Types of pens to consider in snails farming

AFRICAN Hidden Million s(SNAIL Farming) 

Rearing snail in Nigeria... 

The rearing and management of snails in ventilated enclosures for consumption or commercial purpose is termed snail farming. It is worthy of note that Heliculture is being used in some countries to describe snail farming but it is really used to describe the farming of a particular specie of snails known as Helix which are predominantly found in Europe.
Snails are found in abundance in the rainforest most especially during the wet season. In the dry season however, they become scarce, this may be due to the fact that supply are only got from snail scavengers who pick from nearby bushes. This system of handpicking snails does not guarantee constant supply; there is thus the need to boost production through private and commercial rearing.
EDIBLE LAND SNAILS
Different species of land snails are known to be edible in their native countries, the common ones we have in Nigeria are the Achachatina Maginata, Achatina achatina and achatina fulica. The A. achatina has strong shell with pointed apex; it has black wave-like lines with color brown in between. The meat is softer compared to A. maginata which is the biggest of the three species. It has very strong shell which is blunt at the apex.
BENEFITS OF REARING SNAILS
1. It is a cheap source of animal protein.
2. Snail rearing is cheap compared to other animals.
3. Snail meat is rich in calcium and phosphorus, values of which are lower in beef.
4. Snail rearing is easier and less tedious; in addition, they are harmless.
5. Massive increment in the population of snails can be achieved in a short time and within a limited space because they are hermaphrodite.
6. Hypertensive patients can consume snails because of its low cholesterol and fat.
7. Its shell has artistic value and besides, it is used in livestock feed formulation to supply calcium.
8. Snail rearing creates employments for snail farmers and marketers.
9. The rearing of snails is highly profitable; there are demands for it locally and internationally.
10. The excreta and remnants of food from the snail’s pen is a good source of manure.
11. The slime of snails is used in Nigeria to prepare local concoction to relieve asthmatic attacks.
LIFE CYCLE
Snails are hermaphrodite i.e. each has both male and female sex organs but this does not erase mating as two sexually matured snails (4-6 months) will still have to come together when the atmosphere is conducive. The mating results in the storage of sperm by both, this is later used for egg fertilization. It is important to note that snails can store the sperm for months; this reduces the need for frequent mating.
Snails prefer to dig up small holes to lay and burry their eggs in clusters. The eggs hatch into hatchlings after incubation period of 21-40 days for A. maginata, 10-30 days for fulica and 15-30 for A. achatina. A. maginata normally lays a cluster of 5-14 eggs that is similar in shape to the eggs of lizards. This is done on a quarterly basis. The rate at which egg clusters are laid by a healthy snail may slightly increase or decrease based on the quality and quantity of feed consumed. A. achatina lays between 80-400 eggs per clutch once to thrice a year. A Specie of Achatina (A. Fulica) lays more eggs and clusters than A. achatina. The fulica eggs and hatchlings are delicate and fragile so, they should be handled with great care. It is important to state here that the fulica are better adapted to weather changes than the other two.
CARE OF EGGS AND BABY SNAILS
Arrange the eggs in separate perforated wooden boxes or plastic buckets covered with wire netting and filled with baked, rich loamy soil or sawdust to a depth of 4cm. Burry the eggs inside the soil/sawdust and apply water regularly till they hatch into miniature adults with soft shells surrounding the flesh.
The newly hatched snails should be reared in separate housing units. Feeding materials for them should be softer. A well fed baby snails can attain sexual maturity at 4-6 months and are expected to reach their maximum sizes in less than two years. African giant snails live up to 5-6 years and few could attain the old age of 9-15 years.
For egg hatchling success, loamy soil or sawdust with optimum moisture contents should be chosen, too much or too little moisture content in the incubation medium (loamy soil, sawdust) will either prolong or prevent hatchling.
SELECTION OF BREEDING STOCK
It is important to take the following factors into consideration when selecting snails for breeding to ensure high productivity:
1. SHELL: - Snails with cracked or broken shells should be avoided; the shell should be smooth, brightly colored and properly formed.
2. FLESH: - The flesh should fill the shell, do not select those with wrinkled or emaciated flesh.
3. AGE: - Old snails should be avoided as they might not lay eggs again.
4. NUMBER OF EGGS: - The fulica and A. achatina satisfy your thirst of having highly prolific species. They lay between 80-400 eggs per clutch once to four times a year.
If you are buying your stock from farms, request for the genetical history of the snails. This should center on the growth rate, productivity and resistance to disease.
HOUSING
Snails live naturally in the wild, to rear them indoors successfully; appropriate and ideal housing units have to be put in place. Some of the common units are listed below
Basket: A medium sized basket, half-filled with wood shavings or sterilized rich loamy soil and placed on concrete floor can hold 5-10 matured snails.
Wooden Cage: A wooden cage measuring 120m x 60cm x 50cm with four legs, nettled body and lid; filled with sterilized rich loamy soil / wood shavings to a depth of 15cm can hold 50 matured snails. The cage could be in steps; in that case, the doors should be in the front so that each can open freely.
A trench measuring 2.4m by 1.2m by 0.60m made from cement blocks with the top part covered round with wire netting can hold between 100-200 mature snails.
A SNAIL PEN: A snail pen is designated to hold a larger number of snails for a large-scale production. It is made from cement blocks with the top part high enough to allow attendants go in and out. The top part is nettled round to disallow predators from penetrating. Shallow rooted plants can be grown inside to provide shade and food. As snails can burrow through the soil and escape, there is a need to cement the floor of the trench and pen. Sterilized rich loamy soil or wood shavings is then packed in to a depth of 15cm. To avoid pilfering, flooding during heavy rains and excessive heat during the hot season; the cage, trench and pen should be provided with lids netted on the inside and covered outside with iron roofing sheet, split or whole bamboo and or palm leaves.
Rubber Tyres: About 3-4 of these could be placed on each other to serve as housing unit. It is covered with netted wire mesh to ward off predators. The tyres should not have any wire protrusion. It is better to place them on a concrete floor to prevent escape through burrowing.
The Water Rack System (ws) is a modern housing unit for snail; it is made of metal frames and aluminium covering to reflect heat. Water shower could be incorporated into the steps to flush the excreta and slimes produced by the snails as wastes. The choice of the metal and aluminium is to ensure durability, in addition, the shower and the aluminium will keep the temperature in the rack low and a high humidity is maintained. The water rack system can house more than a thousand snails depending on the size.
Whichever housing system one adopts, it should be constructed in a way to:
1) Keep off predators
2) Have adequate ventilation and shade
3) Allow for easy cleaning
4) Avoid overcrowding
5) Avoid painting materials, strong odour and soils treated with chemicals
FEEDS AND FEEDING
Snails are omnivores; they feed virtually on all plant and animal substrate. They can eat any of the following materials:
Leaves of cassava, pawpaw, vegetable, cocoyam, euphorbia hirta (milk weed) etc.
Fruit: Orange, pawpaw, pineapple, plantain, banana, mango, nuts, apple etc.
Root/tubers: Yam, potatoes, cassava, carrot, cocoyam etc
Other feed materials may include bone, powdered egg shell to give them calcium, wet shaft from fermented milled maize.
PROCEDURE FOR FEEDING: Feeds like fruits, tubers, leaves etc are cut into pieces and are placed inside flat containers. Do not give them chlorinated water.
Feeding is done every evening; remnant food should be removed from the pen on a daily basis to keep their environment clean.
FEED MATERIALS FORMULATED RATIO
BONE MEAL 20%
OYSTER SHELL 20%
MAIZE 20%
MAIZE OFFAL 10%
WHEAT OFFAL 5%
SOYA BEANS 15%
GROUNDNUT CAKE 5%
FISH MEAL 4.5%
PREMIX (GROWER/LAYER) 0.5%
WATER
The water to be given should be clean and free from the following:
Salt
Acid
Alkaline
Metals: All pipes should be made of plastics.
Allow tap water to settle so that the chlorine can evaporate.
Serve water in shallow plastic containers and sprinkle the soil and the snails periodically.
t is important to note that the growth of snails is affected by the following factors:
Stock density
Feed quality, quantity and frequency
Calcium provided
Moisture
Genetic
Depth of soil
Diseases
System of rearing
Hygiene
Frequent touching
Weather
ENEMIES OF SNAILS
These are predators that find their ways into the snail pen; they attack them by breaking their fragile shell or biting them to death. They include ants, rats, mice, frogs, toads, millipedes, centipedes, beetles, lizards, wall geckos, cockroaches, birds, predatory snails etc
DISEASE-CAUSING ORGANISMS
Bacteria: Pseudomonas, staphylococcus, Bacillus
Protozoa: Balantidium and coccidial agents
Fungi: Saprophytes
SYMPTOMS OF ILL HEALTH
Emaciation
Cracked and whitening of shell
Foul odour with water oozing out of the flesh
Loss of appetite
Sluggishness
KEEPING OFF PREDATORS
Soil or wood shavings should be sterilized or treated to kill germs and other unwanted organisms.
Alum bath with warm water to prevent and control skin diseases
Housing units must be constructed in a way to keep off predators
Remnants food, slime and excreta should be removed from the pen as soon as possible
Avoid overcrowding
Vitamins, minerals, ampicillin and growth promoter should be mixed with water or feed.
Always consult veterinary doctors for professional advice.