Optimized Feeding and Management Methods for Rice Field Eel Culture in Autumn and Winter

The rice field eel (Monopterus albus) is a semi-hibernating fish. When the temperature drops below 15°C, the eel basically stops eating and moving, and hibernates by burrowing in with minimal respiration. Therefore, after autumn begins, as the temperature gradually drops, the eel's foraging and activity gradually weaken. At this time, by strengthening optimized management in autumn and winter, you can not only continue to increase fat and weight, but also improve the overwintering survival rate, which helps increase the yield for the coming year. The main measures for optimized feeding and management of rice field eels in autumn and winter are as follows:

1. Increase feeding of fat-rich feed. Increasing feed with high fat content can let the eel accumulate more fat to supply the consumption needed during the period of stopped feeding and hibernation through the winter. Feeds with high fat content mainly include silkworm pupae, earthworms, maggots, etc. To increase the feeding of fat-rich feed to rice field eels, feed as early as possible, generally before November, because the autumn temperature is still relatively high, which is conducive to the eel's utilization, absorption and conversion of fat-rich feed, increasing the energy needed for overwintering and enhancing its ability to resist cold, disease and other aspects during overwintering.

2. Reasonable capture for market. Rice field eels have the characteristic of liking to burrow into the mud at the bottom of the pond, especially after the temperature drops noticeably in late autumn, when they burrow into deep mud to overwinter. Therefore, for adult eels that meet market specifications, they should be reasonably captured for market as early as possible before winter begins. When capturing, first drain the pond water and remove the surface mud, then use both hands to turn over the mud at the bottom of the pond to capture them. Avoid using hard, sharp tools such as iron shovels and spades to dig them out, to prevent cutting or bruising the eel bodies. At the same time, capture the large ones and leave the small ones, so as to spawn and reproduce in the coming year.

3. Strengthen overwintering protection. For eels left in the pond to overwinter, two methods can be used for overwintering protection: First, for eel ponds with relatively good water source conditions, the deep-water overwintering method can be used. That is, maintain a water layer 50-70 cm deep in the pond, and place some water grass, duckweed, etc. on the water surface. When ice forms in winter, break the ice layer for ventilation. In this way, both the temperature at the bottom of the pond and the oxygen content of the pond water can be maintained, creating ideal overwintering conditions for the eels. Second, for eel ponds whose water source conditions are not good enough, the pond water can be drained for overwintering when the eels begin to hibernate. However, note that the pond soil must be kept moist and must not be too dry; the pond soil should be covered with plastic netting to prevent cats, dogs, weasels, rats and other animals from preying on the eels; in case of severe cold and freezing, the pond surface should use the covering insulation method for insulation and freeze protection.