Mistakes In Snail Farming

Mistake 1 :  Lack of requisite knowledge.
Snail farming is a knowledge-based venture. It is quite unfortunate that many people view it a goldmine and dabble into it without first attempting to acquire sound knowledge of this creature. The brunt is high rate of mortality, consequent frustration and eventual abandonment of the venture.
Mistake 2. Lack of Mentor-ship.
Snails are wonderful creatures of various species passing through series of events in their life cycles. Various life stages posses special features and pose different challenges. Going into snail farming without a mentor, you may have to pay the learning price dearly. To succeed in a snail farming business, you need a mentor, at least a successful snail farmer who you can take after.
Mistake 3. Choosing wrong snail species as foundation stock for a commercial snail farming
Most times, newbies complained of high fertility and high mortality incidences at their farms, in most cases these budding snail entrepreneurs might have chosen AF or AA as their foundation stocks. It is highly advisable you start your snail farm with AM as these giant snails are mainly recognised for commercial purpose in our dear country, though not as prolific as others but they grow bigger faster than those mentioned above.
Mistake 4. Poor daily practice and farm management
Many acclaimed snail farmers perform poorly when it comes to daily practice in a snail farm, some mulch their snail with wet plantain leaves, some don't know how to wet their snail farms during dry season, poor feeding system, ineffective pen, poor planning, to mention a few.


Things to Know Before Starting Your Snail Farming Business
Snail Farming
Heliciculture, also known as heliculture , commonly known as snail farming, is the process of raising land snails specifically for human use, either to use their flesh as edible escargot or, more recently, to obtain snail slime for use in cosmetics and snail eggs for human consumption as a type of caviar and snail farming is a very lucrative business venture for the practitioners.
Not all snails are consumed by humans; some can be downright toxic. Some have other uses: many produce substances used by cosmetic manufacturers. Luckily most large land snails are edible and are a highly sought-after delicacy that attracts a premium price in the marketplace.
Habitat for Snails
Snail live in places as marshes, woodlands, pond, margins, flower beds and gardens to moist sand dunes and under vegetation. Many are found in Europe, India, Africa and the Middle East.
What Do Snails Eat?
Feeding is the single most important factor in snail farming. Snails are easy to feed, they will feed on nearly every organic food source that is non-toxic, not hairy/waxy including leaves, fruits, vegetables, tubers and household wastes (that contain no Table Salt (NaCl).
The snail despite its apparent sluggishness is a highly voracious feeder, depending on the choice of delicacies in its immediate environment. Snails feed on fruits, vegetables like cabbage, carrots, mangoes, apple, veggies like banana, melon, cabbage, carrot, pawpaw, lettuce, cucumber, potato, pumpkin, plantain etc. Some people formulate special feeds for snails but you have to outweigh the cons with the pro.Think of cheaper sources! Fruit markets, gardens and even the bush behind your house.
Snails prefer eating living plants, and you can also find them eating certain mushrooms and fallen leaves.
Other  food  land snail can include algae, decaying leaves, flowers, and the bark of trees. Snails also actively seek calcium because it is an important ingredient that helps build their shells so can eat shells. Snails are not strictly herbivores but more like omnivores because they are opportunistic feeders.
Snails also drink water so farmers should provide a source of water that is easily reachable.
Snails’ Enemies and Protection against Them
Starting an Escargot Business
The escargot business is lucrative and attracts a premium price for snails that are hand-reared in snail farms. The business can encompass the rearing, wholesaling or retailing of snails to customers and end users.