Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Artificial Soft-Shelled Turtle Farming Techniques
The soft-shelled turtle, also called tuan yu, turtle, water fish, etc., is not only a delicious delicacy but also a kind of Chinese medicinal material. So, what artificial farming techniques are there for soft-shelled turtles?
1. Building ponds
The soft-shelled turtle is an egg-laying animal that lives in water. It mostly inhabits cool places at the bottom of the water and has certain requirements for the farming environment. It is afraid of wind, fright, and dirt and disorder, so when building sturdy farming ponds, choose an area that is sheltered from the wind, faces the sun, is close to a water source, and has convenient drainage and irrigation, and is far from roads to avoid the fright caused by horn sounds. The size of the pond depends on the farming scale. Inside the pond, stones and cement should be used to build a slope to make it convenient for the soft-shelled turtle to crawl. A layer of fine sand should also be spread on the bottom and edges of the pond, and places for activity and egg laying should be set up. Wire mesh should be built around the farming pond to prevent the soft-shelled turtles from escaping. If conditions permit, farming can be divided by pond, raising parent soft-shelled turtles, young soft-shelled turtles, and adult soft-shelled turtles separately for convenient management.
2. Seed selection and stocking
When selecting seeds, you can choose seed soft-shelled turtles with flat shells and large, plump bodies, brown or dark green backs, and milky white or light red bellies. This kind of soft-shelled turtle seed is easier to raise and has strong reproductive capacity. If using a self-raising and self-breeding model, choose soft-shelled turtles with a body weight of 2 kg, strong bodies, and no disease or injury. Before stocking, the pond must be disinfected and sterilized. First drain the pond water, then disinfect with a disinfectant. If it is a cement pond, strong hypochlorite can be added to water and splashed for disinfection. If it is an outdoor earthen pond, lime solution can be splashed over the whole pond for disinfection. When stocking, also pay attention to density. Generally, 100-150 kg of 2-3-year-old young soft-shelled turtles are stocked per mu, and it must not exceed 200 kg at most. Later, as the soft-shelled turtles grow, gradually reduce the farming density.
3. Feeding management
The soft-shelled turtle is an omnivorous animal and likes to eat animal-based bait. Young soft-shelled turtles generally mostly feed on aquatic insects, earthworms, etc. Adult soft-shelled turtles like to eat animals such as fish, shrimp, and river snails, and also consume some plant-based feed such as vegetables, fruits, and various grains. Generally, an appropriate amount of cornmeal, bean dregs, melons and fruits, and trace elements are added to the feed. Such a reasonable mix can achieve balanced nutrition, make the soft-shelled turtle grow quickly, and avoid nutritional problems. When feeding, ensure the feed is fresh. Animal-based bait is best disinfected before feeding. When feeding, follow the four principles of fixed quality, fixed location, fixed time, and fixed quantity. Feed 3 times a day, once each in the morning, noon, and evening. Increase the feeding amount according to the growth and food intake of the soft-shelled turtle, feeding less but more often, and slowly increasing.
4. Disease and pest control
The soft-shelled turtle is an animal afraid of dirt and disorder, so keeping the farming site clean and hygienic during farming is necessary, as is regular disinfection, especially for outdoor farming. Outdoor exposure has a greater chance of contact with pathogens and is prone to disease infection. At the same time, strengthen water quality and substrate management. Residual bait and soft-shelled turtle excrement in the rearing water will worsen water quality and substrate. They accumulate and ferment, producing toxic substances that affect the growth of the soft-shelled turtle. Therefore, frequent inspection is needed. If water quality and substrate are found to have deteriorated, promptly change the water and improve the substrate.
The above are the artificial farming techniques for soft-shelled turtles. I hope they can help all farmers!