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Effects of cage position on external injuries sustained by captive grasscutters and incident of mortality during
acclimatization was studied at Grasscutter Domestication unit of the Federal College of Wildlife Management, New
Bussa, Niger State. Forty eight (48) juvenile female grasscutters (307±3.57g) were allotted inside 120cm X 60cm X
90cm floor hutch constructed in three positions that formed treatments (T1, T2, T3). Treatments T1 (Behind entrance
door, BED), T2 (Adjacent entrance door, AED) and T3 (Far from entrance door, FED). Each treatment housed four
animals and replicated four times. They were fed ad libitum with Pennisetum purpureum as basal diet and
supplemented with concentrate containing 16% crude protein for three months. The highest percentage of external
body injured (75%) was observed among the grasscutters positioned behind the entrance door (BED) while the least
injured (31.25%) was observed among animals housed far from the entrance door (FED). Animals displayed injuries
on six body locations irrespective of cage positions. The highest (11) injury was displayed on the snout while the
least (1) was observed at the hind-limb. Cage position had significant (p≤0.05) effect on the locations of the external
injury sustained. This study recommended placement of grasscutter cage far away from entrance door.
Keywords: Juvenile female grasscutters, captivity, acclimatization, external injuries, mortalities