Overwintering Soft-shelled Turtles Is Not Hard: Do These 5 Preventive Steps Well
In recent years, many people have escaped poverty and become wealthy by farming soft-shelled turtles, which has directly driven the development of the soft-shelled turtle farming industry. More and more people are farming soft-shelled turtles. Wanting to imitate others' experience of getting rich but having no experience at all has led to soft-shelled turtles dying in large numbers in winter. In fact, as long as you do these 5 preventive steps well, soft-shelled turtles will overwinter easily!
1. Temperature Management
In most parts of China, winter temperatures are relatively low, while the temperature suitable for soft-shelled turtle growth is generally 25-30 degrees. The lowest temperature cannot be below 10 degrees, and the highest temperature cannot be above 32 degrees. In winter, the general temperature is around 5-8 degrees, which is a huge challenge for the survival of soft-shelled turtles. So the only option is to maintain the temperature in the farm through artificial methods, such as injecting spring water, building windbreak walls, and setting up greenhouses.
2. Water Quality Management
In winter, soft-shelled turtles have stricter water quality requirements than at other times. One of the main reasons is that winter temperatures are low, water activity is relatively low, and ammonia nitrogen is very easily produced, which has a huge impact on water quality. Ammonia nitrogen poses a great threat to the growth of soft-shelled turtles, causing gastrointestinal discomfort and rot all over the body. Note that water cannot be changed frequently in winter, as it will affect the water temperature in the pond. First, we can plant some plants in the water, which have a certain effect on purifying water quality. Second, control the pH of the water. An appropriate amount of quicklime can be sprinkled in, which is more conducive to the growth of soft-shelled turtles.
3. Light Management
When farming soft-shelled turtles in winter, many farmers easily neglect the light factor. They think winter naturally has little light, and wild soft-shelled turtles still live well anyway, so they also believe light has no effect on the growth of soft-shelled turtles. In fact, reasonable light can improve the survival rate of soft-shelled turtle farming in winter. Many people do not know this. You can try it according to the method I mention. Usually, at least 6-8 hours of light per day is needed, and this can be done by supplementing light in greenhouses.
4. Feeding Management
Many people say that soft-shelled turtles hibernate in winter, meaning they enter a dormant state, so there is no need to feed them. In fact, as long as they hibernate, then naturally there is no need to feed them, but this does not mean that no feeding is needed once winter comes. Usually, soft-shelled turtles enter hibernation only when the water temperature is around 5 degrees. Since we have adjusted the water temperature of the farm, they naturally will not enter hibernation, and during this period they still need to eat and fatten up. However, note that in winter soft-shelled turtles eat less than at other times, so try to feed them concentrated feed with higher nutritional content.
5. Disease and Pest Control
In winter, because water cannot be changed as frequently and thoroughly as usual, some bacterial and parasitic diseases and pests will inevitably appear. Therefore, after each water change, we should sprinkle into the water agents that are harmless to soft-shelled turtles and used to disinfect water quality. Second, remove the silt from the pond as much as possible, which can reduce pests. Also, feed the feed reasonably to enhance the soft-shelled turtles' own constitution. Finally, add disease-control agents to the feed for feeding.
The above is Tuliu.com's introduction to 5 measures for the safe overwintering of soft-shelled turtles. It is recommended to systematically learn farming techniques and do management work well before farming soft-shelled turtles, so as to obtain good returns.