How to Raise Earthworms for High Yield? A Complete Analysis of Breeding Technical Measures

1. Staged Rearing

Giving different breeding management according to the developmental stage of individual earthworms is the key to whether artificial earthworm breeding can achieve high yield. In the traditional “several generations under one roof” mixed rearing method, since size cannot be distinguished during harvesting and utilization: adult earthworms that have passed the optimal harvest period cannot be harvested in time, wasting feed and breeding equipment; if juvenile earthworms that have not reached the optimal harvest period are harvested, the yield is reduced, and manual sorting also increases labor intensity. During artificial breeding, dedicated breeder worm ponds and production worm ponds must be established.

2. Thin Feeding and Frequent Removal

For adult earthworms, feed twice a month, remove worm castings, collect cocoons, or turn over the rearing bed three to four times, with each feeding layer 15 cm to 20 cm thick, always keeping the feed fresh and breathable to create the optimal ecological environment for earthworms. Timely Harvesting In previous materials, 3 to 5 harvests of earthworms per year were introduced. However, it has been found in production that when feed is sufficient, using the advantageous period of earthworm growth and reproduction (before and after sexual maturity, marked by the appearance of the clitellum on the worm body) to carry out short-term (generally 1 month is suitable) high-density breeding, while increasing the number of harvests, promptly adjusting and reducing population density, and maintaining a dynamic balance between growth and harvest volume, is the key to achieving high earthworm yield.

3. Rotation and Renewal

Through the continuous renewal of breeder worms and the periodic rotation of rearing beds, not only is the vigor of the population ensured, but the natural decline of the population caused by long-term breeding of the same earthworm group in the same bed is also avoided. Breeder worms should preferably be renewed once every three to four months.

4. Breeding Management

Earthworm breeding is divided into several periods: breeder worms, cocoon incubation, early juvenile worms, late juvenile worms, and adult worms. The management requirements for different periods are as follows:

1. Breeder worm management. The breeding density should preferably be controlled at 2 kg to 2.5 kg per sq m or 10,000 to 15,000 worms per sq m. Remove worm castings once every six or seven days, put the collected cocoons into the incubation bed for moisture-retaining incubation, and at the same time turn over the breeder worm bed, using the side-feeding method to supplement feed, so as to improve the ecological conditions of the rearing bed and facilitate reproduction.

2. Incubation bed management. The thickness of the incubation substrate should preferably be 10 cm to 15 cm. The incubation substrate should be kept fine and moist. Each sq m can incubate 50,000 to 60,000 cocoons. Loosen the incubation substrate once or twice a month with an iron fork to facilitate ventilation and the survival of juvenile worms.

3. Early juvenile worm management. When most of the incubation substrate has turned into castings, remove the castings in time, supplement feed using the bottom-feeding method, and expand the bed in time to reduce juvenile worm density.

4. Late juvenile worm and adult worm management. Late juvenile worms grow rapidly, so the frequency of removing castings and supplementing feed should be increased, feed should be supplemented using the bottom-feeding method, and the bed should be expanded in time for breeding; when they reach sexual maturity and enter the reproductive period, give play to the advantages of earthworm production and cocoon production, lose no time in reducing breeding density or harvesting and utilizing them in time, or replacing the old breeder worms.

5. Control of Breeding Density

The optimal density for earthworm breeding is preferably 2.8 kg to 3.1 kg per sq m or 20,000 worms per sq m. Within this range, less seed stock is used and the yield is high. The breeding density for early juvenile worms can be slightly greater than 30,000 worms per sq m or 2.5 kg per sq m; the breeding density from late juvenile worms to adult worms can gradually decrease to about 20,000 worms per sq m. Density control should be combined with rotation and renewal, building breeder worm beds, incubation beds, early juvenile worm beds, and late juvenile worm beds in an area ratio of 1:1:2:4, and combined with expanded-bed breeding, the density control requirements can be met.