Snail Farm
How to set up a cattery step by step
Assemble a snail farm It can be a long and complicated path if several important factors are not taken into account..
In this tutorial We show you how to do it step by step and in detail.
PASO 1
Choose the land for your farm
of snails
To start with the snail farm It is necessary to have more or less level ground. In the same way, It is essential that it does not become waterlogged and that it is as square as possible. (for maximum use). You must also have light, water and a good enclosure (to prevent the entry of animals other than the snail farm). Finally, ought be as cheap as possible.
On the other hand, can have a slight slope that helps eliminate water from fattening enclosures. The limit for this slope will be up to us. The snail will have no problem with steep slopes, It will be more a matter of our comfort when working in our helical farms..
Distribution of our snail farm
Currently, our fattening farms are distributed in enclosures, instead of in lines. This must be taken into account since it will determine the dimensions of the hatchery. (width and length), as well as its placement within the terrain.
Our advice is that the enclosures where the snails will be located do not exceed 50 m long and/or wide. That is to say, We do not recommend enclosures larger than 50x50.. If these dimensions are exceeded, it would be more convenient to make two enclosures..
Something to keep in mind when designing the hatchery is that it is necessary to have, at least, two enclosures on each farm. This fact is essential to ensure correct rotation and regeneration of the snail each season.. Ver our breeding model.
Another aspect to consider is that the more square the enclosures are, better performance we will obtain from many of the materials. For example, the anti-leak profile. With fewer meters of profile, we will close more m2 of park. In this way we will get bigger venues with less money.
Depending on how the fattening farms are and are distributed, we will place the structure.
PASO 2
PASO 3
Structure of a
Snail Farm
We should now be clear about the distribution of the land in breeding enclosures and vegetation lines. In this way we can begin to assemble the structure.
The only function of the structure is to support the enclosure meshes and irrigation lines. That's why, we will lighten it as much as possible to reduce costs. On the other hand, The meshes offer great wind resistance, so it is no use making a Libyan structure in order to spend little money..
This section, the structure, It is an investment/work that, if we do well, we will only have to spend money once. From experience, farmers tend to give little importance to this section. They underestimate the force that the wind can exert on the meshes, carried away by the sensation that the wind passes through them.
Currently, we make structures which consist of reinforce the perimeter of the hatchery. Consistent posts are placed in order to replace with tensioned cables all the iron that we previously placed in the form of posts and crossbars.. This represents a saving of around 30%. The current structures can be seen more developed and detailed in our courses and visits.
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The misting system
How does it "fit" irrigation in the structure of me snail farm?
First of all, once the metal structure is finished, we will have to place wires every 1m wide. They are placed from front to back of our snail fattening farm. This helps us to ensure that the mesh is better placed and It will serve as a support to place the irrigation hoses.
In second place, on one of those wires (the one that passes exactly through the center of the vegetation zone) we will hold the polyethylene hose (PE). This hose is where, later, we will puncture the nebulizers. All (the wires) They will serve to hold the roof mesh. This mesh will give us a total enclosure, avoiding escapes and predation.
On the other hand, the wires must be very taut. This can be achieved by tying it on one side and pulling vigorously on the opposite side.. If we do this operation with tensioners, we will have to have a lot of “tact”. If we tighten too much we can bend the perimeter stringers where we hold the wire lines. After placing the wires we will place the PE hoses with which we will give water to the nebulizers.
How do we calculate irrigation?
The calculation of the sections of these hoses depends on the size of the hatchery. But for a 50x20m fattening farm we could use a PE connection of 50 and branches (which are the ones that go along the areas with clover) of PE of 25. You must have the connection in the center of the hatchery, perpendicular to the vegetation zones. The branches along, above the clover and right in the center of them.
What type of irrigation do I choose for my snail farm??
He mist irrigation can be replaced or complemented with a drip irrigation. A drip hose is placed in the center of the part intended for vegetation. It is important that the moisture barrier created by the hose drippers does not reach the bottom of the shelters.. If so, we would generate problems by wetting the excrement that accumulates underneath.
Both systems have advantages and disadvantages but if we have both we can use the one best suits the needs of the hatchery at every moment.
PASO 4
PASO 5
Place the anti-leak profile on my
snail farm
The anti-leakage profile must be buried about 8-10cm. On the one hand, so that rodents do not easily enter y, for another, so that no snails come out of the fattening farms.
A small trench made with a hoe will be enough. Once the trench is made, the profile is placed as straight and level as possible., helping us with a rope to keep the line. The leveling will depend on the terrain since the profile is placed following the line of the ground so we will give importance to its continuity (that there are no gaps between piece and piece) before his level.
On the other hand, so that the anti-leak profile is fully effective, it is necessary Make sure that weeds will not grow close to it and act as an exit bridge.. That's why, We ALWAYS place an anti-grass mesh along with the profile. This mesh must be buried on both sides. One of them is buried along with the profile to prevent leaks underneath them..
Puncture the nebulizers
Once the snail farm is practically finished, the nebulizers are punctured in the PE hose branches of 25.
For this, one has to decide the separation at which they will be placed. This distance will depend on its characteristics. All manufacturers give the irrigation radius and water consumption in l/h. These are the parameters that will determine its distribution.
On the other hand, The nebulizers that we use should not have a consumption greater than 30 l/h. Nor should they give an irrigation radius of more than 1m to 1m from the ground.. The reason is that if the nozzles consume more than 30 l/h, the water flow required for our snail farm will be too large. Besides, If the irrigation radius is more than 1m, it will water the hallways.
For this reason, We recommend that they be placed in such a way that leave areas of the hatchery without watering. That is to say, that within our hatchery there are areas with more humidity and areas with less (or drought). This is very useful for placing shelters and feed..
PASO 6
PASO 7
The snail farm and its vegetation
Once the irrigation system is finished, it's time to sow vegetation.
To do this you will have to have plowed the land. A mixture of seeds will be sown, that will serve as shelter for our snails, at the same time as feeding since, if we choose the right varieties, It will perfectly complement the feed.
On the other hand, It would be important for this work to be carried out in with sufficient planning and advance notice. For March, the plant cover, It should already be well grown and closed. It can also be done in February and March but it will take longer for the vegetation to be prepared.
Placing the meshes
enclosure in snail farms
The ideal, for the type of snail farm that we have described, the thing is the enclosure meshes are made to measure.
On the one hand, the ones above (anti-hail meshes) should be from 9 m wide. On the other hand, to the sides of the helical park are used 3m wide and shading meshes 80%.
First of all, side meshes are placed. The entire perimeter of the hatchery is closed and the meshes are securely fastened with the fastening profiles..
Finally, the roof mesh is placed. In our case, we place the mesh along the hatchery. That is to say, each arch of the structure 54m long x 9 m wide, is covered with the width of the anti-hail mesh (9 m). This is tied with the clip profile to the metal structure (stringers) on both sides.
Once the mesh is on, we will have an absolute enclosure of the farm that will protect us from large flocks of birds.
PASO 8
PASO 9
Placing my furniture
snail farm
Now we just need to equip our farm with the necessary furniture to facilitate the work of raising snails..
For that we will need SHELTERS.
It is about sandwich panels that serve as shelter for the snail providing ideal temperature and humidity conditions while protecting them from direct sunlight..
The wooden ones are usually well priced, but we advise against it.
We recommend the sandwich pieces that can be obtained in scrap form as waste material at prices very economical.
Its useful life is longer, They are easy to clean and difficult to get dirty. Its arrangement in the hatchery is on both sides of each aisle continuously..
We used flags years ago but we no longer use them. why, although they were a great convenience when collecting snails, they do not meet the requirements that the snail needs to be well.
Besides, accumulated large amount of dirt on the bottom and does not prevent that area from getting wet with irrigation. For all this, it was common that become a problem rather than a solution.
Finally, the snail farm feeders also have been removed from current breeding sites.
The fact of locating food at a point (feeder) means concentrating snail around that same point. One of the most important things in our hatcheries is that the snail is well dispersed, without crowds in some places and unpopulated in others. For this reason, we use the top of the shelters as a feeder (They are throughout the entire nursery). Even the hallways themselves are a good option to make a homogeneous distribution of food throughout the farm.
Release of the fry in our snail farm
Surely the release of the fry snail is the most exciting and anticipated step. It has no major complications.
Once the snail fry has been received, the boxes are opened and are distributed as evenly as possible along the breeding lines until reaching a density of between 30.000 y 50.000 snails per 100m2, or what is the same, between 0,75 y 1 kg of fingerling snail per 100m2 of snail breeding area.
For this, It is important to give a small irrigation to the breeding site so that the vegetation has moisture and allows the snail to move and disperse easily.. If the day is already rainy, we can skip this step..
First of all, Unopened boxes are distributed throughout the hatchery. (If you open them in a few minutes they will be full of fry and you will not be able to grab them). In such a way that I already delimit the hatchery surfaces that must be filled with each box..
Once the boxes are evenly distributed, they open and fall among the vegetation. The entire process is done one at a time so as not to have problems with the snail escaping from the boxes before release..
If at the time of release there is a possibility of low temperatures, we can put the snail fry in a smaller part of the nursery and cover it with a thermal blanket for a week or 10 days.
Warning: the first weeks it will seem that the snails are not there, who are gone or have died, but they are. Look for them at the bottom of clover leaves.
PASO 10
Requirements to set up a snail farm
Finally, if you are determined to set up your own snail farm, you must take into account, is that it is a economic and livestock activity.
So, You must comply with a series of important requirements before starting that project.
This is just the beginning!
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