Autumn Management Methods and Key Technical Points for Snakes

Snakes: Preparing for Winter

As the saying goes: "When the autumn wind blows, the three snakes grow fat." This accurately reflects the growth of snakes. In autumn and winter, snake farms should pay attention to the following points:

1. September to October is the peak predation season for snakes, during which they store large amounts of fat to safely survive the severe winter and maintain their nutritional needs until they emerge from their burrows the following year, so large amounts of food should be provided.

2. For snakes in relatively poor health, they can be sold on the market early and should not be kept for overwintering.

3. In autumn, snakes are busy foraging and have more opportunities to emerge from their burrows, making them relatively easy to capture in the wild, so precautions should be taken against natural enemies.

4. In November, promptly build the snakes' overwintering room (or nest).

5. Disinfect the overwintering room in advance.

6. Do not place straw in the overwintering room.

7. During the overwintering period, the temperature should be controlled within the range that snakes can tolerate, preferably somewhat on the low side, and the fluctuation range should be small, so as to avoid consuming the nutrients stored in the snakes' bodies.

8. The temperature of the overwintering room should be kept low; if too high, it must be lowered.

9. During overwintering, snakes are prone to acute pneumonia, stomatitis, etc. Prevention should be strengthened. Once discovered, they should be promptly isolated and treated, with appropriate handling, to prevent infection of other snake groups.

10. During the overwintering period, regular inspections should be carried out, and observation records should be kept promptly. Never disturb the snake group.