Snail Farming Business for Profit
Ignorance has been a factor that has contributed to the neglect of snail farming business. Did you know that snails are now being sold in many stores and supermarket? A lot of people are now buying and consuming snails in most of the developed countries such as the USA, UK and Australia.
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| How to start Snail farming for profit |
Some people believe snails cannot be domesticated. They still think snails are only picked in the bush. If you are among this set of people, I want you to remove that notion and accept that snails can be reared just like the way chickens, goats, sheep, cattle, rabbits, grasscutter and honeybees are raised at home.
You could make a lot of money from raising snails if you follow every management instruction right from housing to feeding. If you want to learn how to start a snail farming business, then patiently read the article below.
What are Snails?
Snails are members of the phylum Mollusca which contains at least 80,000 species, and is the second largest phylum in the animal kingdom. Members of this group are found throughout the world. They are predominantly aquatic, but some are terrestrial. All farmed snails are members of the class Gastropoda and are land snails capable of breathing free air. The three principal types of edible snails grown in Tropical Africa are the Giant African Land Snails. Some of them include:
- Achatina fulica (from East Africa)
- Achatina achatina (from Coastal West Africa)
- Achatina marginata (from Central African Rainforest)
Snails have been farmed for food for hundreds of years and are a rich source of protein. Snail preserves were established in Rome in 50 B.C.
Physical features are expressed by variations in size, color, and banding of the shell. Several varieties seem to be adaptive forms that can be successfully introduced.
Japan currently consumes over 20,000 tones annually, at roughly 100,000 snails to the tone, where they are considered not only a delicacy, but an aphrodisiac. French consumption is 40,000 tones per year met by wild snails collected in Europe. Post-Chernobyl radioactivity has encouraged the French to purchase intensively grown snails.
What is Heliciculture (Snail farming)?
Heliciculture or Snail Farming is simply the process of keeping edible snails primarily for human consumption or for other purposes such as the production of slime.
Why You Should Farm Snails?
- Snails are environment-friendly and both the snails and their fecal waste don’t smell offensively. Hence, you can rear snails in your backyard without any form of environmental pollution.
- The capital, labor, financial and technical inputs in simple snail farming are relatively low compared to.
- The meat of snail is very rich in protein, iron and calcium. The fat and cholesterol levels in snail meat are low.
- The ROI for snail farming is higher compared to other micro-livestock animals.
- There are potentials for exportation to foreign countries.
- The cultural acceptability is higher in Nigeria and most countries.
Benefits in Snails & the Increasing Demand for Snail
Medically, since ancient times, snails have been prescribed as medicine for maladies of the stomach, hydropsy and labour. In the Medieval Age, peoples used the water where the snails were boiled to help sore throats and bronchitis, and also to cure gastric-intestinal infections and cataplasm.
There are some reports of miraculous cures of gastric ulcers by ingesting, during a week, live snails taken from their shells. However, it is important to distinguish between scientific facts and superstitions without scientific evidence. The truth is, there are indicators that prove the therapeutic value of snails, such as the amino acids, contained in the protein of the snails’ meat and in their drool.
These amino acids contribute to the restoration of the integrity of the gastric tissue, curing, this way, ulcers. Because it is a food rich in calcium and poly-saturated fatty acids, a diet based on snails’ meat is recommended in cases of rickets and cholesterol. Its high quantity of mineral salts and iron is useful during pregnancy and nursing. As snails’ meat is poor in lipids, it can be eaten by those who suffer from liver diseases, arteriosclerosis and obesity.
In France and in Germany, snails are the foundation to the preparation of cosmetics, and are also used in handcraft and in many shell arrangements. In Brazil, there is research being done with the utilization of slime (the snail’s drool) as healer for scars and ulceration.
Why You Should Farm Snails?
- Snails are environment-friendly and both the snails and their faecal waste don’t smell offensively. Hence, you can rear snails in your backyard without any form of environmental pollution.
- The capital, labor, financial and technical inputs in simple snail farming are relatively low compared to.
- The meat of snail is very rich in protein, iron and calcium. The fat and cholesterol levels in snail meat are low.
- The ROI for snail farming is higher compared to other micro-livestock animals.
- There are potentials for exportation to foreign countries.
- The cultural acceptability is higher in Nigeria and most countries.
Benefits in Snails & the Increasing Demand for Snail
Medically, since ancient times, snails have been prescribed as medicine for maladies of the stomach, hydropsy and labor. In the Medieval Age, peoples used the water where the snails were boiled to help sore throats and bronchitis, and also to cure gastric-intestinal infections and cataplasm.
There are some reports of miraculous cures of gastric ulcers by ingesting, during a week, live snails taken from their shells. However, it is important to distinguish between scientific facts and superstitions without scientific evidence. The truth is, there are indicators that prove the therapeutic value of snails, such as the amino acids, contained in the protein of the snails’ meat and in their drool.
These amino acids contribute to the restoration of the integrity of the gastric tissue, curing, this way, ulcers. Because it is a food rich in calcium and poly saturated fatty acids, a diet based on snails’ meat is recommended in cases of rickets and cholesterol. Its high quantity of mineral salts and iron is useful during pregnancy and nursing. As snails’ meat is poor in lipids, it can be eaten by those who suffer from liver diseases, arteriosclerosis and obesity.
In France and in Germany, snails are the foundation to the preparation of cosmetics, and are also used in handcraft and in many shell arrangements. In Brazil, there is research being done with the utilization of slime (the snail’s drool) as healer for scars and ulceration.
What and How to Feed Snails
Feeding of snails is as important as the snails themselves. They need feed to grow and reproduce. The feed snails normally eat include:
- Vegetable
- Melon
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Plantain
- Sunflower
- Radish
To prevent deaths due to pesticide toxicity, these feeds should be organically grown.
Snails will also eat grain, manufactured concentrate feed, and small amounts of cellulose. Already made snail feeds for intensive systems give food conversion rates of 1.5:1. Snails are usually fed at night or after rain, when they are least likely to desiccate and predators are less abundant. Predators include frogs, rats, mice, moles and birds; thus, buildings should be rat-proof and outside enclosures netted for protection from birds.
Predators, Health and Diseases of Snails
The predators of snails include:
- Carnivorous beetles e.g. lamparidi, calosomidi, carabidi and stafilinids
- Birds e.g. magpies and crows
- Lizards
- Toads
- Snakes
- Rats
- Rabbits
Snails carry protozoa and many forms of salmonellae. They are subject to “Red Leg” disease caused by bacteria in the aquatic environment that can also be pathogenic to humans under certain conditions; therefore, normal health practices should be used when feeding them. The preparation of snails or snail eggs for preservation or use must be well done properly.
Harvesting and Marketing of Snails
Ideally, snails should be harvested as soon as they reach maturity. You can identify a matured snail by checking the lip edge. If it is hard, then such snail is matured. At this stage, no further growth should be expected.
When snails are matured and ready to be sold, they are picked up and transferred to another pen in preparation to be transported to the market.
Snails are sold in general food markets and are purchased by grocers or restaurants.
How to Transport Snails
Snails must be handled carefully. They have a soft body (the word “mollusc” originates from the Latin “mollis,” meaning “soft”), and although they are protected by a shell, they can easily be damaged. Care during transport is important.
Where to Get or Buy Breeder Snails for Breeding?
You could find snails all over the place in your gardens. During the day, it’s usually easy to locate them by picking up and examining the undersides of loosely piled up bricks.
If you can’t find any in your own garden or you don’t have a garden, try asking your friends (particularly those who have gardens).
They will deliver your products with no hassles. You place your orders online and make payment. They will give you an estimated time you will get your products. If there are issues, they will resolve it quickly.
Final Words
With this short but insightful write-up, you should have a glimpse of what snail farming or heliciculture entails. To be successful in the venture, you need to plan – it is very important. Without planning, you may fail and that may even discourage other people interested in the venture.
Did you enjoy this write-up, share your feedback using the comment box below. Do the same if you have questions.