Top Benefits of Snail Farming You Should Know
Heliciculture or heliculture which is commonly known as snail farming involves the raising of land snails for human use. Several types of research have been conducted that prove how profitable snail farming can be. However, still, numerous livestock farmers around the world have yet to use the complete potential of snail farming. Mostly, they would prefer poultry, fish farming, cattle farming, pig farming, etc to snail farming.
So, if you are among those who are wondering whether you should venture into snail farming then the information mentioned below will be quite helpful for you.
- Snails are Environment Friendly
When compared with any other animal, Snails are environmentally friendly and can be easily kept on a farm without any sort of hassles. Due to the quiet nature of snails, they ensure that all the carnivorous pests like snakes and the different reptiles do not get attracted. Along with their quietness, the odor of snail droppings is not offensive to that created by pig and chicken farming. Due to these properties of snails, rearing them in your living area or backyard becomes quite easy. Snail manure also improves the organic content of the soil.
- Highly Reproductive in Nature
One of the biggest benefits of snail farming is that snails are prolific breeders. As snails are hermaphrodites, they possess both male and female reproductive organs. A snail can lay hundreds of eggs in a single laying season making them highly reproductive. In a year, there are around two or more laying seasons. Over time, you will have thousands of snails on your farm. Due to the large numbers, there is a huge potential of benefits in the snail farming business. In a very short period of time, you will be able to expand your farm.
- Doesn’t Require Much Capital
A person doesn’t need a lot of capital to get started with the snail farming business. By having the proper knowledge of managing snails and the place where you will keep your snails you can run the snail farming business successfully. This means snail farming can work great for every pocket size. A person can be easily trained on the procedure of starting snail farming without spending much. Once a person is trained, he can get started by using the disposed of tires or by constructing a small snail pen. Also, a person can build hutch boxes and they are not even costly.
- Readily Available Snail Food
When compared with poultry, sheep, or piggery, snails can consume food of different varieties. Their food options range from fruits, leaves, flowers that are readily available and can be easily bought from a nearby market. Also, snail food is not expensive and you can get it anywhere and anytime. All you need to do is make out time for the snail food. There is no need to feed the snails on a daily basis. Snails are able to record high productivity by feeding them once or twice based on three days feeding systems. To give them the needed nutrition, the food should have a high calcium concentration and soils in the pen that is moderately moist.
- Stress-free and Less Time Consuming
The process of rearing snails is stress free and time consuming as compared to the other livestock. A farmer doesn’t have to spend a lot of time taking care of the snails. Doing a daily evening visit or once in two days will be sufficient. There is no need to be always available like in rabbit and poultry farming. All the snails would need is the required food materials and protection from external elements like insects and the sun. As a farm owner, you can be rest assured about the health of the snails by ensuring all the basic things are provided to them on a timely basis.
- Increase in Demand
The demand for snails has significantly increased over the last few years. In certain markets, the demand has grossly surpassed the supply and its product. Also, due to the increase in demand, the export demand has increased manifolds for snail and snail by-products. In today’s time, investing in snail farming will be a profitable and wise decision. Snail farming is expected to remain lucrative in the coming years as well. Its products will serve numerous production purposes and satisfy a wide range of human demands.
In the End
The above mentioned are a few of the top benefits of snail farming that you need to know especially if you are planning to venture into this business. A lot of people have already made a lot of profits and gains. It is expected that in the years to come, more people will invest in this business. Let us know your views about the benefits of snail farming in the comments section below.