17/09/2024
𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚
As a snail farmer in Nigeria, the key to your farm’s success is giving your snails the right food at the right time. Hatchlings (baby snails) and adult snails need different types of food to grow and stay healthy. This guide will explain what they need and how you can give them the best care to boost your snail farm.
𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝑬𝒂𝒕 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅?
Yes, baby snails can eat formulated feed, but it must be suitable for their age. Hatchlings need more nutrients like protein and calcium to grow strong and healthy. The feed should be finely ground so they can eat it easily. You should also add natural foods like soft pawpaw leaves, lettuce, and crushed eggshells to give them extra nutrients.
𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉
Hatchlings grow fast, so they need plenty of energy and nutrients. Here’s what you should focus on:
- 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒊𝒏: They need 20-25% 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛 in their feed. This helps them grow muscles and build strong shells.
- 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒊𝒖𝒎: Make sure to give them 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑒𝑔𝑔𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠 or 𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑒. Calcium is vital for shell formation.
- 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓: Keep their enclosure moist and provide foods rich in water, like cucumbers. Snails can’t survive if it’s too dry.
- 𝑭𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓: Hatchlings need soft, easy-to-digest food because their digestive systems are still growing. Foods like boiled yam or soft leaves are good.
- 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆: Feed them 3 times a day with small amounts to match their rapid growth.
Since snails are nocturnal and more active at night, 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑦—𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔. Make sure to leave food overnight so they can eat when active.
𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔: 𝑭𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
Adult snails aren’t growing as fast, so they don’t need as much protein or calcium. However, they still need a balanced diet to stay healthy and produce strong shells.
- 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒊𝒏: Adult snails only need 15-18% 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑖𝑛 in their feed. Too much protein can cause shell deformities.
- 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒊𝒖𝒎: Adults still need calcium, but not as much as hatchlings. Leave cuttlebone or crushed eggshells in the enclosure for them to nibble on.
- 𝑭𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒓: Increase the fiber in their diet with more leafy vegetables. This helps with digestion.
- 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆: Adults can be fed 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑦 or every other day.
Since adult snails are most active at night, 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 or every other evening. Leaving food overnight allows them to eat naturally during their active hours.
𝑨𝒅𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏
Snails in Nigeria behave differently depending on the season. Adjust their feeding routine based on whether it’s rainy or dry.
- 𝑹𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏: Snails are more active, so feed them more 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦-𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑠 like ripe fruits and high-protein feeds.
- 𝑫𝒓𝒚 𝑺𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏: During the dry season, reduce their food slightly since they become less active. Focus more on ℎ𝑦𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 with water-rich foods like cucumber and pawpaw.
𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝑬𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕
The environment affects how well your snails grow. Hatchlings are sensitive to dry conditions, while adults can handle a bit more dryness. Here’s how to manage their space:
- 𝑻𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆: Keep it between 25-30°𝐶. If it’s too cold, they’ll eat less and grow slower.
- 𝑯𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒚: Maintain a humidity level of 80-90% to keep your snails active. Mist their enclosure regularly, but avoid waterlogging it.
𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑨𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅
Many snail farmers make mistakes that harm their snails. Here are some to watch out for:
- 𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔: Too much protein can deform their shells. Stick to lower-protein feeds.
- 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: Hatchlings need frequent feeding. Missing meals will slow their growth.
- 𝑵𝒆𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆: Snails need a moist environment. Dry conditions will make them inactive and slow their growth.
𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆
To make it easier, here’s a simple feeding schedule:
- 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: Feed 2 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑦 with finely ground formulated feed, soft leaves, and calcium supplements.
- 𝑨𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔: Feed 𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑦 with whole leaves, some fruits, and occasional protein supplements.
𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏
Understanding the differences in feeding hatchlings and adult snails can make or break your snail farm. Hatchlings need more protein, calcium, and water, while adults need maintenance-level nutrients. By following the feeding schedules and keeping the environment moist and warm, you’ll raise healthy snails and improve your farm’s productivity. Always monitor their growth and adjust their diet based on the season.
By applying these feeding tips, you can see faster growth rates, healthier snails, and better profits from your snail farm.
Bagzton's Organic Snail Farm
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