There is no doubt that snail farming also referred to as snail rearing is a very lucrative agribusiness that can yield huge profits for the farmer. Meanwhile, there are some factors which affects the growth and reproductive performance of the snail farming business thereby causing loss to the farmer.

Additionally, aside being a very lucrative aspect of agriculture, snail rearing is also one of the easiest, less capital intensive, less resources requirement including human resources as it does not require so much expertise or time to be managed which is one of the reasons why i will encourage you as a farmer to think about diversifying if you are currently not a snail farmer, you can think about going into commercial snail farming or snail production because snail business is without any doubt very lucrative.

Snail is a common name for almost all members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in a general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. Otherwise snail-like creatures that lack a shell (or have only a very small one) are called slugs.

Snails survive best in about 27ºc to 28ºc temperature with high humidity of over 80%, the soil of the snail house must be loose with good calcium high in organic matter and water content. A snail house should not be loose, it should be a close house to avoid pilfering and the site must be protected from the wind.

That is why today we will be discussing about those major factors affecting the growth and reproductive performance of snail in snail farming as a business and they can be grouped into the following categories below:

. Environmental Factor
•        Stages of production
•        Feeding
•        Stocking rate
•        Darkness
•        Management Practices
•        Climatic factor
•        Source of the foundation stock.

Environmental Factors Affecting Snail Performance

Climatic factors affecting snail production include the following:

Rainfall
Temperature (Hibernation and Aestivation)
Wind
Light
Relative humidity.

How to avoid excess water in the snail pen:

Drum/Tank: Drum and Tank for rearing snail should be perforated at the bottom or sides to drain the excess water in soil. Wetting of the soil must be moderate.
Cage: Holes should be drilled around the side and bottom of the cage. Avoid excess wetting of the soil.
High Fenced Pen: Palm fronds should be densely placed on the top of the pen

Edaphic Factors Affecting Snail Performance

Factors Affecting the Growth and Reproductive Performance of Snails

Edaphic factors affecting snail farming include the following:

Soil pH
Soil Texture
Soil Structure
Topography
Soil Fertility.

Why You Should Start a Snail Farming Business Today

a. Due to its high nutritional value, snails have become a very popular delicacy. Snail meat is very rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin E as well as vitamin C.

b. Snails are also a good source of protein. Snails are very popular among weight watchers because they are extremely low in calories and fat. Snail meat is also very beneficial to people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and people trying to recover from an injury.

c. With a population of over 160million people, and restaurants scattered all over the country; then starting a snail farming business in Nigeria is really a smart move as the demand cannot even be met by the existing local farmers.

d. Snail farming is not capital and management intensive, especially when compared to poultry and catfish farming. The feeds are readily available and you can even produce it yourself as snails feed on waste. You can start small from your backyard and grow from there.

Read Also: Systems of Crop Production