Winter Farming Methods for Rice Field Eels and Key Points of Overwintering Management Techniques

The rice field eel has tender, delicious flesh and is deeply favored by consumers. Rice field eels brought to market in spring fetch relatively high prices, but before that, the rice field eel must pass through the gates of hell that is winter. How to farm rice field eels in winter has always been a concern for many farmers. Today let us learn about it together.

How to farm rice field eels in winter

1. Make good preparations for overwintering. By controlling the eels' diet and feeding them scientifically, let the eels have a good physique, strong mobility and healthy constitution, thus creating conditions for the eels to pass the winter safely.

Rice field eels like to eat fresh live bait. We can feed them feed rich in protein and fat, such as earthworms, fresh fish, etc., while gradually increasing the number of feedings, and each feeding must be sufficient in quantity.

According to the scale of farming, grind fresh raw meat with a meat grinder, mix it with compound feed and then feed it.

2. For rice field eels farmed in net cages, there is no mud inside, and all four sides are as drafty as a house. In winter they have nowhere to hide and cannot withstand the cold, so aquatic plants are needed in the net cages. Well-grown aquatic plants are like a quilt that protects the rice field eels from freezing in winter. You can choose aquatic flowers,

Aquatic plants and the growth of eels complement each other; only when the eels grow well can the aquatic plants grow well.

3. In winter, rice field eels also go into dormancy, so they can only rely on their degenerated gills and skin to breathe oxygen from the water. If the water quality is poor or the water lacks oxygen, they will die. Therefore, during overwintering, good water quality must be maintained, and new water should be added frequently to keep the water level relatively high.

4. If the rice field eels are raised in earthen ponds, when the temperature drops in winter the eels will stop feeding and begin to burrow 20 cm-40 cm below the mud to hibernate. At this time, good overwintering protection work must be done. The main method is to drain the pond water and always keep the soil moist and the surface clean. On rainy days, drainage work must be done well, and no standing water may be left in the pond. During hibernation, do not walk around at will or pile heavy objects in the eel pond, so as to avoid compacting the underground tunnels, causing blockages in ventilation and affecting the respiration of the rice field eels.

As long as overwintering preparations are done well, rice field eels can generally overwinter smoothly, and when spring comes the following year they can be sold for a good price.