Key Points of Feeding Techniques for Soft-shelled Turtles in Summer and Autumn

  Summer and autumn are the periods of fastest growth for soft-shelled turtles in a year. If farmers pay attention to the following points when feeding soft-shelled turtles, they can effectively improve feed utilization, reduce feed waste, and promote rapid growth and development of soft-shelled turtles.  
 1. Feed pellet size should be appropriate. Soft-shelled turtles bite the food first and then dive into the water to swallow it. If the feed pellets are too large, it is inconvenient for them to ingest, so the size of the pellets made should be appropriate. When a soft-shelled turtle weighs less than 10 grams, the feed diameter should be less than 0.5 cm and the length less than 1 cm; when a soft-shelled turtle weighs 10-50 grams, the feed diameter should be less than 0.7 cm and the length less than 1.2 cm; when a soft-shelled turtle weighs 50-150 grams, the feed diameter should be less than 0.8 cm and the length less than 1.4 cm; when a soft-shelled turtle weighs more than 150 grams, the feed diameter should be less than 1 cm and the length about 1.5 cm. Feeding palatable feed according to different specifications can achieve a feed utilization rate of over 90%. 
 2. Add binders. Adding binders to the feed, such as wheat gluten powder, algae gum, konjac powder, etc., can enhance the elasticity and cohesiveness of the feed, making it less likely to break apart in water and effectively improving feed utilization. 
 3. Determine the feeding amount according to season and specification. The protein content of feed for juvenile soft-shelled turtles is required to be 50%, and for young and adult soft-shelled turtles about 45%. The principle of "light at both ends, heavy in the middle" should be followed for the whole year's feeding, that is, less feeding in spring and late autumn, and more feeding in the middle, generally from summer to early autumn accounting for 70%-80% of the annual feeding amount. Generally, the feeding amount of artificial compound feed for juvenile soft-shelled turtles is 5%-8% of their body weight, and for adult soft-shelled turtles 3%-5% of their body weight. If fresh animal feed is fed, the feeding amount should account for 10%-15% of the soft-shelled turtle's body weight, and it is best for them to finish eating within 1 hour after feeding. 
 4. Keep the feeding environment quiet. After feeding, a large number of soft-shelled turtles will come to the feeding platform to eat. If they are disturbed at this time, the soft-shelled turtles will immediately dive into the water, causing a large amount of feed to scatter into the pond and be wasted. Therefore, to ensure that the soft-shelled turtles can eat well and to reduce feed waste, the environment around the soft-shelled turtle pond must be kept quiet after feeding. 
 5. Set up simple feeding frames. To avoid feed falling into the water due to soft-shelled turtles crawling back and forth while eating, simple feeding frames can be used for feeding. The frames can be made of plastic or wood, with bamboo or wooden nails driven into the bottom board, and the spacing between nails should be such that a soft-shelled turtle's neck can extend in but its body cannot enter. The feed is placed in the feeding frame so that the soft-shelled turtles can only extend their heads in to eat.