It will interest you to know that you don't need huge amount of capital to start a snail farm if only you understand the season. Starting a snail farm in your compound during their breeding season and growing them for commercial purpose is a business that will give you huge interest without stress.
Snail Farming/Heliciculture is the process of rearing edible land snails in a monitored system, primarily for human consumption and other commercial use.
Snails are hermaphrodites, they have both male and female reproductive organs, they mate with each other and lay eggs, the hatching ability of their eggs depends on soil temperature, humidity and composition. The eggs hatches into baby snails between 21-28 days.
RESOURCES YOU WILL NEED TO START A SNAIL FARM
1. Space/ conducive environment
2. Materials to prepare house/pen for your snail
3. Means of getting the best specie of snail for your farm
4. Snails feed and treatment
SPACE AND ENVIRONMENT FOR SNAIL REARING
Snails are raised in the living premises, either in INTENSIVE or EXTENSIVE housing. Snails dig in soil and ingest it, good soil favors snail growth and provides some of their nutrition.
Snails thrive in damp but not waterlogged environments and thus a well-draining soil with (20 to 40)% organic content, humid and moist is required for snail cultivation.
SNAIL HOUSING SETTINGS YOU CAN CHOOSE FOR YOUR FARM
1. Fenced garden, screened with wire or net to restrict movement and protect snails against prey
2. Trench in a suitable habitat with concrete, metal or wood, making the soil depth of about 8 to11 inches then screen with net or wire to prevent your snails from escaping.
3. Make a square pen with bamboo and mosquito net, cover the top, then plant about 6 variety of crops, that the snails will chose from to eat.
4. You can also use a Cage, Drum, Tyre, Basket etc.
MEANS OF GETTING THE BEST SPECIE OF SNAIL FOR YOUR FARM
To establish a snail farm, it is best to get snail from the forest or snail farm instead of buying from market. This is because their exposure to sunlight after been brought to market affects their fertility.
EASY METHOD TO PICK SNAIL FROM FOREST
Clear a little portion of land during raining season in the bush, spray sweet fruits like pineapple, pawpaw, banana, orange, plantain etc. about 5:30pm, then go back there at about 8pm to 10:30pm, you will pick snails suitable for rearing. Continue the process until you have enough quantity for your farm.
ANOTHER WAY TO GET A GOOD SPECIE OF SNAIL Is buying the specie and the quantity you need from a snail farmer.
SNAILS FEED
Snails are omnivores, they feed on a wide variety of food mostly in the night and at dusk, that is snails are nocturnal in the natural habitat. They also feed during the day when it rains or there is very dark cloud.
The feeding activity of snails depends on the weather, and they may not necessarily feed every day. Evening irrigation in dry weather may encourage feeding since the moisture makes it easier for the snails to move about.
Put the breeding snails in the breeding pens in April or early May. Feed until mid June when mating begins, the snails stop feeding. Snails resume eating after they lay eggs. Once snails have laid their eggs, the adult snails can be removed.
If you are raising a snail, the best time to feed and water them is either in the morning or evening.
SNAILS FEED CONSISTS OF;
LEAVES: (pawpaw, cocoyam, plantain, water)leaf
FRUITS: banana, plantain, pawpaw, mango
TUBERS: potato, cocoyam, cassava
GRAINS: maize, soybean, millet etc.
Supply calcium at least once a week if it is not available in the soil. It should not contain harmful salts or be so alkaline as to burn the snails.
WATER: clean water should be made available to snails in pens every morning and evening, preferably rain, river or well water. Avoid the use of chlorinated (tap water) or water with insecticide, herbicide or fungicide during irrigation.
∆ The best specie of snail I will recommend for anyone interested to farm snail is ACHANTINA ACHANTINA also known as African giant snail. Best season to start is the raining season.
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