Creating a "family tree" for the spotted bamboo rat.

The bamboo rat, a domesticated animal quite familiar to the inhabitants of the highlands with their abundant bamboo and sugarcane, is now being raised at a breeding farm. This ensures that each breeding rat is of the highest quality.

Ms. Tuyen and her adult bamboo rat.

Ms. Tran Thi Tuyen's bamboo rat breeding farm in Nam Hiep 1 village, Ka Do commune, Don Duong district, is built like other breeding farms. The farm is a simple, airy house, inside which are cages for raising bamboo rats made from ceramic tiles. Ms. Tuyen says that the breeding house can be repurposed from any existing construction. The cages, made from old, discarded, or substandard ceramic tiles from construction projects, are purchased at very low prices. However, Ms. Tuyen specifically numbers each cage to manage the "family tree" and prevent inbreeding. Ms. Tuyen explains that, like other livestock, the further the crossbreeding, the better the quality of the bamboo rat. Therefore, creating a "family tree" for the bamboo rat population is essential to ensure healthy offspring.

Originally a resident of Ka Đô, a vegetable farming area, in 2020, Ms. Tuyen decided to raise bamboo rats after noticing the fluctuating vegetable prices and the hardships faced by farmers. After researching at various breeding farms and online, Ms. Tuyen imported breeding bamboo rats from a licensed farm. She said that from just five pairs initially, she now has two breeding farms, and the number is constantly increasing because bamboo rats reproduce very quickly. Her breeding farm sells bamboo rats for meat, but mainly breeds them due to the high demand from customers. Unlike hybrid or large-cheeked bamboo rats, the bamboo rats from her farm are native, small, weighing only 2 kg each, but they eat little, are easy to raise, and grow quickly.

While dividing bamboo into individual cages for the bamboo rats, Ms. Tuyen explained that female bamboo rats begin to reproduce after eight months. They have a 45-day gestation period and continue nursing for another 45 days after giving birth. After the young are 45 days old, they are separated from their mothers to live independently, and the mothers are bred again. Therefore, a bamboo rat can give birth 3-4 times a year, with 2 to 4 offspring each time. A single female bamboo rat can give birth to 8-10 offspring in a year. Because bamboo rats reproduce so quickly, meticulous record-keeping of each parent is crucial. Ms. Tuyen numbers each cage and keeps detailed records of male and female bamboo rats, mating dates, and birth dates to avoid overlapping mating. She explained that with the bamboo rats living in individual cages, managing mating and preventing inbreeding becomes easier for breeders.

“Mouse-eating rats eat very little, mainly a few pieces of bamboo each day, sometimes with a few pieces of sugarcane and some corn kernels. They eat little, are easy to care for, reproduce quickly, and grow fast. This animal is truly suitable for farming families with little land and limited time,” commented Ms. Nguyen Thi Tuyen. According to her, raising bamboo rats is clean and odorless, and doesn't affect the surrounding environment. Every day, she makes time to cut bamboo around her living area, which is enough for the rats to eat. She also plants sugarcane around her house; each rat cage only needs a small piece of sugarcane to provide sufficient nutrition. Therefore, raising bamboo rats costs very little in terms of feed. Importantly, she only needs to control environmental hygiene and clean the rat cages when the amount of waste increases. For her, she cleans the cages three times a week, ensuring they are always clean.

“Female guinea pigs start reproducing after 8 months and can breed continuously for six years. Only then do we need to replace the females. Male guinea pigs need to be replaced regularly; in my case, we replace the breeding males once a year to ensure a constant supply of new genes. Guinea pigs that are not inbred are healthier, easier to raise, and very effective for raising them for meat or for breeding purposes,” Ms. Tuyen shared. At the same time, Ms. Tuyen always emphasizes covering the guinea pigs with nets to prevent mosquito bites, which can cause them to scratch and develop skin diseases. She explained that guinea pigs have sparse facial hair, making them more susceptible to mosquito bites. She carefully covers the guinea pigs with nets as soon as the sun sets to prevent mosquito attacks and keep them healthy.

Currently, the demand for raising bamboo rats is very high. Ms. Tuyen sells bamboo rat meat at 600,000 VND/kg, while breeding bamboo rats (4 months old, weighing 500 grams each) are priced at 1 million VND/pair. Bamboo rats ready for breeding are priced at 1.8 million VND/pair. Every month, she has bamboo rats for sale, providing a steady income for her family.

Mr. Huynh Van Quang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ka Do commune, Don Duong district, assessed that although Ka Do is a region specializing in commercial mulberry cultivation, farmers have recently made many changes in production. They have chosen additional effective crops and livestock to enrich their agricultural production. The guinea pig farming model of Ms. Tran Thi Tuyen's family is also a successful model for Ka Do farmers, giving them more choices to increase their family income.

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