CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How to Breed Snails

Snail farming method

Snails are an animal that grows in water. They do not grow in seawater but generally grow and reproduce in freshwater. However, snails have relatively high requirements for the quality of freshwater. Snails cannot grow in freshwater in some polluted areas. Let's learn how to breed snails.

1. Choose a venue

Snails have strong vitality and disease resistance. They can be raised in ditches, paddy fields, and shallow ponds with running water sources. Generally, ponds are built for breeding. The pond specifications are generally 2-3 meters wide and 10-15 meters long. The pond is surrounded by ridges with a height of 0.7 meters, and nets are installed around to prevent the snails from escaping. The bottom of the pond is covered with 20 cm thick fertile mud, and new water is injected. Water lilies, small gourds, red and green duckweed, etc. are raised on the water surface for the snails to eat, and small bamboo poles or wooden strips are inserted in the pond for the snails to live and lay eggs.

2. Release of seedlings

After the pond is built, select the snails or young snails and put them into the pond. Generally, the period from April to November is chosen for seedlings. June to September every year is the season for snails to lay eggs in large quantities. You can go to rice fields and ditches to pick them up, or buy them in the market. The characteristics of female snails are: light brown in color, thin shells, round bodies, and blunt tails. Select 15-20 grams of female snails and put them into the pond. Generally, 10 female snails can be put into the pond per square meter. If young snails are selected as seedlings, they are put into the pond at a ratio of 2:1 between male and female. Female snails are larger, with round bodies and concave shells; male snails are slightly smaller, with longer bodies and convex shells. Young snails can be caught and put on the market after about one year of cultivation.

3. Feeding and Management

Snails have abundant food, and microorganisms, organic matter, and young stems and leaves of aquatic plants in the water are their main food. During the peak growth season of young snails, that is, from April to November, rice bran, wheat bran, tofu dregs, cooked sweet potatoes, small insects, small fish and shrimp, and animal offal should be added. You can also feed them with compound feed. The feeding time is 8-9 o'clock every day. Large baits should be chopped before feeding. The daily feeding amount is about 1.5% of the snail body. New water should be replaced regularly to keep the water quality fresh. The water should be changed about once every 10 days. When the water temperature is above 30℃, new water should be injected frequently to deepen the water level. It is better to keep the water depth at 30 cm. In winter, the water level should be lowered during the day to increase the light. Deepen the water level at night. In order to keep warm, some pig manure and manure should be applied to increase the temperature and fertilize the water quality. Snails are sensitive to pesticides and industrial wastewater. They should be avoided, and ducks should also be noted.

4. Fishing and marketing

After one year of feeding, the snails that weigh more than 15 grams can be caught and put on the market. The methods of fishing can be dry pond fishing or shallow water fishing. At the same time, some female snails should be kept to prepare for the breeding of young snails next year.

5. Winter management

When the water temperature drops to 8-9℃, the snails begin to hibernate. During hibernation, the snails drill into a hole, leaving a small hole on the soil surface, and bubbles come out from time to time. At this time, they do not eat or move. The water depth should be kept at 10-15 cm, and the water should be changed every 4-5 days to increase the oxygen content and allow the snails to safely overwinter.