The scientific name for cane rat or grasscutter is Thryonomys swinderianus. In this post, we will give you six good reasons for keeping and raising grasscutters or cane rats, as a follow-up on our earlier post on “being a successful grasscutter farmer“.

There are a lot of reasons you need to keep and raise cane rats. Apart from the fact that they are very friendly animals, they are good entertainer, as they will entertain you with their playfulness. Additionally, your kitchen vegetable waste can be used to feed them and they can be used for agricultural exhibitions.

Cane rat farming is very good and lucrative, if you have access to a rearing space like a small parking store, room or a kitchen. They are never trouble or threat to you as they rely majorly on grasses as their food source. Cane rats are considered to be the most efficient bush-meat producers.

Why Do You Need To Raise Grasscutter?

1. They are Very Cheap to Keep

You can start raising grasscutter with a wooden cage and one colony (a family of grasscutters breeders). A colony of grasscutters comprise of one male and four females. The cost of a colony ranges between #40,000-#50,000 NGN, depending on age and specie. You should be able to get a good cage constructed by an artisan carpenter for as low as #10,000 NGN. You can place the cage anywhere in your compound, provided it not exposed to direct sunlight.

2. For Meat Production

A good means to produce meat for human consumption is by raising grasscutters. They are fast-growing, tough and long living giant rats. They attain a very good body weight within a very short time and little feed. That is, they are high, efficient converters of feed. In fact, they feed on and covert wide range of grasses and vegetables to meat. There are many bush meat consumers across the globe. The males attain a body size that doubles the size of chicken meat. In addition, Thryonomys swinderianus grows fast and at 12 weeks of age, they are ready to be sold as a breeder. The combination of their fast maturation and cheapness of feed qualifies cane rats to be kept and raised for market purpose.

3. For Breeding Stock Production

The most lucrative part of cane rat farming is the breeding stock production. A cane rat is ready to be used as breeding stock at age 3-4 months old. I stated earlier that a colony comprises of 1 male and 4 females. A productive colony that is well managed can produce between 50-56 cane rats in a year. Can you see the profits you will make?

4. To Create Employment Opportunities

Financing, producing, processing, transporting and exporting of the products of grasscutter creates employment opportunities to a lot of people. Additionally, keeping grascutter for local human consumption will greatly reduce the rate of importing fish, turkey, chicken and frozen meat, and there will be increased Forex earnings when grasscutter meats are exported. The GDP will improve and inflation and unemployment will also reduce.

5. To Make Profit

Grasscutter farming is one of the ways you can put food on your table and generate money into your purse without spending a huge sum of money. You can earn profits by selling grasscutters to restaurant owners (live or smoked), you can sell the manure to small-hold farmers and worm growers and you can as well sell to people who intent to raise them.

6. There is a Ready Market

No doubt! The meat of grasscutter is delicious and there is a ready market for your grasscutters or cane rats. Many people go to restaurants to eat grasscutter’s meat; hence, making restaurant owners demand for more to satisfy their customers. No matter the number of cane rats you possess, you will surely get buyers who are ready to buy them. Don’t let me forget to inform you that their meat is low in cholesterol and health scientists had confirmed that there are health benefits in consuming it. Nutritionists have also advised people to consume “bush meat” because it is in the class of white meat. Also know that eating the meat of grasscutters has no religious or cultural taboos. Therefore, they are universally acceptable.