Key Technical Points and Daily Management Methods for Breeding Turtle Parent Stock

Female turtles over 0.5 kg and male turtles over 0.15 kg, at an age of 5 years or older, are suitable as parent stock. Stocking ratio: female-to-male ratio of 3:1, density of 0.6 turtles per sq m. Parent turtle feed should contain about 40% crude protein, plus 20% live feed. In South China, turtles reach sexual maturity at 5 summer years of age; first-time laying females produce 1 clutch per year, with 1 to 4 eggs per clutch. 8-year-old females lay an average of 3.2 clutches per year, with an average of 5.5 eggs per clutch, averaging 16 to 20 eggs per female per year; 10-year-old females lay 4.5 clutches per year, producing more than 30 eggs per year, with the highest reaching as many as 14 eggs per clutch, so their reproductive capacity is quite considerable. Research shows that the older the female turtle and the larger the individual, the greater the number of eggs laid, the heavier the individual egg weight, and the larger the hatchlings. When selecting parent stock, female turtles should be over 7 years of age with an individual weight of 0.5 to 0.7 kg, and male turtles should have an individual weight of over 0.3 kg.