SORTING AND SNAIL FARMING MANAGEMENT
sorting snails is the process involve in selecting/arranging your snails according to their sizes, in groups and rearing them in that order. Sorting in most cases is ignored by many Farmers and an overlooked practice which can hinder snails functionality to grow, to reproduce, to feed, to survive etc. for several reasons snails will do better when they are sorted according to their sizes when compared to when they are put together irrespective of their sizes. The growth rate of these snails even of the same species differs and sorting is the appropriate measure to solve any issue of such.
The sorting makes it much easier for production and growth and every snail farmer are adviced to do the sorting of snail.
SNAIL EGG MANAGEMENT
One of the most challenging task as a snail farmer, is getting your snail eggs to hatch, this is one of the most tasking thing which you must have to do, as it is a determining factor to the success and growth of your snail farm. To achieve this however, there is a need for more knowledge and there are other basic factors that must be considered and put in place:
The below list are requirements and steps needed to make sure you get the best practice when it comes to snail egg Management.
Nature of soil: using the right type of soil isn't enough, the water content of the soil has to be enough to make it just moist and not soaked with water.
Environment condition: the incubated eggs needs a cool environment; a high level of humidity. An environment where the air feels hot or too stuffy just won't give u the desirable outcome.
Exposing eggs to the atmosphere: surely there is a reason why snails bury their eggs upon laying them. Leaving those eggs exposed to wind/sunlight decreases thier chances of hatching.
Handling: care should be taken when dealing with the fragile nature of the eggs so as not to crack them. Obviously a damaged egg won't hatch.
Also read IMPORTANT KEYS FOR DAIRY GOAT FARMING BUSINESS
HOW TO HATCH YOUR SNAIL EGGS
1. Get a plastic and disposable plate with a cover.
2. Then Place 1cm of soil
3. Arrange the harvested eggs on one per square inch
4. Now Place another 1 cm of soil over them.
5. Watch every early morning for hatched snails (especially when you don't know when the eggs in question were laid)
Note: Incubationu sually takes 18-22 days.
6. Transfer newly hatched snails to a nursery.
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUNGER SNAILS
One of the most knowledge most commercial snail farmers seek is how to care and hatch the younger snails. This is another stressful steps especially when you are rearing smaller types of snails.
in this steps we will be looking at The basic hatchlings methods and how to make the breeders lay more eggs.
As you may already know, there are growers whose primary function is to grow and no special care or attention is required. In as much as the process can be time consuming it is however easy to assimilate.below are the highlighted points and important tips needed to cater for your snails and hatching process.
Also read FAQs of snail farming business
2. Overcrowding: if you want your growers to grow in size and mature quickly, you'll have to give them the space they need to do so. Overcrowding hampers growth, amongst other undesirable things just as we stated in the above content about sorting, it is hence very important not to overcrowd your snails.
3. Environmental conditions: your snails need the right environmental condition, especially for your growers and it should be with high humidity and low temperature. It doesn't matter how much food you give to them. As long as their environmental condition isn't good enough, they won't grow well and may end up growing into smaller adults.
4. Feeding: at this stage compound feed is most beneficial. They need all the required nutrients to grow and this can easily be gotten from formulated feeds. Vitamins gotten from fruits are also important and must not be excluded from their diets.
WHAT MAKES SNAIL FARMING HIGHLY PROFITABLE
One of The beauty of snail farming rotates around the high rate at which snails reproduces.
Snail farming isn't as popular as other livestocks farming Business such as fishery or poultry at the moment in Africa. but my guess is, that likely won't be the case in the next couple years beause snail farming has gotten out of the shadows and it is becoming recognized as a highly profitable livestock farming.. gone are the days when we only have to source for snails in the bush.
Snails are slow in virtually everything they do... it's as if they are living in thier own slow motion world where everything is going slowly.. and even when it comes to growing, trust me they know how to take their time, and that in particular is one of the major challenging factor for farmers considering to go into snail farming. But if only they are aware of how much these creatures reproduce which I must say, very well compensates for how long it takes them to grow.. because In snail farming it's realy all about the numbers. I mean if animals were called by maths signs, snails would be called "multiplication
Snail farming cannot be overemphasize as it is one of the slow farming Business that many are slow to learn and tap from, the few farmers into snail growing can testify to that.
Conclusion
In as much as the snail farming Management isn't an easy one especially when it comes to hatching, sorting and growing the younger ones it however requires patience and passion to be successful in it.
First you have to study your snail and the environment, there are also predators to be worried about however we will cover that topic in our next content on Snail Farming.
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