How to Raise Soft-shelled Turtle Hatchlings? Detailed Explanation of Breeding Methods and Technical Points
The soft-shelled turtle has rich nutritional value and sells very well on the market. Many farmers are raising soft-shelled turtles. So how do you raise soft-shelled turtle hatchlings? Let's take a look below.
1. Introduce healthy soft-shelled turtle hatchlings
Choose soft-shelled turtle hatchlings with strong disease resistance, few diseases, and strong adaptability. The characteristics of healthy hatchlings are a plump body, a broad body shape, a smooth body surface, no injuries or deformities, and strong activity. Hatchlings should be purchased from nearby sources so they can easily adapt to local farming conditions.
2. Growth environment
Before stocking, the water color should first be cultivated. During the farming process, change the water and discharge waste regularly, insist on feeding above the water surface, and prevent leftover bait from polluting the water body. Stock a certain area of water hyacinth and a certain number of silver carp and bighead carp in the pond, and regularly splash photosynthetic bacteria preparations. The pond bottom should have a moderate layer of silt, generally 10∼20 cm is sufficient, and the bottom of a new pond should also be prepared with a layer of fine mud. A reasonable stocking density must be determined; high density does not equal high yield. The higher the farming density, the greater the amount of leftover bait and fecal waste, the higher the degree of environmental pollution, and the harder it is to control water quality. High density increases the chances of scratching and biting among soft-shelled turtles, making them more susceptible to disease. For outdoor large-pond farming, generally stocking 2∼3 turtles per sq m is sufficient. In addition, the soft-shelled turtle farming area should be isolated from the outside as much as possible to prevent interference from unrelated people and animals, so as to create a quiet environment.
3. Feed
The soft-shelled turtle is an omnivorous animal that is mainly carnivorous, although its diet is varied. Under artificial intensive farming conditions, to achieve the best results in the soft-shelled turtle's growth, survival rate, and commercial quality, high-quality compound feed must be selected, and a certain proportion of fresh, uncontaminated live bait (such as fish, snails, liver, eggs, vegetables) should be added long-term, ground into a paste, and mixed with the compound feed for feeding, in order to regulate and improve the soft-shelled turtle's internal organ function. At present, soft-shelled turtle prices are falling, and some farmers use low-grade compound feed to reduce costs, but this practice is not worth the loss. In some places, the relatively high incidence of the soft-shelled turtle “white底板” disease is related to long-term minimal or no addition of fresh feed. Of course, this is also related to poor water quality regulation and insufficient preventive measures.
4. Scientific management
1. Placement and cleaning of feeding platforms. The soft-shelled turtle has the habit of moving along the pond edges, so the feeding platform is best placed on the pond edges around the farming pond, at a 30∼45 degree angle to the water surface, which helps the soft-shelled turtle find food and avoid interference. Before each feeding, the feeding platform should be cleaned with a disinfected brush. The disinfectants used are generally those with low irritation and easy preparation, such as potassium permanganate and Baidusha. The feeding platform and its surroundings should be disinfected once every 3 days with the above drugs. Disinfectants should be used alternately.
2. Preparation and placement of bait. The amount of fresh feed added is generally 10%∼40%. When using fresh feed, it must be disinfected and washed, and prepared and used on the spot to avoid spoilage. Feeding should be done above the water surface, with the bait 2∼3 cm above the water surface. The soft-shelled turtle is timid, so interference with it should be minimized during feeding. In some places, feeding platforms are built in the middle of the pond and feeding is done by rowing a boat or entering the water manually, which is not advisable. The feeding amount should be based on the standard of being eaten within 1∼1.5 hours, and leftover bait should be collected promptly for other uses. In high-temperature seasons, feeding should preferably be completed before sunrise and started at sunset, when there is less interference, the bait is less likely to spoil, and feeding is fast and good.
3. Water quality regulation. The farming water body should be changed and waste discharged regularly, with each water change preferably not exceeding 1/3; if conditions permit, micro-flow water farming will achieve better results. During the farming process, regularly use chlorine dioxide preparation 0.5∼1 microgram, bleaching powder 2∼3 micrograms, strong chlorine essence 1∼2 micrograms, and quicklime 15∼40 micrograms for whole-pond splashing disinfection. After 2∼3 days of application, splash about 5 micrograms of photosynthetic bacteria preparation over the whole pond, which can play a role in regulating water, once or twice a month. At the same time, stocking silver carp and bighead carp can also play a good role in regulating water (bighead carp 60∼100 fish per mu, silver carp 30∼50 fish per mu).
4. Plant vegetation on the water surface and build sunbathing platforms. In the pond, about 1 m away from the feeding platform, enclose a 1.5 m long and wide frame and plant water hyacinth. Water hyacinth has a well-developed root system and can absorb harmful substances in the water, thus playing a role in regulating water, and it is also beneficial for the soft-shelled turtle to hide, sunbathe, and cool off. Farming ponds with less slope land around the pond should have sunbathing platforms built in the pond.
5. Patrol the pond regularly and promptly remove dead and diseased soft-shelled turtles. Pond patrols are for promptly understanding the soft-shelled turtle's feeding, growth activity, diseases, and the pond's water quality and facilities. Dead soft-shelled turtles in the pond should be promptly removed and deeply buried or incinerated, and diseased soft-shelled turtles should also be promptly isolated and treated. Tools should be dedicated and disinfected regularly. Strictly prevent tools from disease areas from being mixed with those from healthy areas, so as to avoid cross-infection of diseases.
Soft-shelled turtle farming is relatively simple. As long as you choose a suitable soft-shelled turtle variety according to market conditions, market sales will not be too poor.