Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jun 21, 2011 1:44:41 GMT 1
The giant African snail is traditionally gathered from the wild, but snail stocks are increasingly threatened by loss of habitat due to the expansion of farming and over-harvesting. In this project, the Ozubulu Maka Echi Women's Cooperative, Anambra State, Nigeria, developed a method of rearing snails in used tires and cement-block enclosures as part of existing subsistence farming systems. The enclosures were installed 0.7 m apart in all directions, and yam and cassava were planted in between. Tests were undertaken to determine optimal soil conditioning, stocking density and feed for the snails. Also, a watering regime was developed to prevent snails from going into hibernation during the dry season.
Kitchen wood ash applied at 40 g/m2/month, or 8 g per tire, proved the best soil conditioner. Optimum stocking density was 100 snails/m2 for juveniles weighing 0.5-49 g, and 30 snails /m2 for pre-adult snails weighing 50-100 g. Fresh green papaya leaves and composted or fresh cassava leaves, along with ripe or unripe papaya fruit as available, proved the best feed for the snails. During the dry season, water sprinkled at 20 l/m2/day, or 4 l/tire/day, was found to prevent hibernation. The average mean growth-rate over both rainy and dry seasons was found to be 0.1995 g/day, meaning that a 100-g table-sized giant African snail was achieved in approximately 16 months.
A national training workshop on rearing the giant African snail was held on July 6, 1996, for the women of Nigeria. The workshop was covered in the radio, television and print media. According to the final report, as of two months after the project, "many people" had adopted this low-cost method of growing snails. It was recommended that snail nurseries be established in each of the 589 local government areas in Nigeria to provide stocking materials for snail farmers and for replenishing wild stocks.
Source: idrc.org/cfp/ev-83060-201_920034-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html
Learn more about snail farming in Nigeria @ THE THY SNAIL & GRASSCUTTER FARMS
snailriches2.tripod.com
www.thethyconsulting.com/thebeautyofsnailfarming.htm
Kitchen wood ash applied at 40 g/m2/month, or 8 g per tire, proved the best soil conditioner. Optimum stocking density was 100 snails/m2 for juveniles weighing 0.5-49 g, and 30 snails /m2 for pre-adult snails weighing 50-100 g. Fresh green papaya leaves and composted or fresh cassava leaves, along with ripe or unripe papaya fruit as available, proved the best feed for the snails. During the dry season, water sprinkled at 20 l/m2/day, or 4 l/tire/day, was found to prevent hibernation. The average mean growth-rate over both rainy and dry seasons was found to be 0.1995 g/day, meaning that a 100-g table-sized giant African snail was achieved in approximately 16 months.
A national training workshop on rearing the giant African snail was held on July 6, 1996, for the women of Nigeria. The workshop was covered in the radio, television and print media. According to the final report, as of two months after the project, "many people" had adopted this low-cost method of growing snails. It was recommended that snail nurseries be established in each of the 589 local government areas in Nigeria to provide stocking materials for snail farmers and for replenishing wild stocks.
Source: idrc.org/cfp/ev-83060-201_920034-1-IDRC_ADM_INFO.html
Learn more about snail farming in Nigeria @ THE THY SNAIL & GRASSCUTTER FARMS
snailriches2.tripod.com
www.thethyconsulting.com/thebeautyofsnailfarming.htm