Far from noise and thick bushes
Materials for the shed can be straw, bamboo, or bricks. The roof can be made up straw, corrugated iron, or any other water-proof material.
The size of the building is dependent on the number of grass-cutters to be reared and production objectives. To put this in perspective, here’s an example:

The space required for a colony of reproductive grasscutters comprising one adult male and four females is 1.6m to 2 m.

For cages/pens:
Grasscutter farming cages represent a more conservative housing system for grasscutters.

In this case, the grasscutters live in pens constructed inside the shed.



The farmer’s production objectives will determine the number of pens.

The recommended protocol is to have one breeding female per pen.

The recommended surface area per mature grasscutter in the pen is 0.2 m2.

You can construct different pens for different purposes and stages of grasscutter growth.

For example:

A pen for mating
A pen for adults
Pen for giving birth and feeding the young
A pen for fattening young grasscutters
Metal or concrete are the preferred materials to construct grasscutter rearing pens.

However, note that metal pens will be moveable, while concrete pens will be fixed and therefore, immovable.

It is advisable not to use bamboo and straw as Grasscutters can eat through them and escape into the wild.

Also make sure that there is enough room for grasscutters to move from one pen to another.

Types of Grasscutter Pens
In addition, there can be two types of grasscutter pens;

Open Pen:

This describes a type of pen without any roof above it.

Specifications for construction include a surface area of 3m2 and a height of 1.5m.

Open pens also come with an opening on the side that leads to the aisle, thereby creating easy access to the grasscutters for the farmer.


Closed Pen

In contrast to an open pen, a closed pen will have a roof over it and it will be divided into various compartments.

Specifications for construction include a surface area between 2 and 3m2 and a wall height of 0.8 m.

Note: Pens with two compartments should have the same surface area specifications. The compartments should be separated with partitions, with a 15 cm opening to allow the grasscutters to move from one compartment to another.

Grasscutter Breeding

Continue here to read about Grasscutter Breeading, Feeding, Diseases, Treatment, Handling, Sale, FAQs and More.

excellent.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 6:30pm On Mar 30, 2021
HOW TO TREAT WOUNDED GRASSCUTTER
I got to my farm this morning and I noticed a wounded grasscutter on her leg (major suspect were her family members as I met blood on their mouth) , it made movement hard for her because she was using her fore leg to pull herself.
the first thing to do in a situation like this is to separate the wounded rat, apply methylene blue to the wounded part, then keep it in isolation till the rat is ok
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by neutralmind: 7:13pm On Mar 30, 2021
@Op where is your farm located?
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 7:25pm On Mar 30, 2021
neutralmind:
@Op where is your farm located?
ondo state
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by spinna: 11:27am On Apr 02, 2021
Livestock Farmers! We supply high in protein and fast growing brachiaria grass suckers. This grass increases milk yield by 40%!

These suckers will quickly establish lifelong pastures for you.. making your livestock feeding to be totally stress free. Call 0706 346 3851
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by Ate247(m): 11:55am On Apr 07, 2021
aquadude15:

a colony contains 5 grasscutter, I.e 2males and 3females.
their is nowhere in Nigeria a grasscutter will go for even 10k presently.
since they are hard to comment, it makes the demand high, reason why you get to sell your little grasscutter faster to other farmers willing to buy.
you only sell the aged ones when their reproduction reduces.
I priced a processed Matured grasscutter last month when travelling along osun last month, and the last price I got was 18k.
kindly confirm the price around your vicinity
I bought 2 grass cutter in calabar on Monday for 15k weighing over 9kg for the both.
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by aquadude15: 4:20pm On Apr 07, 2021
Ate247:
I bought 2 grass cutter in calabar on Monday for 15k weighing over 9kg for the both.
really.
seem grasscutter is cheaper down south.
kindly drop your contact so others can benefit.
I would safe up your number also.
was it dead or alive
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by Sirdan247(m): 9:13pm On Aug 26, 2021
So do you have a colony for sale?. I want to buy
taylorpositive:
Grasscutter Farming; A Complete Guide on How to Start Grasscutter Farming in Nigeria


Are you searching for information on how to start a grasscutter farming venture in Nigeria? Then you’re in the perfect spot as this grasscutter farming guide will teach you everything you need to know about grasscutter farming techniques in Nigeria.

Have a good read.


Grasscutter Farming – An Introduction

Animal farming has always been an important aspect of the Nigerian agricultural sector.

Over the years, we experienced the rearing of farm animals like cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry, and the likes.



But one animal whose rearing hasn’t gained as much popularity as it should is the grasscutter.

Commercial grasscutter farming in Nigeria is a highly lucrative business, and you might want to look into it if you want to be unique in the world of animal rearing.

Read on if you want to find out more about grasscutters and how to start grasscutter farming in Nigeria.


Related Cucumber Farming in Nigeria; Complete Guide on How to Start (2021)


Grasscutters
The Greater Cane Rat (Thryonomys swinderianus), popularly known as Grasscutter is a wild herbivore generally found in the riverbeds and swamps of sub-Saharan Africa.

In size, they are second only to Porcupines in the rodent family.

However, they do not possess long pointy spikes like their immediate cousins.

Species of Grasscutters are captured and reared mainly for their meat, which is highly-stacked with protein, therefore making it of great economic value.

Grasscutter in Yoruba is known as “Oya”.

Grass cutter animals proliferate in large numbers and very quickly too.

A mature female Grasscutter has a gestation period of 140 – 150 days (5 months or approximately 22 weeks).



They may deliver two times annually, giving birth to an average of four to seven offspring each time, and in some cases, up to ten.

In other words, a single mature female grasscutter can produce between 4 to 20 offspring in a year.

Since it can be quite difficult to capture these animals, rearing them in domestication is the better option to access their meat.


Facts You Should Know about Grasscutters
Their limbs, fur, tails, and skin can detach easily, making it difficult to capture and handle them
Grasscutters are quick runners and swimmers
They live above ground and are nocturnal in nature
Grasscutter fur color ranges from a mixture of brown-reddish and gray hairs that vary depending on its habitat, depending on their habitat.
These rodents can live up to 4 years in captivity.
They have relatively poor vision. However, they possess impressive hearing and a great sense of smell.
They are important pests of cane fields – hence the name Cane Rats in some regions. They are also known to mainly feed on grasses.
A fully mature female grasscutter may weigh up to 3.5 kg, while a fully mature male may weigh up to 4.5kg.
The Suckling period for baby grasscutters is 40 days (6 weeks) before weaning
Grass cutters live in colonies. A grasscutter colony in captivity consists of one male and three to four females. In the wild, a single male can service up to ten female grasscutters.
Two males cannot co-exist in one colony, so never put two male grasscutters in a single colony.
The presence of a male grasscutter triggers the ovulation periods of the females.

How to Start Grasscutter Rearing in Nigeria
Grasscutter farming/rearing in Nigeria is steadily becoming a lucrative animal farming option in the country and Africa as a whole.

Grasscutter farming in Ghana is also quite lucrative.

This is due to the great taste of grasscutter meat and its rarity in the market.

Grasscutter and rabbit farming have some similar principles, but they are not the same.

Grasscutter rearing is more popular in rural areas because of the availability of grasscutters in the region.

Moreover, businesses operating in the urban regions are mostly big-time companies and white-collar establishments.





In this article, you will learn some of the best grasscutter farming and management practices in Nigeria.

By the time you’re done reading this article, you will have learned all about grasscutter farming in Nigeria.

Think of it as a free grasscutter farming manual for beginners.

Note that you may need to hire or seek advice from a grasscutter farming expert for some practical aspects of this venture.


Advantages of Rearing Grasscutter in Nigeria

Requires Little Capital to Start
Compared to rearing other animals like goats, cattle, pigs, sheep, and even chickens, kickstarting a grasscutter rearing business in Nigeria requires only a little capital to start.

You can begin your grasscutter rearing journey with as low as 50,000 Naira, and you can upscale with time.

High Market Demand
Grasscutter meat, also known as bushmeat is widely eaten by many Nigerians and Africans. Its meat is one of a kind, and many people crave to have a taste.

However, grasscutters are not as common as other sources of meat like chicken, pig, and cattle, which makes their meat rare in the market. This rarity makes grasscutter meat of high demand in the market.

Relatively Cheap to Maintain
After purchasing your grasscutters, you don’t need to break the bank to keep or maintain them.

If you’re starting with one colony (one male and three to four females), you will only need to construct a small pen which won’t cost much.

Also, you can feed them with grasses and other relatively cheap supplements.


Combines Well with Crop Farming
Since grasscutters will eat grasses and other crops like rice, corn, millet, and so on, you can easily combine it with crop farming.

Instead of having to buy or source for feed for these animals, you can just take some of the proceeds of your crop farm and feed it to them.

This will also help in minimizing losses when you cannot store excess harvests and would’ve otherwise sold at cheap prices.

No Taboo
Everyone eats grasscutter meat.

There are no known religious or tribal constraints on the consumption of grasscutter meat in Nigeria, unlike other meat products like pork and even beef.

This widens the customer base for grasscutter meat.

Grasscutters are Relatively Clean Animals
Compared to other animals, grasscutters are clean animals. They do not urinate or excrete a lot, and grasscutter cages aren’t usually overwhelmed with foul smells. This means you can keep them close to the house to properly monitor them without being scared of horrid odors.


Feasibility Study for Grasscutter Farming in Nigeria
Formulating a business plan and conducting a feasibility study will put you on the right path in your grasscutter farming journey.

You have to consider all the key elements that control the dynamics of running a successful grasscutter farm by looking into past data and learning from established grasscutter farmers in Nigeria.

This step will help you prepare for possible threats and challenges, and other things like market value, and how to sell your grasscutters to make profits when they become mature.

So, conduct a grasscutter feasibility study and draft a business plan before starting any grasscutter farming procedure.

Note: It is advisable to start with one or two grasscutter colonies. This will help you understand the venture and learn from the experience at little or no risk. You can upscale as time goes on.


Grasscutter Housing
The best way of rearing grasscutters is in an intensive care system.

You cannot leave grasscutters to wander as you could do for cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens.

The method of housing could either be a cage or a specially-designed shed.

Grasscutters in captivity can be sensitive to certain environmental conditions, which can negatively affect their growth.

This is why their housing/habitat must be constructed according to certain specifications.


Specifications for Grasscutter Housing
For sheds:
Properly roofed pens with wire hutches
Proper aeration and lightening
The length of the shed should be 1.5 m tall, with the upper half covered with chicken wire.
Close proximity to a clean water source
Easily accessible
Far from noise and thick bushes
Materials for the shed can be straw, bamboo, or bricks. The roof can be made up straw, corrugated iron, or any other water-proof material.
The size of the building is dependent on the number of grass-cutters to be reared and production objectives. To put this in perspective, here’s an example:

The space required for a colony of reproductive grasscutters comprising one adult male and four females is 1.6m to 2 m.

For cages/pens:
Grasscutter farming cages represent a more conservative housing system for grasscutters.

In this case, the grasscutters live in pens constructed inside the shed.



The farmer’s production objectives will determine the number of pens.

The recommended protocol is to have one breeding female per pen.

The recommended surface area per mature grasscutter in the pen is 0.2 m2.

You can construct different pens for different purposes and stages of grasscutter growth.

For example:

A pen for mating
A pen for adults
Pen for giving birth and feeding the young
A pen for fattening young grasscutters
Metal or concrete are the preferred materials to construct grasscutter rearing pens.

However, note that metal pens will be moveable, while concrete pens will be fixed and therefore, immovable.

It is advisable not to use bamboo and straw as Grasscutters can eat through them and escape into the wild.

Also make sure that there is enough room for grasscutters to move from one pen to another.

Types of Grasscutter Pens
In addition, there can be two types of grasscutter pens;

Open Pen:

This describes a type of pen without any roof above it.

Specifications for construction include a surface area of 3m2 and a height of 1.5m.

Open pens also come with an opening on the side that leads to the aisle, thereby creating easy access to the grasscutters for the farmer.


Closed Pen

In contrast to an open pen, a closed pen will have a roof over it and it will be divided into various compartments.

Specifications for construction include a surface area between 2 and 3m2 and a wall height of 0.8 m.

Note: Pens with two compartments should have the same surface area specifications. The compartments should be separated with partitions, with a 15 cm opening to allow the grasscutters to move from one compartment to another.

Grasscutter Breeding

Continue here to read about Grasscutter Breeading, Feeding, Diseases, Treatment, Handling, Sale, FAQs and More.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by bigfoot79(m): 12:45pm On Nov 15, 2021
Hello OP.
How far what is the update on the GC?
Re: Diary Of My Grasscutter Colony by moneylam: 11:09pm On Nov 15, 2021
Nice thread

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