Daily Routine Duties in a Snail Farm

March 13, 2023 Agric4Profits

Snail farming business also known as Heliciculture or Heliculture or snail rearing is the process of raising edible land snails, primarily for human consumption or cosmetic use. The meat and snail eggs can be consumed as escargot and as a type of caviar respectively.

Snails also produce Mucus which is commonly known as snail slime and the mucus has medical properties and is used in cosmetics. Snails are Hermaphrodites meaning that a particular snail can act as a male as well as also act as a female.

Snail farming or snail rearing can either be reared as subsistence snail farming level or for commercial snail farming business level where you raise snails in large quantity and sell them to others for consumption or other purposes.

Meanwhile, snail farming for beginners is very easy as snail farming does not require much knowledge to understand. As a beginner in snail farming business, all you need to do is carry an expert along on undergo a training in an already well established snail farm to acquire more practical knowledge about snail farming to guide and assist you establish and run a successful snail farm.

Snails are also cold-blooded animal and therefore their feeding activities are bound to be influenced by their environment, time and season. In preparing food for snails (snail food or snail feeding), the temperature inside the pen is hugely important, ensure that the snails are comfortable.

It has also been discovered that one of the mistakes that have cost many snail farmers their businesses is believing that snails can eat anything. The right Snail feed for your snail farming business is an essential practice of snail farming that needs the highest priority, as its one of the major factors that influence the following:

The Flesh Size of Your Snails
How your snails lay eggs
Shell formation on your snails
The Taste of Your Snails Meat (the sweeter and healthier their feed is, the better they taste)
The Survival Rate of Your Snails

Meanwhile, snail feeding varies with Snail Species, but our focus is on the Archachatina Marginata (we are glad to be of help if you are still having challenges identifying the specie of snail ideal for sustainable snail farming).

The Archachatina Marginata (or AM species for short) are herbivores; meaning they feed majorly on plants. Snails may become cannibals if left unfed for some days and they can start to eat one another. Snail diets range from carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and even to water.

Snails drink water because it refreshes them. A major important mineral is calcium; which helps in their shell formation and egg production.

Some of the basic daily routine duties to be carried out in your snail farm include the following activities:

1. Check the housing units regularly and any dead or infected snails found removed.

2. Remove regularly the leftover feeds in the housing.

3. Clean and replenish water trays with fresh cool water untreated.

4. Clean the pens and the surrounding regularly.

5. Make sure that the soil is well covered with dry leaves (mulching).

6. In the dry season, wet the soil adequately to remain moist always. Many snails aestivate at this time because of low weather temperature and relative humidity. However, in the rainy season, if the rain is

abundant, it may not be necessary unless the soil seems dried.

7. Check whether the wire netting or mosquito net is intact.

8. Check the water in the container mixed with used engine oil, in case of cage system, if it is adequate

for prevention against soldier ants.

9. Feed the snails after sun-set (6p.m to 7pm) to preserve the freshness of the feeds.

10. Keep the door to the housing unit always shut.