Snail Farming Continued; Feeding Your Snails

This is a continuation of a previous article. for complete grasp, please check out the previous article – Keynote for a successful snail farming.

Snail Feeding

Snails usually prefer juicy fruits and vegetables over dry ones. When snails are fed with vegetables and fruits (either good or spoilt), uneaten food materials must be promptly removed from the pen.

Snail diet may consist of 20% wheat bran and 80% fruit and vegetables. Some farmers use a mixture of oat, cornmeal, soya beans and chicken mash or crushed oyster shells (to provide calcium)

However, researchers have shown that mixing poultry feed (layers mash) into snail food is very rewarding as it increases the available calcium for snails’ shells.

Most commercial poultry feed contains about 16% – 17% protein (from fish and meat) making it good for growing snails. It is believed that feeding chicken mash to snail hatchlings may reduce cannibalism.

Two major poultry feeds that are used to feed snails are;

• Broiler finisher mash which consists of about 7% limestone flour (40% Calcium), 58% corn, 18% sorghum, 16% soya, and 7% broiler concentrate.
• Chicken feed (pellets) for layers which consist of about 6% limestone flour (40% Calcium), 44% barley, 20% sorghum, 15% soy, 10%, corn and 5% layer concentrate.

Pellets should be fed to larger snails and mash to the younger ones to enhance assimilation. If a pellet must be fed to young snails, it must be partially crushed.

Snails usually prefer moist feed to dry feeds.

Enough amount of water must be provided if the dry mash is to be fed to the snails.

If the optimum feed is not readily available, it is good to feed with an equal amount of green vegetable and chicken feed or animal protein.

The amount of feed snails eat is largely dependent on air humidity/moisture and the availability of water for drinking.

Other factors that may affect the amount of feed snails eat include; temperature, light intensity, and food preferences, etc.

Why you need to go for snail farming

• Snail farming is a high-profit rewarding endeavor compared to other agric-businesses
• Snail farming provides a highly sort after source of protein- white meat (escargot) which is free from fat
• Snail farming requires a very low capital to start up when compared to other agric-businesses
• It is efficient to manage a snail farm as it is less stressful and less demanding compared to other animal farming.
• Snail offal may be used as a source of protein and its shell as a calcium source in animal formulated feeds.
• Snail farming is easy to control as snails are gentle and nonaggressive.
• Snail farm is easily expanded as snail multiply in great number within a short period.
• Snail farming is cost-effective as the snails do not necessarily require vaccination and drugs for management.
• Snail slime is therapeutic; it is highly sort after by a therapeutic company.
• Snail has enormous health value. It is thus prescribed by a nutritionist to aid wellness and promote health.
• Snail shells can be used for ornamental and recreational purposes.
• Snail shells can be used to compound feed (to act as a source of calcium) for other farm animals.
• Snail can also be used for aesthetic purposes

Snail Farming Continued; Feeding Your Snails

Raphael Okhueleigbe

Raphael Osas Okhueleigbe is a Blogger, Content creator, Agricultural Economist, Resource manager, and the founder of greener health.

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