How to Treat Invasive Diseases in Snail (River Snail) Farming
When it comes to river snails, many people actually enjoy eating them, but anyone who has eaten river snails knows that they are very difficult to clean, and if the bacteria inside get into your stomach, it can affect your health. However, with today's constantly advancing cooking techniques and skills, eating river snails is still relatively safe.
Disease Prevention Tips for River Snail Farming
River snail farming, as the development and utilization of a native species, has only emerged in recent years. River snails belong to the phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda, family Viviparidae, genus Cipangopaludina, with a total of 4 species: Cipangopaludina chinensis, Cipangopaludina cathayensis, Cipangopaludina ventricosa, and Cipangopaludina ussuriensis. Currently, the main species farmed is Cipangopaludina cathayensis. River snails are generally suited to farming in rice paddies, shallow ditches, low-lying land, wetlands, and similar locations. River snails have low requirements for farming sites; generally, shallow water areas with slight modification, and soft-mud-bottomed waters rich in humus, are all suitable for farming, and conditions with a certain amount of micro-flowing water are even better. To date, few diseases and pests of river snails have been discovered, and there are not many reports either. But here are a few suggestions for reference:
1. The suitable living temperature for river snail farming is 10-40°C, with the optimum being 20-28°C. Exceeding 40°C will cause death, and below 10°C they enter a hibernation state. Note that in summer, high temperatures must be guarded against, because rice paddy water is shallow, and in summer the water temperature may reach the upper lethal limit; while for overwintering in winter, the organic matter content of the mud bottom should not be too high, otherwise toxic substances are easily produced and affect the river snails' overwintering.
2. River snails are relatively sensitive to the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. Normal life requires dissolved oxygen in the water to be above 4 mg per liter. When it drops to 3.5 mg, appetite will decline, and when it drops to 1.5 mg, it will cause death.
3. The breeding season of river snails is from June to July (in places with suitable conditions, they will also lay eggs once in autumn). If you plan to breed them yourself, it is best not to raise carp in the rice paddy where you farm river snails, otherwise the small river snails will be eaten by the carp.
4. The use of pesticides in rice paddies should be avoided as much as possible or minimized; even if used, low-toxicity pesticides should be adopted, and they should be applied on sunny days; it is best to apply them to half the paddy at a time.
5. During the peak growing season, organic fertilizer can be used regularly; the principle is small amounts applied multiple times, and it is not advisable to apply too much fertilizer at once.
6. During the farming process, it is best to have a certain micro-flowing water environment to ensure dissolved oxygen in the water, but attention must be paid to the water source; never use a water source containing pesticides.
7. Consider polyculture of river snails with leeches, loach, rice field eels, etc., which will yield better economic benefits.
What Are River Snails
River snails are the general term for edible aquatic animals of the family Viviparidae. There are many varieties, and common ones include Cipangopaludina, river snail, yellow snail, mud snail, and fragrant snail. River snail meat is a nutritionally rich natural health food, and abroad it is also known as a beauty food. It contains up to 10.3% protein and 1.2% fat, as well as vitamins, calcium, iron, and other elements essential to the human body. River snail meat is nutritionally superior to chicken, duck, goose, and pork, and is no less than crucian carp and sea cucumber. River snail meat can nourish kidney yin, brighten the eyes and clear the mind, enhance muscle elasticity, and refine the skin. River snails can be used as an everyday meat dish, and can also be processed into a series of foods, prepared into various medicinal dishes, and used to prevent and treat diseases. At present, naturally growing river snails are far from meeting market demand, and river snail farming grows quickly with high yields, so farming river snails has broad "money" prospects. In recent years, as the natural yield of river snails has gradually decreased, the river snail market has continued to look promising. Currently, artificial farming has begun in Guangdong, Fujian, and other regions, and many farmers have taken up river snail farming as a business path and are vigorously developing it.
At present, in China's urban and rural areas alone, there are more than 20 ways to eat river snails, including deep-frying, braising, boiling, stewing, and pickling. According to market analysis, river snail food is in short supply at restaurants and eateries in major cities across China, with a large gap. Recently, South Korea, building on the introduction of traditional Chinese processing techniques, has made river snails a high-end food deeply enjoyed by Koreans. Last year, South Korea's Haiying Aquatic Products Co., Ltd. imported more than 10,000 tons of river snails in a single order through the China Yantai Development Zone Import and Export Company. This brought Chinese river snails to foreign markets. Each ton reached 136 yuan, and the prospects for farming river snails are increasingly promising. River snail farming can make use of old pits and ponds, canals, and paddy fields, or newly dug farming sites. As long as some aquatic plants are grown in the water, the river snails' dietary needs can be met, with no need to invest in feed. They can reproduce and multiply 150 times in a year, and 1 person can farm 10 mu of water surface. It is an aquaculture project with extremely low investment, quick results, and large income.
Cost Budget for River Snail Farming
Estimated investment for snail farming in 667 sq m of rice paddy
1. Seed introduction cost: 667 sq m of rice paddy stocked with 60,000 juvenile snails weighing about 100 kg, at 4 yuan per kg, totaling 400 yuan; stocking large snails (at a ratio of 3 males to 8 females, each 18-20 g) 1,100 snails, weighing about 21 kg, at 6 yuan per kg, totaling 126 yuan. Total seed and seedling cost 526 yuan.
2. Cost of cultivating aquatic feed: 667 sq m applied with 1,400 kg of manure fertilizer (1,000 kg base fertilizer, 4 top dressings of 100 kg each), costing 140 yuan.
3. Live feed production such as earthworms: 100 yuan.
4. Disinfection drugs: 50 yuan.
5. Water and electricity: 30 yuan, of which water is 22 yuan and electricity is 8 yuan.
6. Unpredictable expenses (sum of items 1-5 above × 15%): 126.9 yuan total.
The total of items 1-6 above is 973 yuan.
Do River Snails Have Parasites
Many people have surely eaten river snails. Eating river snails is rather troublesome, as you need to pick them out with a toothpick. River snails are relatively common in both the south and the north.
From an epidemiological standpoint, the parasites in river snails are generally schistosomes, so if they are not thoroughly sterilized, they can easily cause schistosomiasis and pose a certain harm to human health. However, usually after river snails are stir-fried and cooked, about 20 minutes can kill the parasite eggs inside, so they no longer transmit to people. Therefore, as long as river snails are fully cooked, there is no problem and they can be eaten with confidence. Never eat them when they are undercooked or unclean, as that is not good for your health.
Boiling in boiling water for 10 minutes can kill them, so you can rest assured. Generally, 80°C for 10 minutes can kill most pathogenic bacteria. However, if you are not at ease, you can cook them a bit longer. Restaurants outside generally use seasonings like chili to mask the fishy smell of river snails.
From the above data analysis, it can be seen that although the investment cost of farming river snails is relatively low, they still suffer from many diseases and pests. Therefore, appropriately understanding some river snail farming techniques, as well as prevention and treatment methods for river snail diseases, is very helpful for farming river snails.