Snail farming
Snail breeding ( heliciculture ) is the rearing of land shell snails for consumption (see also snail (food) ).
It is mainly operated in France , partly commercially, partly by associations similar to German small animal breeding associations. Old wine cellars are often used for this. A temperature of 20 ° C with a constant humidity of 95% and 16 hours of lighting per day is ideal.
The cycle of breeding snails
Snails keep a winter or summer sleep; snail breeding is therefore cyclical.
Egg laying
Rearing begins with the controlled bringing together of sexually mature snails of the same species at the mating season. Sexual maturity of the snail begins after a few years of life. The mating season begins in late spring to early summer (from March) for northern regions and repeats a second time or several times in tropical climates. The mating takes a few hours and is controlled for breeding in small, earth-filled plastic vessels in latticed containers. Since the eggs are laid at a certain depth, the layer of soil should be five to eight centimeters thick. After about four to six weeks, the eggs are laid, the approx. 3 mm large juvenile snails (up to 70 per clutch are possible) hatch about two weeks later.
Breeding young snails
The young snails are grown in shallow containers or in small plastic containers for three to four weeks. Then they are moved for the first time, either directly in the field or in larger containers. These can be, for example, batteries of horizontal cylindrical cultivation containers, through whose axes rotating sprinklers are used to keep them moist.
Finished breeding
The snails grow to full size in 'outdoor enclosures'. These can either really be in the open air (secured by bird nets) or indoor breeding tables. Metal strips placed under low current prevent the animals from crawling away.
Even with pure cellar breeding, the snails are temporarily brought outdoors to graze.
harvest
Adult snails can be recognized by the fact that they have developed a firm, domed shell edge. The first of them can be collected about 10 to 14 weeks after hatching. The harvest continues for about three months until all animals are fully grown.
Hibernate / oversummer
The most beautiful and largest snails are not eaten, but overwintered or hibernated in special boxes in order to reproduce again next year.
species
The Roman snail ( Helix pomatia ) is considered to be the best snail, but is not bred because it is considered almost impossible to raise in captivity.
Usually snail breeding is therefore limited to the spotted Roman snail ( Helix aspersa ), a smaller and less long-lived snail. Long-term selection has resulted in Helix aspersa breeds that have a similarly large and beautiful housing as the Roman snail, but can be bred without any problems.
Lining
Green fodder is actually ideal for breeding snails; Often, however, special snail concentrate feed made from flour, starch, ground legumes, vitamins and trace elements is mainly or exclusively fed.
The snails can also be fed with cucumber slices and apple pieces. They also like to eat dandelions.
Problems
Parasite infestation is rather rare in wild snails ; if kept in large quantities , infestation with Ricardoella limacum , a special type of mite , occurs frequently in breeding snails and can spread to the extent of a plague in the population. The mites usually live in the snails' respiratory cavity , but they can also dig into their bodies. In the case of snails, severe mite infestation leads to loss of appetite, apathy and death after a few weeks. Since parasites are not treated in breeding snails, the pests are also processed. However, this is not harmful to humans.
literature
- Joseph von Hazzi: On the treatment, fodder and fattening of cattle in agriculture (EU Fleischmann Munich 1820)
