CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What farming techniques should be mastered for large-scale farming of field snails?

What breeding techniques should be mastered for large-scale farming of snails?

Snails like to move at night and eat vigorously at night. Snails begin to reproduce in April. The breeding season is from April to September every year. Female snails aged 1 to 2 years can produce 20 to 30 offspring, and female snails aged 4 and above can produce 40 to 50 offspring. The offspring can grow to sexual maturity in one year. Snails like to eat tender leaves of aquatic plants. Therefore, when raising snails, it is necessary to plant aquatic plants such as water plants appropriately. Finally, the water temperature should be kept at 15-27 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too low, the snails will hibernate in the mud. When the temperature is too high, water should be added to avoid the death of the snails.

It is best to feed the fish pond with grass, so that the snails raised in this way have firm meat and delicious taste. This is how I raise them in Hunan. In my short video, there is a picture video of raising snails in the pond. Snails have strong reproductive capacity. At the beginning, I put snails in one pond, but now there are many snails in 4 ponds. They like to move and forage at night. The water temperature suitable for snails is about 20 to 28 degrees Celsius. When the water temperature is above 30 degrees, they will hide in their shells to avoid the heat. When the water temperature is 40 degrees, they will die. They have strong adaptability to drought and cold.

The mortality rate of field snails after stocking is much higher. Even if there are field snails that survive, red rust will be attached to their bodies, and some will even appear reddish brown. Secondly, natural water quality is best, but it cannot be too transparent. Sufficient oxygen must be ensured. Field snails are very sensitive to dissolved oxygen in the water. It is appropriate to have about 100 adult snails per square meter. If the male-female ratio is 1:1, and each female snail produces 50 offspring per year, there will be about 2,600 per square meter by the end of the year. Assuming each snail is 10 grams, the yield per mu can reach more than 17,000 kilograms. If the density of the young snails is to be raised, it can be increased accordingly.

Feeding: First, add some feces to the breeding pond to cultivate plankton to provide food for the snails. The amount of fertilizer depends on the bottom of the snail pond. After the snails are put into the pond, they are fed with vegetables, rice bran, fish viscera or vegetable cakes, bean cakes, etc. When artificially feeding, vegetable leaves, fruits and vegetables, rice bran, wheat bran, bean cake powder and animal scraps can all be used as feed. They have a very diverse diet.

1. For breeding water bodies, field snails have strong adaptability and few diseases. As long as they avoid the poisoning of large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, many flat rivers, streams, pits, rice fields, ponds and other ordinary water bodies in rural areas can be stocked. Keep the bottom mud thickness at 10cm-15cm, and the area size is not limited. If it is an open water body, a small amount of red duckweed and water lily can be cultivated on the water surface, and some long-vine melons and vegetables can be planted around the pond to build a shed for shade. Bamboo tails, branches or stones, grass and other things can be arranged in the water for field snails to live in. 10 days before the field snails are released, 50kg-100kg of quicklime is applied to the whole pond at a rate of 1/15 hectare to remove wild fish, shrimp and other miscellaneous snails. After 3-4 days, organic fertilizers and breeding bait organisms are piled in the water body for field snails to eat. 2. Stocking of seed snails. It is best to complete the stocking of seed snails in the early stage of field snail breeding. The sources of seed snails: one is wild collection, and the other is market collection. Choose fresh snails with light brown color, thin and complete shells, and blunt domes. Generally, 0.1kg-0.5kg of snails are placed per square meter in natural extensive water bodies, and the amount of seeding can be increased by 2-3 times in intensive culture ponds. Farmed field snails can be raised alone, or they can be raised with some silver carp and bighead carp, or mixed with field snails and loaches.

Farming snails does not require much technology. The water quality must be good. It is best to change the water from time to time to increase the oxygen content and promote the growth of snails. For natural enemies such as mice and birds, plant some duckweed near the fish pond to provide shade and improve water quality. Add some grass carp, but not too much, so that the duckweed will not be eaten, and the fish feces can feed the snails. Duckweed can also improve water quality. It should be noted that snails have unacceptable water and soil problems. It is best to buy snails from locals, otherwise it is easy to cause accidents.

1. Selection of snail species

Field snails are mostly reproduced naturally. For artificial breeding, they can be picked up from paddy fields,茭白 fields, muddy ditches, or bought at the market. Then, fresh snails with light brown color, thin shells, round bodies and blunt tails are selected as breeding snails. Generally, field snails weighing 15-25 grams reach sexual maturity and can reproduce at temperatures above 15℃. Female snails are large and round, while male snails are small and pointed.

2. Sufficient silt

Field snails do not have any high requirements for the breeding environment, because field snails have strong adaptability. We only need to build the farm in a pesticide-free and pollution-free place, and the field snails can grow normally. The breeding site can be in rice fields, ponds and other water bodies, but we need to ensure that there is sufficient silt, because field snails like to live in silt.

3. Change water regularly

Snails have good disease resistance and strong adaptability to the outside world, but in order to achieve high yields, change water quality and facilitate fishing, it is still necessary to set up inlets and outlets and install escape prevention nets. Regular water changes are carried out, and the effect is better if it is running water. In the hot season, it is better to adopt flowing water aquaculture. In spring and autumn, it is better to use micro-flowing water aquaculture. The depth of the snail pond should be kept at about 30 cm. When the pH value of the pond water is low, apply 0.15-0.18 kg of quicklime per square meter, and sprinkle it every 10-15 days to keep the pH value of the pond water at 7-8.

4. Feeding and feeding

Field snails are omnivorous and can be fed with rice bran, vegetable scraps, melon leaves, animal carcasses and commercial feed. They generally feed on aquatic plants, soil humus, vegetable and melon rinds, etc. They can be raised in fertile paddy fields, mixed with fish and snails, or in depressions such as red duckweed, green duckweed and water hyacinth on the water surface. Little or no feed can be added.

Field snails are mostly reproduced naturally. For artificial breeding, they can be picked up from paddy fields,茭白 fields, muddy ditches, or bought at the market. Then, fresh snails with light brown color, thin shells, round bodies and blunt tails are selected as breeding snails. Generally, field snails weighing 15-25 grams reach sexual maturity and can reproduce at temperatures above 15℃. Female snails are large and round, while male snails are small and pointed.

How to breed snails?

Snail farming technology:

1. Breeding site: The snail breeding site should be selected in a place with sufficient water source, good water quality, humus soil and convenient transportation. It is best to have running water. Breeding pond construction.

The snail pond is usually 1.5-1.6 meters wide and 10-15 meters long, or it can be based on the terrain. The pond is surrounded by ridges, which are about 50 centimeters high. Inlets and outlets are opened at both ends of the pond, and nets are installed to prevent snails from escaping.

2. Feeding: First, add some feces to the breeding pond to cultivate plankton to provide food for the snails. The amount of fertilizer depends on the bottom of the snail pond. After the snails are put into the pond, feed them with green vegetables, rice bran, fish viscera or vegetable cakes, bean cakes, etc.

Green horns and fish viscera should be chopped and mixed with rice bran and other feeds before feeding. Vegetable cakes and bean cakes should be soaked and softened to make them easier for the snails to eat. The amount of feeding depends on the snails' feeding situation.

Generally, it is calculated as 1%-3% of the total amount of snails, and is fed once every 2-3 days. The feeding time is every morning, and the feeding location does not need to be fixed. Feed is placed every other day. When the temperature is below 15℃ or above 30℃, no feeding is required.

3. Water quality adjustment: First, the snail pond should be frequently filled with new water to adjust the water quality, especially during the breeding season. It is best to keep the water flowing, especially in the hot season, and the effect of water culture will be better. In spring and autumn, micro-flow water culture is better.

The depth of the snail pond water should be kept at about 30 cm. The second is to adjust the pH of the water. When the pH value of the pond water is low, apply 0.15-0.18 kg of quicklime per square meter, once every 10-15 days, to keep the pH value of the pond water at 7-8.

Additional information:

The snail is an ovoviviparous animal with a unique reproductive method. The embryonic development and the development of the snail's young are completed in the mother's body. It takes about a year for the fertilized egg to be produced in the mother's body. The snails lay eggs in batches and begin to reproduce from March to April every year. While producing young snails, the female and male parent snails mate and fertilize, and at the same time, the young snails to be produced the next year are nurtured in the mother's body.

Like other shellfish, snails cannot breathe oxygen directly from the air, but rely on their gills to breathe. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the dissolved oxygen in the water used for breeding. If there is insufficient oxygen, it will not only affect the growth of snails, but also suffocate them to death. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to changing the water frequently. In addition, snails are afraid of heat but not cold. They will not die even if they are out of water for several days in winter, but they can die in a few hours in extreme heat.

If you are breeding in paddy fields, you should deepen the water or add shade during high temperature seasons to prevent heatstroke and cool down. Although snails are not very flexible, they can still escape, especially at the inlet and outlet. Therefore, you must have anti-escape equipment in the breeding pond.

The efficacy of snails:

Snails are very rich in calcium, and calcium supplementation is a lifelong necessity. Calcium supplementation is necessary in childhood because teeth grow, in adolescence because of physical development, and even more so in middle-aged and elderly people to slow down calcium loss and prevent osteoporosis. Therefore, calcium is a very important mineral for human bones.

Snails are also high in iron. Patients with iron deficiency anemia need to supplement iron, so there is a saying that iron supplementation is equivalent to blood supplementation. Snails are cold in nature, so eating snails has the effect of clearing heat. Snails contain diuretic ingredients, so eating snails can eliminate edema, and diuresis helps to excrete excess sodium in the body.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Snail

1. Aquaculture water

Snails have strong adaptability and few diseases. As long as they are protected from large amounts of pesticides and fertilizers, they can be raised in many flat rivers, streams, pits, rice fields, ponds and other ordinary water bodies in rural areas. Keep the bottom mud 10cm-15cm thick and the area is not limited. If it is an open water body, a small amount of red duckweed and water lilies can be cultivated on the water surface, some long-vine melons and vegetables can be planted around the pond to provide shade, and bamboo can be arranged in the water.

Tail, branches or stones, grass, etc. are used as shelter for snails. Ten days before the release of snails, 50kg-100kg of quicklime is applied to the whole pond to remove wild fish, shrimp and other miscellaneous snails at a rate of 1/15 hectare. After 3-4 days, organic fertilizers and breeding bait organisms are piled in the water body for snails to eat.

2. Stocking of snails

It is best to stock the snails in the early stage of snail breeding. The sources of snails are: one is wild collection, the other is market collection. Select fresh snails with light brown color, thin and complete shells, and blunt domes. Generally, 0.1kg-0.5kg of snails are stocked per square meter in natural extensive water bodies, and the amount of stocking can be increased by 2-3 times in intensive breeding ponds. Farmed snails can be stocked alone, or some silver carp and bighead carp can be raised together, or snails and loaches can be mixed.

3. Feeding and management

In the extensive breeding method in natural waters, it is only necessary to maintain the fertility of the water body and apply an appropriate amount of manure, chicken manure, cow manure, pig manure or straw and other organic fertilizers at regular intervals to meet the growth needs of field snails. In the case of high-density intensive breeding, artificial bait must be added. Field snails do not have high nutritional requirements. Simply using rice bran, wheat bran, and soybean powder in a ratio of 60%, 25%, and 15% can become a superior feed for field snails.

According to the snails' eating habits and climate conditions, when the temperature is suitable for their growth (i.e. 20℃-28℃), the snails have a strong appetite and can be fed once every two days, with each feeding amount being 2%-3% of their body weight. When the water temperature is between 15℃-20℃ and 28℃-30℃, feed them twice a week, with each feeding amount being about 1%. When the temperature is below 15℃ or above 30℃, feed less or nothing.

4. Daily management work

It is strictly forbidden to flow into water sources polluted by pesticides and fertilizers; prevent ducks, snakes, rats, birds and other pests from invading; remove weeds and grass roots in the water in time. Usually, use micro-flow water to keep the water level at about 30cm. Increase the water flow in high temperature seasons to control the water temperature and ensure sufficient dissolved oxygen in the water. In cold weather, snails hibernate in the soil. At this time, change the water once or twice a week, and sprinkle some chopped straw into the water to facilitate the snails to overwinter.

5. Harvest and transportation

After a year of careful breeding, the weight of the young snails can reach 10g-20g, and the snails hatched that year can reach a size of more than 5g.

When harvesting snails, we adopt the method of catching the big ones and leaving the small ones, and market them in batches. We selectively take the adult snails, keep the young snails, and pay attention to selecting some female snails to achieve natural replanting, so that there is no need to release seedlings in the future. According to their living habits, in the hot summer and autumn seasons, we choose to pick them up on the bamboo branches and grass handles rotating on the shore or in the water in the early morning and at night; in winter and spring, we choose to pick them up at noon on sunny days. In addition, we can also harvest snails by catching them in the pond or picking them up by draining the pond. The transportation of snails is very simple. They can be placed in ordinary bamboo baskets, wooden barrels, etc., or packed in woven bags. During transportation, just keep the snails moist and prevent them from being exposed to the sun.

I want to raise snails, where can I learn the technology?