What are the key aspects of snake farm management?
To make the snakes being raised grow fast, reproduce more, and have a high survival rate, one cannot be too careless and negligent about snake farm management and snake disease prevention. Only by doing a good job in all aspects of snake management in advance can the occurrence and spread of snake diseases be eliminated. Taken together, the following aspects should be noted:
(1) The snake farm should be kept clean and hygienic. The snake enclosure and snake nest must be inspected every day (except in winter), and dead snakes or dead prey that has been bitten to death by snakes but not swallowed should be picked out in time, so as to prevent rot and spoilage caused by high temperatures and resulting environmental pollution. The drinking water in the snake pool or snake ditch should be replaced in good time. When cleaning the pool, the moss attached to the pool edge or ditch edge should be scrubbed off to ensure the water source is clean and fresh. In addition, the vegetation in the farm should be pruned regularly, so that it can not only play a role in shading and cooling, but also green and beautify the environment.
(2) The barriers, wall foundations and drainage outlets (holes) around the snake farm should be checked frequently, and rat holes and cracks should be repaired in time when found. Trees close to the snake farm wall should be pruned in good time, and strict precautions should be taken against snakes climbing along the trees and escaping.
(3) If venomous snakes are being raised, it is forbidden to drink alcohol before entering the snake farm, and even more forbidden to directly handle the venomous snakes after drinking. Workers entering the farm should wear high boots and protective clothing and hats, and generally two people should go together so they can look after each other and prevent being bitten by venomous snakes. When catching snakes, snake-catching tools such as iron tongs and special snake hooks should be used, and the movements when catching must be gentle and quick; never be slow and sluggish. When patrolling the snake farm at night, lighting equipment should be kept away from the equipment or a right-angle flashlight should be used, and attention should also be paid to the ground underfoot or the grass. If there are no special circumstances, it is best not to directly enter the snake farm at night; watching from the top of the wall is enough.
(4) The feeding staff at the snake farm must love @#@246@#@ the work and have an inner awareness and good attitude of caring for animals, so as to establish a positive mindset of being "friends" with snakes and taking "joy" in snakes; this is the main reliable guarantee for reducing snake bites caused by humans. Although artificial snake raising does not require the feeding staff to expend relatively great physical labor, affected by the snakes' activity patterns and obvious seasonal patterns, it also requires the feeding staff to expend lasting patience and confidence.
(5) The feeding staff should strive to combine breeding experience with scientific research work, so that it has both economic benefits and scientific results, and truly achieves the "integration of theory and practice." No matter which kind of snake is raised, a detailed snake-raising diary should be kept, such as the snakes' dwelling conditions in the farm or nest, the temperature and humidity of the four seasons, mating conditions, dates of gestation and egg-laying (or birth of young), number of molts, predation habits, feeding patterns, growth of hatchlings and young snakes, hibernation process, disease prevention and control, and a series of other work, so as to lay a solid foundation for future large-scale snake raising and the gradual improvement of the snake survival rate or the preservation and maintenance of snakes during breeding.
(6) Diseased snakes, injured snakes, and thin and weak snakes should be isolated and treated in time to avoid further spread of the disease and reduce as much as possible the chance of infecting other healthy snakes. At the same time, efforts should be made to develop the good habit of regular disinfection; "when people are diligent, snakes do not get sick" applies to every snake farm (household).