A Detailed Guide to Golden Coin Turtle Farming Techniques and Turtle Pond Construction
Golden coin turtle farming is not particularly common in China, because the cost of raising golden coin turtles is much higher than that of some ordinary turtles, so the risks involved are also greater. Farmers can reasonably choose the species and scale of farming according to their own financial situation.
Construction of the Turtle Pond
Hatchlings, adult turtles and breeding turtles should be raised in separate ponds. This avoids large turtles swallowing small ones, and also makes it easier to determine the amount of feed to give and to carry out feeding management work, and to observe and keep track of the growth and activity of each type of turtle.
1. Hatchling pond: Generally, a cement pond is used for raising them, and this method is suitable for ordinary specialized households and small-scale farms. According to the living habits of the golden coin turtle, the rearing pond should be built in a sunny, wind-sheltered place. The size of the pond can be determined according to need, and a wall should be built about 2 m from the pond to prevent the golden coin turtles from escaping; a small island can also be built in the center of the pond for the golden coin turtles to move around on; the small island and the open ground outside the pond extending toward the pond should both have a certain slope, to help the golden coin turtles climb onto the small island or the open ground outside the pond to rest, feed and lay eggs; an outlet should be set at the bottom of the pond for changing the water; the bottom of the pond and the open ground outside the pond should both be covered with about 30 cm of sandy soil, and some plants should be planted for shade, to help lower the temperature and prevent heatstroke in summer.
Because golden coin turtles are expensive, some farmers, out of consideration for safety and ease of management, build ponds indoors to raise hatchlings, and this can also achieve fairly good results. Indoor hatchling ponds are also built with cement, generally rectangular, with a certain slope along 2/3 of the length. The bottom and four walls are covered with beige or lake-blue glazed tiles, which makes cleaning and keeping them clean easier. According to experience, an indoor cement pond of 1.5 m x 0.6 m x 0.6 m can hold about 30 small golden coin turtles.
2. Adult turtle pond: The pond is built according to the characteristics of the golden coin turtle, such as liking warmth, liking water, being gentle in temperament, being timid, being able to dig holes, and being prone to escaping. Choose a place with soft sand and mud, shelter from wind and sun, abundant water, little risk of pollution, and quiet with shade, and build the pond with cement. The size of the rearing pond can be determined according to the size of the site and the number of turtles being raised. A 50 cm high wall must be built of stone or brick around the pond at a distance of 1-2 m, with the wall foundation 70-80 cm deep; the wall surface must be smooth, and wire mesh should be installed at the inlet and outlet of the pond to prevent the turtles from escaping. Build a small island of 6-7 sq m in the center of the pond for the turtles to move around on. The open ground between the wall and the rearing pond, as well as the place where the small island extends toward the pond, must have a certain slope (1:2 or more), to make it easier for the turtles to come ashore and go onto the island. The water storage depth of the rearing pond is generally about 1.5 m, and the bottom of the pond should be covered with 20-40 cm of sandy soil; the open ground between the wall and the pond should also be covered with about 60 cm of slightly moist sandy soil. In addition, some flowers, grass and small shrubs can be planted appropriately on the open ground around the pond and on the small island, to provide shade and resting places for the turtles. Some electric lights can also be installed to make it easier for workers to observe the turtles' activity at night. Some farmers also raise adult turtles indoors. Indoor adult turtle ponds are roughly the same in construction as indoor hatchling ponds, but the area should be correspondingly much larger.
3. Breeding pond: The construction of the breeding pond is basically the same as that of the adult turtle pond. Ordinarily, the breeding pond can also be used as an adult turtle pond, and the adult turtles are moved out only at the breeding season, which can improve the use efficiency of the pond. The breeding pond should be kept as quiet as possible. The stocking density of breeding turtles is much lower than that of adult turtles. During the egg-laying period, the sandy soil around the pond should be kept moist but not waterlogged; if there is drought, water should be sprinkled appropriately to keep the sandy soil moist. The breeding pond must be built outdoors; there are still no truly successful examples of building ponds indoors to breed golden coin turtles.
Why Golden Coin Turtles Are So Expensive
The price of golden coin turtles has been rising continuously in recent years, and the price is somewhat unimaginable. Can golden coin turtles really be worth so much money? For a long time, the golden coin turtle has been a high-end variety in turtle and soft-shelled turtle farming, and its price has always been at the highest level. Especially with the rapid development of turtle and soft-shelled turtle farming in recent years and the enthusiastic hype of the turtle and soft-shelled turtle market, the price of golden coin turtles has reached an even higher level.
1. Things are precious when they are rare. The golden coin turtle is an endangered protected wild animal, and its numbers are now increasingly few. This is one of the reasons for the price increase.
2. It is widely said that golden coin turtles can prevent cancer and cure disease. In fact, medicinal books do not state that golden coin turtles have the effect of preventing cancer and curing disease; they only indicate that they 'nourish yin and enrich the blood.' But the reason cancer forms is, on the one hand, because yin qi in the body is seriously insufficient (that is, a deficiency pattern), and on the other hand, because heat toxin is excessive (that is, an excess pattern). The golden coin turtle can both clear heat and detoxify, and nourish yin without strengthening yang fire. Combined with appropriate Chinese medicinal materials, it is precisely a miraculous remedy for clearing heat and consolidating the foundation, and it is especially effective for cancer patients whose constitution has both deficiency and excess.
Living Habits of the Golden Coin Turtle
The golden coin turtle is omnivorous. It likes to live in mountain rock caves or mud caves near water areas. After being startled, it dives to the bottom of the water, and often goes to mountain streams or moist places to seek food such as various aquatic animals. In nature, it mainly preys on aquatic animals in the water such as snails, fish, shrimp and tadpoles, and also eats young rats, small fish, shrimp, snails, young frogs, scarab beetles, earthworms, snails and fly maggots; sometimes it also eats pumpkin, banana, and tender plant stems, leaves and seeds. Under artificial rearing conditions, it likes to eat animal offal, earthworms, lean meat, small fish and mixed feed.
The golden coin turtle is a poikilothermic animal. Its growth temperature is between 24-32°C. When the water temperature is 28°C, it must surface to breathe about once every 20 minutes in the water. When the water temperature is 25°C, it surfaces to breathe about once every 26 minutes. When the water temperature is below 12°C, it enters a state of hibernation.
Every year in April, as the temperature gradually rises, it begins to be active. From May to October, as the temperature rises, its range of activity expands and its food intake increases, with the fastest weight gain especially from July to September. After November, when the temperature drops below 15°C, its activity decreases and it gradually enters hibernation, staying in its cave without eating or moving, continuing until March of the following year.
Rearing Methods for the Golden Coin Turtle
1. Turtle pond construction: When raising golden coin turtles, hatchlings, adult turtles and breeding turtles should be raised in separate ponds. This avoids large turtles swallowing small ones, and also makes it easier to determine the amount of feed to give and to carry out feeding management work, and to observe and keep track of the growth and activity of each type of turtle.
2. Selection of breeding turtles: For golden coin turtle breeding turtles, it is best to choose wild turtles; turtles purchased before egg-laying can lay eggs that same year. If choosing artificially raised turtles, when selecting turtles one should not rely only on the turtle's body weight, but should mainly base the choice on the turtle's age, with body weight only as an auxiliary condition.
3. Water quality management: For raising golden coin turtles, tap water can be used directly; there is no need to expose it to the sun to release chlorine gas, but the chlorine content must not exceed 300 mg/L. River water, rainwater, well water, etc. can also be used. At the beginning, the water depth only needs to submerge the turtle's back, and later it should gradually be increased to about 15 cm.
4. Water temperature regulation: The golden coin turtle is an animal that likes warmth. Its feeding temperature is above 20°C, and its growth water temperature is 25-35°C. To enable hatchlings to overwinter safely and grow quickly, they must be raised with heating, and the optimal water temperature should be controlled between 28-30°C.
5. Feed selection: Golden coin turtle feed is divided into two major categories: animal feed and plant feed. For animal feed, choose lean pork, animal offal, fish, shrimp, shellfish meat, etc.; for plant feed, choose banana, apple, etc. Animal feed should be the main type, used alternately.
6. Feed feeding: When feeding golden coin turtles, the feed should be chopped up. When the indoor temperature is below 25°C or above 30°C, feed once a day at 9 a.m. When the indoor temperature is 26°C-29°C, feed once at 9 a.m. and once at 6 p.m. each day.
7. Disease and pest control: During the hatchling stage, the golden coin turtle has a relatively poor ability to adapt to environmental changes and is prone to illness. In addition to frequently changing the water to keep the water quality fresh, a medicinal bath should also be given about once every half month, and attention should usually be paid to preventing harm from cats, dogs, rats, snakes, ants, etc.
Before raising turtles, the construction of a turtle pond is very important. Turtles at each stage need a different growing environment, so the construction of the turtle pond should be based on the turtles' growth habits. In this way, it is more suitable for the healthy growth of the turtles.