How much does a softshell turtle hatchling cost, and what food makes it grow fast?

The softshell turtle, also known as tuanyu, shuiyu, wangba, and so on, is an aquatic omnivorous animal. The softshell turtle is not only a delicious dish on the table and a high-quality ingredient for first-class banquets, but can also be used as a traditional Chinese medicine material. It has many tonic and medicinal effects. So how much does a softshell turtle hatchling cost, and what food makes it grow fast?

1. How much does a softshell turtle hatchling cost

The market price of softshell turtle hatchlings varies with breed, place of origin, and so on. For example, Taiwan, China and Thailand softshell turtle hatchlings generally cost 1 to 2 yuan each, while local hatchlings such as Chinese softshell hatchlings and Hunan hatchlings cost about 2 to 5 yuan each. The softshell turtle is a poikilothermic animal, amphibious between water and land, breathing with its lungs. It mainly lives in lakes, ponds, reservoirs, deltas, and slow-flowing rivers. Around or in the center of a turtle pond there must be a sufficient area of land and sandy beach so that it can carry out activities on land. Its living habits can be summarized as the “three likes and three fears”, namely it likes quiet and fears disturbance, likes sun and fears wind, likes cleanliness and fears dirt. At present, the main species existing in our country are the Chinese softshell turtle, the wattle-necked softshell turtle, the Yangtze giant softshell turtle, and the Asian giant softshell turtle, among which the Chinese softshell turtle is the most common.

2. How to select softshell turtle hatchlings

1. Body color

The plastron of a juvenile softshell turtle is orange-red, and the redder the better; conversely, a pale red or yellow color indicates poor constitution. However, after the body weight reaches 20g, it is normal for the plastron to turn grayish-white or black;

2. Body weight

Newly hatched Chinese juvenile softshell turtles generally weigh more than 3g for good quality. If they weigh less than 3g, it is all caused by the parent turtles being too small in weight and age, or by malnutrition and poor constitution;

3. Body form

Good softshell turtle hatchlings have a relatively thick, firm, and straight marginal skirt, while a soft, thin, and drooping one indicates malnutrition. The back, belly, and armpits of the limbs of juvenile softshell turtles must have no white spots or white patches, otherwise it indicates that they have been infected with bacteria. They should also have no injuries or disabilities, and be active in movement and quick in response;

4. Points to note

It is generally not recommended that farmers buy hatchlings that hatched on the same day, because hatchlings that hatch on the same day have a relatively high mortality rate, and some whose umbilical cords have not been properly retracted are prone to dying on the same day. Therefore, hatchlings that have been hatched and raised for more than one day are of good quality and have fewer diseases, and the risk of breeding them after purchase is reduced.

3. What softshell turtles eat to grow fast

The softshell turtle is an omnivorous animal that mainly feeds on animal food. It mainly eats small fish and shrimp, earthworms, animal offal, fly maggots, snail and mussel meat, and rat meat, and also consumes some plant-based foods such as melons and vegetables and wheat grains. The softshell turtle has the living habits of liking quiet and fearing disturbance, liking sun and fearing wind, liking clear water and fearing pollution, and liking freshness and fearing rot;

Under intensive artificial farming, to achieve the best results in the growth, survival rate, and commercial quality of softshell turtles, high-quality compound feed must be selected, and a certain proportion of fresh, pollution-free live bait (such as fish, snails, liver, eggs, and vegetables) must be added for a long time, beaten into a pulp and mixed with compound feed for feeding, so as to regulate and improve the internal organ function of softshell turtles. At present, softshell turtle prices are falling, and some farmers use low-grade compound feed in order to reduce costs. This practice is not worth the loss. The relatively high incidence of the “white plastron” disease in softshell turtles in some places 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.

The above is Tuliu.com's introduction to softshell turtle hatchling prices and softshell turtle food. Before breeding softshell turtles, you must first systematically learn breeding techniques and purchase high-quality seedlings in order to ensure good returns.