A Complete Analysis of New Green Farming Techniques for the Alligator Snapping Turtle

      The alligator snapping turtle stands out among the many turtle species in the world, renowned for having the highest meat yield (85%-89%). Its meat is fine-textured, savory and crisp, and its nutritional value far exceeds that of pork, beef and mutton. Every part of it is valuable: the meat, liver, gall bladder, blood and bones all have multiple medicinal and health-promoting benefits, and its supple, smooth skin can be made into fine leather handbags, leather bags and more. Therefore, actively developing alligator snapping turtle farming holds great promise. At present, each kilogram of alligator snapping turtle sells for 800 yuan-1000 yuan, yet supply still cannot meet demand. To keep pace with the consumer trend favoring green foods, the new green farming techniques for the alligator snapping turtle are introduced below:

  I. Pond Construction Choose a location with a convenient water source, no pollution, and convenient transportation yet quiet for building the pond. The shape should preferably be an east-west oriented rectangular pond with rounded corners, surfaced with cement, or an earthen pond of the same shape but with an anti-escape wall built around it. Each pond should have an area of several dozen sq m to several hundred sq m; a pond depth of 1.2 m-1.5 m and a water depth of 30 cm-80 cm; the pond bottom should have a 10°-16° slope from north to south, with a drainage pipe outlet fitted with an anti-escape mesh cover at the lowest point; all pond corners should be smoothly rounded, with anti-escape pressure plates added on top; an anti-escape wall should be built around the perimeter of the turtle pond, with a wall height of 1 m, a door left on one side of the wall, and anti-escape pressure plates projecting inward over the pond can also be added on top of the wall (a "T"-shaped anti-escape wall). Along the top of the outer anti-escape wall, a insertion hole with a diameter of 2 cm-3 cm should be left about every 0.6 m. On the highest water level line of the outdoor cement pond wall, several overflow holes should be left. Newly built cement ponds contain alkaline substances, so the pond walls and bottom can be scrubbed with 10% glacial acetic acid, then filled with water and soaked for 1 day-2 days, drained, and de-alkalized once more by the same method, then rinsed clean with fresh water and filled with new water. Before raising turtles, the entire pond also needs to be splashed with 15×10-6-20×10-6 bleach or 1×10-6 "Strong Chlorine" for disinfection and sterilization, and turtle stock can only be introduced after 2 days.

  To help with heat relief, increase shelter and purify water quality, plants such as alligator weed and water hyacinth should be planted in the pond, covering no more than 1/4-1/3 of the total pond area; a trellis can also be set up, using climbing plants for shade, forming a man-made bionic green environment.

  In addition to the general conditions above, artificially creating the optimal growth temperature for the alligator snapping turtle is an important measure for intensive turtle farming. At low temperatures, using a smokeless boiler water (air) heating system can keep the pond water at about 30°C and the air temperature at about 31°C; a temperature-controlled thermostat and electric heating device can also be used to achieve constant-temperature intensive rearing.

  II. Stocking Turtle Stock Adopting high-density green farming is a new technique for achieving high returns and an inevitable trend in the turtle farming industry. The initial stocking density (about 200 g each) is 24 turtles/sq m-27 turtles/sq m, or about 5 kg/sq m by weight, but as the alligator snapping turtles grow rapidly, density should be reduced in a timely manner. When the average size reaches 350 g each-400 g each, it should be reduced to 20 turtles/sq m-22 turtles/sq m; when the average size reaches 500 g each, they can be stocked at 15 turtles/sq m-17 turtles/sq m; at 600 g each, stock at 12 turtles/sq m-14 turtles/sq m; at 700 g each, it should be 10 turtles/sq m-12 turtles/sq m; at 800 g each, it is 8 turtles/sq m-9 turtles/sq m.

  III. Feed Feeding It is recommended to use SDG alligator snapping turtle special green compound feed (protein content above 48%). When preparing it, weigh the ingredients on site, add photosynthetic bacteria at 5%-10% of the total ingredient weight and about 45% clean water, and make long pellets with a diameter of 2 mm-3 mm. If conditions permit, making floating extruded pellet feed gives even better results.

  The feeding amount of compound feed is 1.5%-2.5% of the total body weight of the alligator snapping turtles, and 5%-10% for fresh live feed. Feed 3 times a day, at 6 o'clock-7 o'clock, 12 o'clock-13 o'clock, and 17 o'clock-18 o'clock respectively. Feeding should be done at multiple points and evenly, and the feed should make a sound when entering the water as much as possible. Never concentrate the feed in one place, causing it to pile up. The number of feeding stations per pond should be determined by the size of the pond, generally 3-4 per sq m.

  IV. Water Quality Regulation Given the high-density intensive turtle farming conditions, the turtles' food intake and excrement are both relatively high, and the water temperature is also relatively high. Even if the feed given is green feed, it still pollutes the water quality fairly quickly, and more harmful substances are easily produced in the water body, especially ammonia, nitrite and H2S, which are more harmful. Splashing and bottom-applying photosynthetic bacteria can effectively improve water quality and reduce harmful substances. Each time new pond water is added, apply 10×10-6-15×10-6 photosynthetic bacteria at the same time; changing the water is also an effective way to regulate water quality. At a water depth of about 20 cm, it can be changed once a day, and at a water depth of 30 cm, once every 2 days. Never go many days without changing the water, and do not let the water body give off a foul odor. Every 7 days-10 days, quicklime can be splashed once at a concentration of 70×10-6, and care should be taken to apply it alternately with photosynthetic bacteria, never at the same time.