Hubei Qianjiang farmer Du Xiaozhong shares his experience in crayfish farming

Crayfish, with their fast growth, high yield, strong adaptability and high economic returns, have become the darling of aquaculture in our province. In most people's impression, crayfish "can survive even in a stinking ditch," so they neglect farming techniques and raise them extensively with minimal management.

In fact, intensive pond farming of crayfish can bring even higher returns. Du Xiaozhong, a farmer at the Dihu office of the Xiongkou Town management district in Qianjiang City, moved from extensive to intensive farming and saw his returns rise to a new level.

The intensive farming model opens a door

Du Xiaozhong now has four ponds with a total farming water area of 70 mu. Each year, crayfish yield per mu is 300-600 jin, and profit per mu can reach more than 4,000 yuan.

"In 2013 I used the rice-crayfish rotation model. One mu of field could produce about 300 jin of market-size crayfish and more than 100 jin of seed stock," Du Xiaozhong said. At the beginning he did not understand the technical side: "We were not familiar with how many seedlings to stock, how to manage them, or how to sell them." After two years, crayfish yields were not high, and on top of that, rice planting had to start every June, so the crayfish farming cycle was very short.

In 2015, Du Xiaozhong switched to the intensive farming model. That year, yield per mu was more than 500 jin, and the size of the crayfish also increased from 3 liang to more than 5 liang. "Large crayfish sell well, and intensively farmed crayfish also have a longer market period." Du Xiaozhong's crayfish found a wide market, and that year profit per mu exceeded 4,000 yuan.

Achieving such returns after just one year of intensive farming made many people envious. In 2016, many nearby farmers followed Du Xiaozhong's example and gradually joined the ranks of intensive crayfish farming.

Watch the grass when stocking seedlings; density should not exceed 5,000 tails

Du Xiaozhong explained that after switching from the rice-crayfish model to the intensive farming model, different plans can be chosen for the number of farming cycles: if some crayfish remain at the bottom of the pond after last year's farming, then the next year you can let them reproduce and grow on their own, generally achieving 3 cycles, with total annual yield per mu reaching 600 jin; if seedlings are purchased from outside, generally 2 cycles can be farmed, with yield per mu generally around 400 jin.

In the early stage of stocking, because temperatures are relatively low, Elodea is mainly planted, and the stocking size is relatively small, generally 100 tails/jin of seedlings, with 50 jin stocked per mu (that is, a density of about 5,000 tails/mu). After 30-45 days of farming they can be marketed, and the market size can reach more than 5 qian.

In May, when temperatures are relatively high, Hydrilla verticillata is suited to reproducing when water temperatures are high. The stocking size can be a bit larger; generally 80 tails/jin seedlings can be chosen, the farming time is also about 30-45 days, and the market size is more than 5 qian.

"The density in intensive ponds generally does not exceed 5,000 tails/mu, because if the density is too high, the crayfish farming cycle will be lengthened and the economic returns will also be very poor," Du Xiaozhong said.

Careful cultivation is sure to bring a high harvest

Du Xiaozhong said that he has four ponds and manages them all by himself. Using the same drugs, the same aquatic plants and the same management, but different feed, he found that the feed from branded companies produced higher yields and relatively better quality.

"Although branded feed is a bit more expensive, it is safer," Du Xiaozhong said. In crayfish farming, feed accounts for only 15% of the cost, but it can effectively control disease.

"Calculated according to the current crayfish farming area, excluding the pond infrastructure construction in the first year, and counting all costs including pond rent, water and electricity fees, labor, feed, animal health products, planting aquatic plants, and the ground cages for catching crayfish, it is about 2,300 yuan/mu. At a selling price of 14 yuan/jin, with annual yield per mu of about 500 jin, profit per mu can reach 4,700 yuan."

Du Xiaozhong expressed satisfaction with this result: "Last year, many crayfish farmers around here did not make more than 4,000 yuan in profit."

"Actually, the threshold for intensive crayfish farming is not especially high. As long as you choose a place with a reliable water source and are willing to invest and put in the effort, and do more water quality management, generally you can succeed at farming," Du Xiaozhong said.