Soft-shelled turtle overwintering methods and key points of winter management techniques

In recent years, many people have escaped poverty and become wealthy through soft-shelled turtle farming, which has directly driven the development of the soft-shelled turtle farming industry. As a result, quite a few people have started farming soft-shelled turtles, wanting to replicate others' experience of getting rich, and among them many had no experience at all, ultimately ending in failure. Today Qinnongwang is here to give everyone a treat. Let's take a look below at how soft-shelled turtles are farmed in winter.

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 to 30 degrees, with the lowest temperature not below 10 degrees and the highest not above 32 degrees. In winter, the general temperature is around 5 to 8 degrees, which is a great challenge for the survival of soft-shelled turtles. So the temperature in the farming site can only be maintained by artificial methods, such as injecting spring water, building windbreak walls, and setting up greenhouses, etc.

2. Water quality management

In winter, soft-shelled turtles have stricter requirements for water quality than at other times. One of the main reasons is that winter temperatures are low and water activity is relatively low, making it very easy to produce ammonia nitrogen, which has a huge impact on water quality. Ammonia nitrogen poses a great threat to the growth of soft-shelled turtles, as it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort and rot all over the body. However, water cannot be changed frequently in winter because it affects the water temperature. First, we can plant some plants in the water, which have a certain effect of purifying water quality. Second, control the pH of the water quality and sprinkle in an appropriate amount of quicklime, which is more beneficial to the growth of soft-shelled turtles.

3. Light management

When farming soft-shelled turtles in winter, many farmers easily overlook the light factor, thinking that there is naturally not much light in winter and that wild soft-shelled turtles still live well anyway, so they 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, which many people do not know. You can try it according to the methods I mentioned. Under normal circumstances, at least 6 to 8 hours of light are needed per day, and we can do this by supplementing light in greenhouses.

4. Feeding management

Many people say that soft-shelled turtles hibernate in winter, that is, they enter a dormant state, so there is no need to feed them. In fact, as long as it hibernates, then naturally there is no need to feed it, 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 farming site, 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 feed them as much high-nutrient concentrated feed as possible.

5. Disease prevention and control

In winter, because water cannot be changed as frequently and thoroughly as usual, it is inevitable that some diseases and pests such as bacteria and parasites will appear. Therefore, after each water change, sprinkle into the water harmless agents for disinfecting water quality. Second, remove the silt from the pond as much as possible, which can reduce insect pests. Also, feed reasonably to enhance the soft-shelled turtle's own constitution. Finally, add disease-prevention and control agents to the feed for feeding.