The secret to successfully 'pairing' and breeding hedgehogs of an old farmer in Nghe An

Clip: Xuan Hoang - Quang An

Leading us around the barn, Mr. Nguyen Tien Ai could not hide his pride and joy when talking about his thorny "children".

The story began in 2011, when he read information in the press about the porcupine farming model that was developing strongly in some northern provinces. Realizing that this was a potential direction, while no one in the locality was doing it, he did not hesitate to invest more than 100 million VND - a not small amount at that time to buy 2 pairs of porcupine breeds for experimental breeding.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Ai's family's ^500m2 porcupine farm. Photo: Quang An

Although the price of porcupines was high at that time, Mr. Ai still believed in his new direction. With the characteristics of being easy to raise, leisurely, less prone to disease, and less space-consuming in the barn, porcupines became a reasonable choice for farmers who dared to think and dare to do.

In particular, porcupines are omnivorous and not picky about food, from vegetables, tubers, fruits to common agricultural products such as bran, rice, corn, sweet potatoes can all be utilized. Thanks to that, the cost of raising porcupines is surprisingly low, less than 1,000 VND/head/day.

From the initial 2 breeding pairs, up to now, after 14 years of working in the profession, Mr. Ai has developed the porcupine herd to 300, including dozens of breeding pairs. Each year, his family sells over 1 ton of commercial porcupines, not to mention dozens of breeding pairs, earning more than 400 million VND - a dream number for many farming households.

For many years, Mr. Nguyen Tien Ai has sold over 1 ton of porcupine meat every year and has always maintained a stock of 300 porcupines. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Ai said that success does not come from luck alone but is the result of a process of accumulating experience and continuous learning. The most difficult part is the breeding process - the decisive factor in the growth and reproduction rate of the porcupine herd.

He shared a secret: To test the "compatibility" between male and female hedgehogs, he often puts the male in an iron cage and then puts it in the female's cage. If after 1 day the female hedgehog does not show any signs of attack, then they can pair up.

In addition to paying attention to the breeding process, Mr. Ai also pays great attention to the hygiene of the barn, clean food and care regime. Thanks to that, the loss rate of the porcupine herd is very low, and there are few epidemics. Common diseases such as eye pain or stomachache are also easily treated with folk methods.

Because of good care, Mr. Nguyen Tien Ai's porcupine farm produces 150 porcupine breeds each year. Photo: Quang An

Currently, the market for porcupine meat of Mr. Ai's family is not only limited to Nghe An province but has expanded to many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other cities. In the context of limited supply, the demand for porcupine meat is increasing, so the selling price is always maintained at an attractive level - from 300,000 to 350,000 VND/kg.

Not only stopping at the current successes, Mr. Ai is planning to expand the barn by 300m² to increase the scale of livestock farming, in order to better meet market demand. At the same time, the family will take advantage of the garden land of hundreds ^{of m2} to grow jackfruit. Accordingly, porcupine manure is used to fertilize jackfruit trees, jackfruit is a favorite food of porcupines.

Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Thanh Chuong district said: "Mr. Nguyen Tien Ai is a typical example of a good farmer. Thanks to his diligence and eagerness to learn, he not only develops his family's economy but also contributes to changing the mindset of agricultural production in the locality".

Notably, in addition to being a successful farmer, Mr. Ai is also a prestigious person in the community. He has been elected by the people as the block leader for the past 10 years.

Commercial porcupines can be raised for over a year before being sold. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Mr. Ai’s porcupine farming model is not only a story of personal enrichment but also a model for farmers in and outside the locality to learn from. In the context of needing to diversify livestock and transform agricultural structure towards efficiency and sustainability, this model is a practical suggestion.

However, to be able to develop on a large scale and in the long term, the prerequisite is to get permission from the authorities for breeding and growing wild animals. When the legal corridor is guaranteed, models like Mr. Ai's can be completely replicated, creating leverage to promote the rural economy.

From a bold idea, through many ups and downs, old farmer Nguyen Tien Ai has successfully built an admirable commercial porcupine farm. His story not only inspires farmers but is also a living testament to the spirit of innovation, daring to think, daring to do - the decisive factor for success in market thinking./.

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Source: https://baonghean.vn/bi-quyet-ghep-doi-phoi-giong-nhim-thanh-cong-cua-lao-nong-nghe-an-10295064.html