Analysis of Soft-Shelled Turtle Breeding Techniques and Key Points of Egg-Laying and Hatching Management

Soft-shelled turtle breeding is the process by which soft-shelled turtles reproduce through mating, egg-laying and hatching, and it is also an important part of artificial soft-shelled turtle farming. The soft-shelled turtle is an egg-laying reptile; it generally enters the breeding season after air temperatures rise and water temperature stabilizes, and once female turtles reach sexual maturity they can mate naturally with male turtles.

Under artificial farming conditions, robust parent turtles of suitable size must first be selected and raised separately. During the rearing period, feed a nutritionally complete diet, keep the water clean, and appropriately supplement light and calcium to lay a good foundation for mating and egg-laying.

Once the egg-laying stage begins, female turtles mostly climb onto the egg-laying site at night or in the early morning, dig holes with their hind legs to lay eggs, and after finishing they bury them with sand. Farmers can collect the turtle eggs in time, move them into hatching boxes or a hatching room, control temperature and humidity well, and prevent disturbances from natural enemies such as rats and snakes; after a hatching period the hatchlings will successively break out of their shells.

During the breeding period, special attention must be paid to keeping the environment quiet, avoiding frequent movement of personnel or noise interference that could frighten the parent turtles and cause them to stop laying. The sand used for hatching must be disinfected in advance; the humidity should be such that it forms a clump when squeezed in the hand and falls apart when released, as either too dry or too wet conditions can easily cause poor development of turtle eggs. Mastering standardized breeding techniques helps increase the fertilization rate and hatching rate, providing a source of robust seedlings for subsequent farming.