Six measures for increasing the egg production of female soft-shelled turtles in farming

1. The male-to-female ratio must be appropriate. In a soft-shelled turtle pond, too many males actually disrupts the mating of the brood turtles and lowers the fertilization rate. Under normal circumstances, the male-to-female ratio should preferably be (3-4):1. If the males in the pond are strong and large in body size, their number can be smaller. Conversely, the number of males should be increased. If many claw marks and injuries are found on the carapaces of the female turtles in the pond, it indicates that there are too many males.

2. Supply sufficient protein feed. The egg laying of female soft-shelled turtles requires relatively large amounts of protein and calcium. To meet the needs of egg laying, animal-based feeds such as snails, mussels, and small fish and shrimp must be supplied at fixed times, in fixed amounts, and at fixed locations.3. Manage water quality well. Ensure that the water of the brood turtle pond is free of pollution, with moderate fertility, appearing light green or tea green. The water transparency should be 25-30 cm, so that there is plenty of microorganism life in the water. If the water is too lean, fresh human feces and urine may be splashed in, or manure may be piled on the pond bank so that the fertilized water flows into the pond. The water depth should be moderate to raise the water temperature. Change the water once a week, and when changing the water, retain one-tenth of the pond water.4. Prepare the egg-laying site well. The egg-laying site is also a site for the turtles to “sun their backs.” Before egg laying, the egg site should be leveled, covered with 40-50 cm of fresh fine sand, and kept moist.5. Keep the turtle pond quiet. When brood turtles mate and lay eggs, they must be kept quiet, as they are extremely afraid of sound disturbance. Therefore, during the breeding season, natural enemies within the turtle farm should be removed to reduce disturbance and avoid harm from natural enemies.6. Increase the duration of light. Electric lights should be installed above the water surface of the turtle pond and turned on at night, which can both increase the duration of light and attract insects for the turtles to eat, achieving two benefits at once.