Seasonal and Daily Management Practices for Snail
In any livestock farming operation including snail farming business, good management practices are the key to success. These management practices can be carried out on daily, weekly or even monthy basis to enahnce the performance of your animals including snail farming (snail rearing) business.
Today we are going to discuss about the seasonal and daily management practices for snail below:
Seasonal activities, as described below, follow the march of the seasons of West Africa, with breeding and egg laying in March through July. Note that domesticated snails may continue laying during the dry season as well (Omole, et al. 2007).
Snail breeders in other parts of the (sub)humid tropics should adapt the management cycle to local conditions.
In semi-intensive or intensive snail farming, farmers keep and care for hatchlings, growers and breeding snails in separate hutch boxes or pens.
Caring for Snail Hatchlings
Hatchlings require more humid conditions than adult snails. They should be fed tender leaves , such as paw paw and/or cocoyam, and a calcium supplement for good shell development. The soil in their pens should be kept moist and enough water should be provided. The pens should be fitted with small gauze wire mesh or nylon mesh; otherwise the small snails will escape. Hatchlings and juveniles may be kept at a density of around 100/m2.
Caring for Snail Growers
Growers should be transferred to separate pens at around 3 months of age, at a stocking density of 30-40 snails/m2
For fast growth, they might be given compound feed, rich in crude protein, calcium and phosphorus, besides their normal diet.
Snail Breeders
Breeders start to lay eggs at sexual maturity, at the age of 10 to 12 months. They should be transferred to boxes or pens at a density of 10-15 snails/m2
Note that stocking densities mentioned are indications. The general stocking density guideline of 1-1.5 kg snail/m2 should always be kept in mind!) soil should be loosened to facilitate egg laying.
The breeders’ ration must be rich in crude protein and calcium. Any eggs found on the surface must be buried promptly to a depth of 1 to 2 cm. Before hatching, the soil on top of the clutches might be loosened or removed to facilitate uniform emergence. To avoid cannibalism, the breeders must be removed to their growing pens soon after the hatchlings emerge.
Adults no longer required for breeding are kept in fattening pens until ready for sale or consumption.
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Daily management involves several activities which include the following:
1) Feeding
Snails should be fed after sunset. The feed must not be stale or moldy. Leftovers should be removed the following morning. Water should be replenished.
2) Housing
Check whether wire mesh and mosquito netting are intact; repair where necessary. Clean the pens. Keep doors or covers of the snail pens closed and locked.
3) Soil
Keep the soil moist by mulching and watering if necessary, in the dry season. Never add fresh poultry droppings to the soil. Change soil in the cages every three months.
4) Hygiene
Check pens for any dead snails; remove them immediately. Do not use insecticides or herbicides in your snailery. Handle your snails care-fully and wash them with water from time to time.
5) Recording
Record inputs and output of your snail farm daily. Include your own labor or that of family members, and inputs, like food or repairs to the pens.
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Five (5) Funny Requests of Snails
(1) Check on me daily, don’t be tired of me I.e be my friend.
(2) Give me a comfortable habitat, my house must be cool at all times, use plantain leafs as mulching to make me feel at home.
(3) You must give me fresh food at all times for me to look healthy ie every left over food must be removed and give me clean water to drink because it boosts my productivity.
(4) You must be very observant to know when am ill and take immediate action to make sure that i survive it, that is the only way you can be called a snail farmer. But if you always let me and my brothers die in your farm, you need to learn more about me because we don’t die any how.
(5) I don’t like be over crowded, because it makes me and my brothers to be uncomfortable and can lead to our illness which can send us to our early grave.
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