Technical Key Points for Parent Turtle Breeding in Snapping Turtle Farming

The site for the parent snapping turtle rearing pond should be chosen in a quiet, sunny, wind-sheltered place, and especially should avoid being near quarries, airports, etc. The rearing pond is generally required to be 1-1.5 m deep; the shape can be square or round, and the area is not limited. On one side of the pond, leave land equal to 20%-30% of the water surface area of the parent turtle pond as an egg-laying site; the egg-laying site should be quiet and shaded from light. The pond perimeter and the area around the egg-laying site should be smoothed with cement to prevent the snapping turtles from digging holes. After the egg-laying site is smoothed with cement slurry, spread 40 cm of river sand or sandy soil. There should be a certain slope leading into the egg-laying site, covered with wooden boards or foam plastic, to prevent abrasions on the snapping turtle's abdomen and to allow the parent snapping turtles to climb into the egg-laying site to lay eggs. Place a layer of sandy soil or clay on the pond bottom. On the land around the pond, also build an escape-prevention wall 1-1.2 m high.

Disinfect the cement pond with 15-20 g/sq m bleaching powder, and soak it with 1‰ calcium superphosphate solution for 1-2 days before putting the turtles into the pond for rearing. The stocking density of parent snapping turtles should be appropriate. Generally, when the water depth is 1 m, stock 3 parent turtles per sq m; when the water depth is 2 m, stock 4-6 per sq m; when the water depth is less than 0.5 m, about 2 per sq m is suitable. If the water is too shallow, the stocking density should be reduced so that they have a relatively quiet space for activity. The female-to-male ratio of snapping turtles is preferably (2-3):1. For parent turtle breeding, the pond should be cleared before stocking: drain the pond water, expose it to the sun for 3-5 days, use 100 kg/mu quicklime, slake it into slurry with a small amount of water and splash it over the whole pond, then fill with water and rinse clean. Turtles can be stocked 5 days after filling with water. Alternatively, after 3-5 days of sun exposure, disinfect the whole pond with 50-100 mg/L potassium permanganate, fill with water and rinse clean the next day, drain the water, then add new water and stock the turtles for rearing after the temperature is suitable. The stocking density of parent turtles is 1 group per sq m. When stocking, gently place the container holding the disinfected turtles into the water and let the turtles crawl out freely and swim into the water. For disinfection at stocking, use potassium permanganate, with a dipping dose of 10-20 mg/L for the turtle body and a dipping time of 10 minutes. Parent turtle feed can be self-mixed, and the feed should contain no less than 38% protein, no less than 1.2% calcium, no less than 1.1% compound vitamins, no less than 1% lysine, and no less than 1% mineral salts. If no special feed is available, high-quality compound feed for adult Chinese soft-shelled turtles can be used as a substitute. Animal feeds include fresh live fish, shrimp, snails, mussels, earthworms, poultry and livestock offal, etc.; plant feeds include fresh melon rind, green vegetables, carrots, etc., and should be disinfected before feeding. Feeding parent turtles should strictly follow the "four fixed" principles of fixed quality, fixed quantity, fixed time, and fixed location. Fixed quality requires that the quality of the compound feed comply with the provisions of NY 5072 Safety Limits for Fishery Compound Feed and SC/T 1047 Compound Feed for Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtles. All animal and plant feeds should be fresh, pollution-free, and free from spoilage. Fixed quantity requires that the daily feeding amount of compound feed be 3%-4% of the turtle's body weight; the amount fed should be adjusted according to climatic conditions and the turtle's feeding intensity, and the amount put in should be controlled so that it is eaten within 1-1.5 hours. Fixed time requires feeding once daily at noon from early winter to early spring, and feeding twice in the fast-growing summer, at 9 a.m. and in the evening, with the feed placed on the part of the feeding platform not submerged by water.