By Moses Nosike

Many grasscutter breeds are perfectly suited for backyard herds. Choosing the right breed for your backyard herd solely depends on your needs. Grasscutter specie can be divided into two basic categories: grasscutter for meat and grasscutter for breeding. Also, certain grasscutter specie can boast milder temperaments, which are typically better suited for families with small children who will interact with the animals. Jovana Farms breed and sell these grasscutters to farmers and top-class hotels.

According to the Managing Director/CEO, Jovana Integrated Farms, Prince Onubunna, the company is organising a profitable grasscutter rearing training course and is encouraging interested participants to take part in the training course with a token fee of N10, 000. “Note that our super-breed- grasscutter breeding colony comprising 1-male & 4-females, cages, books and smoked grasscutter meat will be available for sale at all the training venues on training day”, he said.

Onubunna said further that the company has developed an intensive one-day grasscutter farming interface training programme aimed at addressing the needs of farmers. According to him, “the management course is presented in layman’s language. It draws on practical experience gained over many years of grasscutter farming, experience and knowledge that is shared with farmers interested to join the sector. Also, existing farmers targeting to improve their profitability and sustainability will benefit greatly from the course”.

Continuing, he said, “the intensive one-day course will equip students with the essential skills, improve their profitability and sustainability. It is aimed at new and existing farmers who have a workable knowledge of livestock farming and who are targeting to improve their knowledge levels”.

The grasscutter breeding experts said, “the work of breeding good grasscutters is for a long time, requiring strategy, patience, a high degree of intelligence, and a close practical judgment. If you are looking for a breeding stock of grasscutter you shouldn’t make price your primary criterion. You can get cheaper grasscutters by the roadsides, but later you will see the inferior results. Same thing with other animals! When looking for grasscutter breeding stock, look for the best.

The genetic pool of your future grasscutters depends on this parent stock. So, you are not just buying an animal, you are buying a gene pool and a history. That is why Jovana integrated farms insisted on supergene grasscutters. We don’t play when it comes to quality breeds”.

Advanced breeding techniques

The advancement in technologies and a growing demand for sustainable farming, the future of grasscutter farming is evolving at Jovana Integrated Farms. From crossbreeding to genetic selection for disease resistance, intelligent grasscutter farmers are embracing new techniques to improve efficiency and productivity. Advanced breeding techniques are revolutionising the grasscutter farming industry by allowing farmers to enhance productivity and quality in their grasscutters. This enables discerning farmers to breed their grasscutters with superior genetics. This allows for selection of specific traits such as disease resistance, and breed quality. This advanced breeding techniques not only enhance productivity but also help in the development of more resilient and high-performing grasscutter breeds for the future of grasscutter production.

Role of genetics

Grasscutter farming, as with most all agricultural activities, is a long- term proposition, and improvements in one’s animal and profitability are incremental over many reasons, not overnight.

There are three legs to successfully grasscutter farming

* Genetics

* Nutrition, and

* Health

These are like legs of a three- legged stool: neglect any one of them and the stool will fall over. To ensure good genetic make-up in the herd, prospective farmers should buy the best animals at the outset, and to improve from there by careful selective breeding.

Although our grasscutters are renowned for their hardiness and ability to survive in any state in Nigeria, paying attention to the animal’s nutrition, and supplementing at certain crucial times in the breeding season, will ensure stronger mothers, and bigger, healthier babies, as well as encouraging consistent multiple births.

At Jovana Integrated farms, we sell grasscutter both for breeding purposes as well as a small percentage for slaughter.

Grasscutter cage

The house must provide shelter and protection for the animals that will live in them. Cages must be big enough for the grasscutters to live comfortably by allowing them room to stretch their body, walk about, and comfortably mate. Grasscutter cages must also be hygienic-featuring cleanable feeders and drinkers. If building a new structure, make sure you consider the following: site selection, ease of access to grasses and the number of grasscutters you intend to keep. A good cage will provide your animals with shade and shelter, freedom from predators and protection from rain.

Health and Husbandry

Grasscutters should be checked regularly to ensure they remain in good health. It is vital that you learn how to catch and hold grasscutters securely and safely. A quick feel of the waist bone for muscle will let you know if your grasscutters are losing weight. Learn to recognise common disease. Monitor the visual appearance of your grasscutters so you can pick up the first signs of disease or any aggressive behaviour.

Where in Nigeria can grasscutter breeding stocks be obtained

There are reputable grasscutter farmers in Nigeria, particularly in the Southern part of the country. However, top quality grasscutter genetics is always available at Jovana integrated Farms.

Hygiene

Manure should be removed and cleaned on a daily basis. Old manure is great for composting and adding to gardens as a fertilizer.

Caring for grasscutter babies

Remove the babies and their mother to a separate grooming cage for proper feeding and management. Allow the mother to breastfeed the babies properly before fertilization. Whichever way you like your grasscutter, it is very satisfying to behold a baby grasscutters produced from a grasscutter that you personally cared for in your own backyard.

Why our grasscutters are highly sought-after

Farmers love our crossbreed grasscutters because of the breed’s hardiness, adaptability, fertility and optimum meat production, making it the ideal breed for intensive farming. Another advantage of our animals is that they are not susceptible to diseases, which makes for easy management and saves on input costs.