A Detailed Guide to the Costs, Profits, Food and Techniques of Farming Frogs in Rural Areas

Frogs belong to the phylum Chordata, class Amphibia, order Anura, family Ranidae, and are amphibians that serve as food, health products and medicine all in one. So how are the costs and profits of farming frogs in rural areas? What food do they eat? What are the techniques? According to Ranidae data, frogs in the wild are accustomed to catching flying insects; ordinary frogs eat insects and worms such as flies, mosquitoes, locusts, mole crickets, green caterpillars and earthworms, and frogs only eat things that move.

How are the costs and profits of farming frogs in rural areas?

1. The total investment cost in the first year is about 10,000 yuan per mu. In the second and third years that follow, there is no cost for the facilities invested in, site construction or frog seedlings; the remaining costs each year are about 8,000 yuan, covering the feed for raising fly maggots and earthworms per mu, the electricity and light bulb costs for attracting insects, the electricity for the pump used to change the water, and labor costs. Calculated on a 3-year cycle, the average annual investment is 8,800 yuan per mu; the net profit per mu is about 36,000 yuan minus 8,800 yuan, roughly 27,000 yuan per mu per year.

2. Of course, as wild frogs become increasingly scarce, the market price of frogs keeps rising. For every 1 yuan increase in price, the net profit per mu can increase by more than 1,000 yuan. This includes the fact that the vegetables in this table are sold at the price of ordinary vegetables; if they could be sold through supermarkets at the price of organic vegetables as we do, the net profit per mu could increase by at least another 10,000 yuan. If combined with seedling trading, technology transfer and training, national support subsidies, and the recovery and sale of commercial frogs, the net profit per mu could be even higher.

What are the frog farming techniques?

1. Key points of juvenile frog rearing techniques

Keep the water depth of the juvenile frog pond at 0.3-0.5 m, and set up 3-5 feed platforms and resting platforms on the water surface. The stocking density of newly metamorphosed froglets is 200-300 per sq m, and the stocking density of juvenile frogs under 50 g is 100-200 per sq m. After being raised in the same pond for a period, juvenile frogs should be sorted according to their mouth size. Newly metamorphosed froglets are fed juvenile frog feed with a particle size of 2.0 mm; when individuals reach 20-30 g, they are fed juvenile frog feed with a particle size of 3.0 mm; when individuals reach 30-50 g, they are fed adult frog feed with a particle size of 3.5 mm. The daily feeding amount is about 5% of the total frog body weight, fed once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Change the water regularly to keep the water fresh.

2. Key points of adult frog farming techniques

After juvenile frogs are transferred into the adult frog pond, their food intake is large and their growth rate accelerates, making this an important period for forming commercial yield; supplying sufficient bait is most critical, mainly artificially cultured live bait with high protein content and high reproduction rates such as fly maggots, earthworms and yellow mealworms. To raise earthworms on soil mounds, simply sprinkle some limewater at a concentration of 3%-5% in sections on the soil mounds every evening, and the earthworms will come out in full force to serve as frog bait. Also feed an appropriate amount of compound feed, and sort and raise them in time to adjust the rearing density. After adult frogs are raised for 1 month, when the frog body weight reaches 100 g, the rearing density is 30 per sq m, and after 2 months it is changed to 10-15 per sq m. After a short period of further raising, they can become commercial frogs and go on the market.

3. Key points of disease prevention and control

Disease prevention and control in frogs should focus on prevention. During the farming process, as long as attention is paid to environmental sanitation, ensuring fresh feed, balanced nutrition and scientific feeding, the occurrence of frog diseases can be reduced. Common frog diseases include fulminant septicemia, gas bubble disease, trichodiniasis, red leg disease, gastroenteritis and so on.