Essential Guides for Good Management of Snail Farm

Essential Guides for Good Management

• Avoid snails with damaged shell as this would cause death or loss of weight. It may reduce productivity due to shell regeneration.

• Provision of incubation and hatching of eggs at a temperature slightly above the surrounding temperature.

• Sandy or sandy loamy soil must be used to encourage proper aeration, water damage, the movement of mothers to lay egg in the soil and the movement of the newly hatched young ones in the soil.

• Do not buy parent stock from the snails hung by road sides or the ones beaten by the sun in the market. Buy from a recognized neighboring snail farm or consult an agricultural extension agent in your neighborhood.

• In case of delayed hatching, mechanical scarification and slightly increased temperature can be used to increase the percentage hatching.

• The soil in the snail pen must be kept clean, pulverized regularly and timely, by removing food remnant and faeces especially.

• Snails of the same age or average size/weight should be reared together.
• Overstocking and overcrowding must be avoided.
• The combination of snairy with poultry, cropping or any other quick return business should be undertaken as snairy is a long term business.

• A site having cool, dark and sandy or sandy loam environment with water and feed similar to what is obtainable in the natural habitat should be chosen.

• Adequate calcium carbonate, egg shell, snail shell or oyster shell power is needed for proper shell calciferation and to provide the required pH of 7.2-8.7.

• Housing of size 7.2m + 6m +3.2m should be used for about 250 snails or an enclosure of 1.2m + 1m +0.9m should be used for about 40 adult snails. A soil depth of 15cm is needed to fill the house.

• The height of the snails’ house must not be too high to avoid the snail dropping from a great height which may cause damage of the shell and subsequent loss of weight due to shell regeneration.

• A means of wetting the house must be available especially during the hot weather.
• Mulching materials should be provided to keep the moisture e.g. banana leaves, plantain leaves and water leaf especially during the dry season.

• Snails should be reared near a bountiful supply of feed for cost reduction and hih profit.

• There must be a small hole or slit in the centre of the top of the house to allow light penetration so that they can locate the feed.

Snails’ Enemies and Protection against Them

• Climate: Erratic changes in the temperature and relative humidity may lead to low production and sometimes death.

• Poisons: Chlorinated or treated water, cement and snails’ faeces are poisonous to snails. Salt also kills them easily.

     

• Predators: Predators of snail are forest spider, snakes, hawks, eagles and owls etc. these must be avoided. A snairy must guard against soldier ants and termites.

   

Self Defense

• Nocturnal habits: This means snails are more active at night. This is mainly done in order to escape from its enemies which are diurnals (active during the day).

• Ability to withdraw into its shell during danger. i.e. aestivation. They also do this during unfavorable weather or drought.

• Exudation of slime to avoid enemies.