CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to keep earthworms at home

1. How to raise earthworms at home

In my spare time, I wrote down my experience in raising earthworms, hoping it will be helpful to you.

1 The best container is a wooden box. I feel that wooden boxes are still the best for breeding. Other containers such as flower pots, plastic boxes and anything else that can be used are also OK, but there must be a small hole at the bottom for water to flow out.

2. The nutrient soil I currently use is rotten cow dung and rough cardboard. In rural areas, it is best to use rotten crop straw, weeds, mule and horse dung, etc. that have turned into black soil. If it is difficult to find in the city, you can only collect some plant leaves yourself and ferment them slowly to make them rot. Note that the nutrient soil must be soft.

3 Earthworms have a wide variety of food. I currently use rough cardboard, on which I smear waste cooking oil, even waste oil in the oil storage box of the kitchen range hood, and apple peels, carrot peels, etc. In addition, I was surprised to find that the sediment from the kitchen pot washing water is very good. Through observation, the sediment from the cooking pot washing water is better. Of course, other anglers have their own tricks for the ingredients used in earthworm breeding, so I won’t list them one by one here.

4 When starting, first lay some rough cardboard on the bottom and sides of the wooden box. Then put the ingredients and culture soil in. Water thoroughly for the first time. Place a basin under the container to prevent too much water from flowing all over the floor.

5. The choice of earthworms is very important. Don't keep earthworms you dig in the wild. The reproduction rate of good earthworms is about ten times that of ordinary earthworms. On average, each earthworm can reproduce one per day, and its vitality is much stronger than that of ordinary earthworms. I chose the Daping No. 2 sold in the fishing tackle store, put the earthworms on the nutrient soil, cover it with cardboard, and it will drill into the nutrient soil by itself.

6 Daily feeding: I usually open the lid of the box every 3-5 days to check the feeding of earthworms. In fact, it is mainly to observe the general situation, the moisture of the nutrient soil, the presence of food, the development of earthworms, etc. If I see something inappropriate, I will make timely adjustments. On the one hand, it cultivates personal interest, and on the other hand, it is mainly to summarize management experience.

7. Remember that earthworms are living animals. They need certain environmental conditions for their development and reproduction. Once the environmental conditions are met, you will have an inexhaustible supply of top-quality bait for wild fishing in a few months. Generally, feed them in large quantities once a month. If you feed them in small quantities, you can also feed them once a week or two weeks. Observe them every three to five days and keep them hydrated. If you find earthworms escaping, it is either because they are short of food and need to be fed, or because there is too much water and humidity.

8. It is best to place the breeding box in the bathroom or balcony in the shade and avoid sunlight. Keep the appearance clean so that your family will not be dissatisfied. You can control the amount of water you add. It is better to add more rather than less. Too much water will flow away, and too little will dry it out!

Chairman Mao once said that if you do it yourself, you will have enough food and clothing. In winter, you can't go fishing, so raising earthworms at home is also a hobby. It will be very useful in the spring of next year. In early December, fishing was no longer allowed in the local area. I spent 4 yuan to buy two bags of earthworms for breeding. At present, it has achieved initial results. Please share my pictures with everyone.

Don't throw away the banana peels you've eaten, just put them in the soil. I've tried it.

2. How to breed earthworms?

Earthworms like to be damp and quiet. The breeding farm should be located in a shady, damp and quiet place. It should be heatproof, heat-insulating, well-drained, ventilated, light-proof and free from predators. Old wooden boxes, clay pots, flower pots and other utensils can also be used to feed earthworms indoors. Cow, pig, horse, chicken feces and garbage, fruit peels, leaves, etc. can be used to raise earthworms, but they must be fermented and decomposed first to achieve acid-free, odor-free and no bad smell. Feed can be made of 70% cow dung or pig dung, 20% slag fertilizer or grass, and 10% chicken dung. Mix and pile and ferment for 10 days, stir once, and wait for another week until the feed becomes dark brown, loose in texture and has no bad smell. It can also be piled and fermented with pig dung or cow dung alone.

When breeding for the first time, put a 10-30 cm thick base material, i.e. fermented and decomposed earthworm feed, in the breeding container. Then, dig a 3-6 cm wide base material from top to bottom on one side of the breeding container, and add soil taken from 33 cm below the ground. As long as the earthworms are placed on the mud belt and sprinkled with water, the earthworms will quickly drill into the soil. If the base material does not meet the requirements of the earthworms, they will live in the mud belt and only stick their heads into the base material when foraging; if the base material meets the requirements of the earthworms, the earthworms will quickly drill into the base material. After the nutrients in the base material are consumed, feed is needed, and the block feed method is generally used. When adding feed, first pile the old feed on the feed surface together with the earthworms to one side of the breeding surface, and then add the fermented feed on the blank surface. After 1-2 days, the earthworms in the old feed pile will enter the fresh feed pile one after another, and then remove the old feed earthworm manure on it, and the earthworms and eggs will be separated in this way. There are a large number of follicles in the old feed, which can be collected and hatched separately.

3. How to farm earthworms

Artificial breeding of earthworms is a new business. It can be used as protein feed for livestock, poultry, fish and other breeding. Earthworms can be used to improve soil and cultivate soil fertility. They can also process urban organic waste and turn waste into fertilizer to eliminate the pollution of organic waste to the environment. Earthworms have a wide range of uses and have extremely high economic value.

The wood chip mainly takes the red earthworm as an example to introduce its breeding method. The red earthworm belongs to the family Lumbricidae, the genus Eisenia, and belongs to the dung earthworm. The individual is small, generally 90-150 mm long and 3-5 mm wide. When sexually mature, the average fresh weight of each is 0.50 grams. The body color is purple-red, and the tail is light yellow. It likes to swallow various livestock manure and has a strong fertilizer absorption ability, which is suitable for artificial breeding.

The preparation and fermentation of feed are important material foundations and technical keys for earthworm farming. Earthworm feed comes from a wide range of sources. Any non-toxic organic matter, such as livestock and poultry manure, various plant organs, fruit peels, bagasse, rotten fruits, etc., can be used as earthworm feed after fermentation and decomposition. The growth and reproduction of earthworms require a variety of nutrients, and the main nutritional indicator is the carbon-nitrogen ratio. Nitrogen feed and carbon feed should not be used alone, and must be matched in appropriate amounts so that the ratio is adjusted between 20 and 30. Earthworms are omnivorous animals and require nutritious organic matter.

Earthworm feed is organic waste that has been fully fermented, such as various livestock manure and straw. Before fermentation, the livestock and poultry manure used must be sprinkled with water and crushed. If you use crop straw or rice straw, it is best to cut it into 6-9 cm long with a hoe, then water it, mix it evenly, make it fully moist, and then pile it on the ground. When piling, the material should be loose and not compacted to facilitate the reproduction of high-temperature bacteria. When piling, water should be sprinkled fully, the water content should be between 50-60%, and the pile height should be about 1 meter.

After the feed is piled up, it can be covered with plastic cloth to achieve the purpose of heat preservation and moisture retention. Earthworms are omnivorous annelids. These organic wastes must be composted and fermented before they can be eaten and used, otherwise a large number of earthworms will die. After 3-4 days, the temperature of the accumulated organic waste can rise to between 50-60℃. The pile can be turned over once every half a month and water can be added. After three or four times of turning over and composting, it can be used.

There are many ways to raise earthworms, and flat-ground composting is the most commonly used method, which can be carried out indoors or outdoors.

Take the fully decomposed feed and put it into the earthworm bed. At this time, the well-decomposed feed is dark brown, odorless, soft and non-sticky. The width of the decomposed compost is 80-100 cm and the length is 2-3 meters. Water the feed to keep the moisture content between 60-70%.

To be on the safe side, before formal breeding, feed identification and testing should be done, and a small amount of earthworms should be placed on the feed bed. If the earthworms are unwilling to enter the feed, it means that the feed is not fully decomposed and needs to continue fermenting.

Production practice has proved that the method of flat composting can breed earthworms in large quantities. 1000-2000 earthworms can be inoculated on each bed. After about 3 months, when the earthworms have reproduced in large quantities, they can be cultured in separate ponds in time. Generally, feed is added once a month to ensure that the earthworms have enough feed so that they can reproduce and grow rapidly.

During the growth and development of earthworms, temperature has a great influence on them. Temperatures below 5℃ or above 30℃ are not conducive to the reproduction and growth of earthworms. When the temperature drops to 7℃, a large number of earthworms will escape. If the temperature is below 0℃, they may freeze to death.

The growth temperature of earthworms is between 5-30℃, and the most suitable temperature is 20℃.

Earthworms are aerobic and breathe through their skin, so the feed in the breeding bed must be sufficient in oxygen. Ventilation and loose feed must be provided to ensure sufficient oxygen so that the earthworms can grow well. Otherwise, their growth and development will be hindered, their body color will become dark and dull, and their movements will be slow.

The growth and reproduction of earthworms are closely related to the pH value of the feed. The general adaptable range is between PH6.0 and 8.0, and the most suitable is PH7.0. Exceeding this range, the earthworms will become dehydrated, dry, and atrophied, their body color will turn black and purple, they will feel sluggish, and they will escape.

Production practice has proved that flushing the feed with water before feeding can adjust the pH value. Although flushing the feed with water will lose some water-soluble nutrients, it can remove harmful gases, wash away salts and harmful substances, but the pH value of well-fermented feed does not need to be adjusted.

Earthworms like to eat sweet feed, protein, and feed rich in sugar, especially rotten fruits and vegetable leaves, and they also like to eat sweet and sour feed.

The earthworm feed must be watered frequently to keep moist. Feed that is too dry or too wet will affect the growth and development of the earthworms.

Water is the material basis of earthworms' physiological activities and an important factor in regulating body temperature. Earthworms can obtain water and nutrients from feed.

The water content in the body of earthworms is about 85%, and they must have a certain amount of water to grow and develop.

After the earthworms have eaten the feed for about a month, it is necessary to add new nutritious feed in time. The feed is usually added after the feces are cleaned. The earthworms feed from top to bottom, and the feces particles excreted on the surface accumulate for a long time, which is not good for the growth and reproduction of earthworms and should be removed in time. While scraping the earthworm manure, add new feed to the breeding bed.

When most of the earthworms in the bed have reached a weight of 400-500 mg and the density reaches 15,000-20,000 per square meter, some of the adult earthworms can be harvested. There are many ways to harvest earthworms.

On the surface of the breeding bed, use a multi-tooth rake to loosen the surface bedding. After the earthworms drill down, scrape the surface earthworm castings. Repeat the process of loosening the bedding material and scraping earthworm castings. Finally, the earthworms will be concentrated on the bottom layer, thus achieving the purpose of capturing adult earthworms.

Using earthworm feces on crops can not only improve the soil and the quality of agricultural products, but also increase yields and increase economic benefits.

People should not underestimate the role of tiny earthworms. They are called "environmental guardians" and can handle urban and rural garbage. The feces they excrete are not only high-quality organic fertilizers, but also high-protein feed for livestock, poultry, fish and shrimp. Its development and utilization in food, medicine and other aspects have become more and more popular. Artificial breeding of earthworms and improving recycling can not only reduce the cost of livestock and poultry feed, but also quickly get rid of poverty and become rich. It will play an important role in the development of agricultural production.