Eco-friendly Turtle Farming in Courtyards: Models and Techniques
Eco-friendly turtle farming in courtyards can regulate water quality, enrich food sources, greatly reduce feeding costs, prevent disease outbreaks, and meet the growth and development requirements of turtles. The results and key technical points of courtyard eco-friendly turtle farming are described below.
1. Design and construction of the farming pond
The design and construction of the farming pond determine the success or failure of eco-friendly farming. The size of the pond is determined by the number of turtles to be kept, with a minimum of about 2 sq m. The shape of the pond is not restricted. There are two types of pond depth: with soil at the bottom, the depth is 1.5 m, the soil layer is 20 cm deep, and the water depth is 1 m; without soil at the bottom, the depth is 1 m, and the water depth is 70 cm. The feeding pond and the egg-laying area should generally occupy one-third or one-half of the whole pond, subject to being able to accommodate all the turtles for feeding. At a point 30 cm above the water surface, lay a cement slab, and smooth the edges and gaps with cement to prevent water leakage. At the edge of the cement slab and at its midpoint, build a water-retaining wall 7 cm wide and 30 cm high to form the feeding pond and the egg-laying area respectively; the egg-laying area may also be slightly larger. At the middle of the water-retaining wall, build a slanted ramp about 10 cm wide and more than 20 cm long, extending 3-5 cm into the water, to make it easy for turtles to climb from the farming pond into the feeding pond to feed. At the midpoint between the feeding pond and the egg-laying area, build an underwater bridge about 20 cm wide, extending 4-7 cm into the water, so that when turtles pass over this bridge to enter and leave the egg-laying area, the sand stuck to their bodies can be washed off and not carried into the farming pond. Install a drain outlet near the ground of the farming pond and in both the feeding pond and the egg-laying area; when not draining, they can be plugged. The drain outlet of the egg-laying area should be slightly higher. Install an overflow outlet in the water-retaining wall, and cover it well with nylon mesh to prevent turtles from escaping when heavy rain fills the pond. Spread a layer of cobblestones on the bottom of the egg-laying area to store and drain water, and cover it with fine sand. The bottoms of the feeding pond and the egg-laying area are dark-room water pools; when turtles enter here, they can safely overwinter and pass the summer. Stick 2-3 rows of ceramic tiles around the upper sides of the whole pond to prevent rats, snakes and turtles from climbing out.
2. Daily management
(1) Aquatic plants that turtles and fish like to eat should be placed in the farming pond and matched with one another. For example, if water lettuce or water hyacinth is introduced, it must be matched with duckweed or red azolla; the former can only be introduced partially, while the latter can be introduced over the whole pond, and wooden strips should be used to confine them.
(2) The fish placed in the farming pond should mainly be loaches and small fish and shrimp. River snails and mussels easily pollute the water quality and should be introduced in small amounts. The amount of fish and shrimp introduced is determined by the number of turtles, generally about 1 kg per sq m, and they should be introduced as they are caught so as to increase the survival rate of the fish and shrimp.
(3) Supplementary feeding should be done at fixed times and in appropriate amounts.
(4) Decayed stems and leaves floating on the water surface should be scooped out at any time, and fresh aquatic plants should be added and replaced in good time.
(5) Some fresh live fish and shrimp should be added to the farming pond at appropriate times to facilitate reproduction and continuously provide meat feed for the turtles.
(6) When changing to fresh water, the farming pond and the feeding pond should be scrubbed, disinfected and cleaned. A shade shed may be built at a height of more than 1 m above the farming pond to avoid direct exposure to the scorching sun.
3. Results of eco-friendly turtle farming in courtyards
(1) When eco-friendly turtle farming is carried out in a courtyard farming pond, the water surface has a layer of vegetation protection, the water quality can be purified, and pollution is slowed. In hot seasons, ordinary courtyard turtle farming generally requires changing to fresh water every 3-5 days, while eco-friendly farming can extend this to about 15 days, and with proper management it can be extended even longer.
(2) Eco-friendly farming is conducive to the survival and reproduction of fresh live food, and the plants on the water surface are also food for the turtles and fish. The natural food sources in the water are relatively abundant, and feeding costs can be reduced by one-third to more than one-half.
(3) In water bodies under conditions similar to nature, turtles can feed freely, and their growth rate is noticeably accelerated, being more than 2-3 times the growth rate of ordinary courtyard turtle farming.