The snail farming business is one of the most unknown in the agricultural and livestock sector., but in reality Helicculture (which is the activity aimed at raising land snails), it's very old.
In this post you will find all the information necessary to set up a snail farm step by step., taking into account the different phases so that you know in depth how you should do it.
Set up a Snail Farm step by step
Below we show you the most important phases to set up a snail farm step by step with illustrative videos..
The right terrain
This is the first video of a series that we are going to upload about the most important aspects when setting up a Snail Farm. On this occasion we will talk to you about the Terrain. What feature should it have and how to choose the most suitable one.
The layout of the hatchery
In this second episode of the series “How to set up a snail farm”, We are going to see the distribution of the hatchery since it is one of the most important parts of the entire project.
We will see among other things, how to assign and design hallway dimensions, vegetation, shelters or irrigation systems.
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The structure of the hatchery
This is undoubtedly the most important step before starting to set up your snail farm..
Plan the distribution and structure of what your kennel will be on the plan., so let's look at it in detail..
Irrigation
In this video we will touch on a fundamental factor to have a really productive snail farm and that is the irrigation system..
I will show you how we have it in our snail farms and some important recommendations.
Install anti-leak profiles
In this series of videos on how to set up a snail farm, We have talked about several important factors, but this time we will see how to prevent them from escaping.
Something so important that it should not be neglected and you have to know how to do it correctly..
Prick the nebulizers for the irrigation system
The irrigation system is one of the most important points in a snail farm and there are many types of schemes..
On this occasion I will talk to you about how we do it and the reason for this system..
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The history of our snail farm
Jorge Benito and his brother Raúl are the promoters of Helix Zamarro, one of the most important snail farms in the world.
Silvia G. Rojo
The North of Castile, Domingo, 18 julio 2021, 09:12
Jorge Benito and his brother Raúl rode in the year 2008 the company Helix Zamarro, It is a snail breeding and fattening farm that back in the year 2008 created
«At the beginning we made a lot of mistakes», Jorge assumes, that's why part of His current job is to advise to those who are starting out in that world.
«It makes me angry that they make the same mistakes, you start with something that sounds as romantic as trial and error, be self-taught, but we are turning to knowledge.
He maintains that «very little is known about snails, there are no scholars, Those who know the most are those who study pests, but more about how to kill it than how to keep them, so It is not very smart to waste time rehearsing a mistake that others have made., hence the effort in trying to help other farmers».
Settled in the Salamanca town of Ciudad Rodrigo, Jorge and his brother have a post where they explain step by step how set up a snail farm.
They also have Online courses, consultancies y sale of materials to create and manage farms for breeding snails.
«The newborn snail is provided with the best conditions so that it grows and develops in the shortest time possible., but always respecting its life cycle.
Things are made easier for you, growth is not forced faster than normal. The resources you need to grow are covered.".
Key Moments in a Snail Farm
One of them is the end of the campaign because it marks the beginning of the next one., it's time to remove snails and vegetation and "we furnish the hatchery for the start of the next season".
The fry snail arrives at the hatchery in spring, "It's a delicate moment, "they can drop out".
For the next month and a half "we almost forgot they were there", more than anything because they are not seen, y between the months of May and July work is feeding, what es when snails breed.
Jorge explains that at the beginning, in that space they distribute between 5 y 10 kilos of feed per week, but in the final stage, you reach the 75 kilos daily.
«Es very important to adjust it well, not only because of the cost of feed, but because what is left over is organic matter that decomposes and is bacteria in the nursery., That's why you have to adjust little by little.".
Collection and distribution of snails
Starting this week They will start collecting snails and finish towards the end of September. «That is the end of the campaign and the beginning of the next».
The snail that leaves that park It is for consumption, but this exploitation also has a reproduction room on a large scale, where they reproduce the fingerling snail for other farms.
«Of our snails, a percentage is selected and tested to enter the reproduction room, the best and most cared for, the rest go to consumption as a live snail o packing».
On the destination of productions for consumption, Jorge comments that the snail is consumed "in many parts".
Cita France and Italy as European countries and in the case of Spain, Catalonia «It is the place where it is consumed for the longest continuous time. Its consumption is very seasonally adjusted.
Instead, In Andalusia it is consumed in spring, although it is a different snail than ours ».
There is also tradition in Castilla y León or Basque Country, «It is a resource of the countryside, very rooted in traditional cuisine».
Although it is true that the taste for snail is not lost, yes the expert hands that have traditionally made it, from there, who already work in another line of business, the snail ready to consume.