Are you venturing into Snail Farming Business anytime soon or do you have a snail as a pet in your backyard? There is something you must understand especially how to feed the snail and what type of food and drink do they take. This is because snails have different varieties meaning they just don’t eat a particular food. For that reason, we shall be exploring what sort of food do snails take and how to feed them in this article. Let’s begin by understanding what a Snail Farming Business is all about.
Snail Farming Business
What’s Snail
A snail is simply a small animal with a long, soft body, no legs, and a spiral-shaped shell. Snails as a name often applied to land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod molluscs. They are characterized by moving very slowly.
Snails are nocturnal animals which means they are very active at night and they are vegetarian and sometimes omnivorous. They don’t possess teeth just like mammals but possess a radula, a rasping, tongue-like organ, covered with thousands of tiny tooth-like protrusions called denticles, which they use in eating food.
They always require calcium for the development of their shells which is while they are observed to consume sand which gives them the supplement.
They are very important in human life as they serve as food, pests, and vectors of disease, and their shells are used as decorative objects and are incorporated into jewellery.
What Do Snails Eat
Snails, land Snails to be precise enjoy eating varieties of food both organic and formulated feed. However, the specific food they consume depends on the feeding habits of the snail. Some are herbivores (vegetarians) while some are carnivorous (flesh eaten).
Foods that herbivorous snails consume are plants such as mushrooms, plant crops, leaves, fungi, Cowpea, Soya beans, dried Moringa leaves, and dried cassava leaves.
Also Read: Different Types Of Pig Breeds For Pig Farming Business
While carnivorous snails eat earthworms, annelids, slugs, conchs, and calcium.
It is important to note that calcium is an important food supplement needed by snails, this can be gotten from dead snail shells, eggshells and at the market.
What Do Snails Drink
Water is an essential part of the food for every living thing. Snails are no exemption. Snail drink clean water that is not chlorinated. It is very harmful to them.
To get snail drink water, you will need to place a shallow bowl filled with water beside the snail foods.
How To Feed Snails
Snails as said earlier are nocturnal animals which means they are most active at night. So they tend to consume more in the night and early morning. The main purpose of feeding is to gain energy for better development. Here are the tips on how to Feed snails when you start a Snail Farming Business.
1. Get Varieties of Vegetables, Fruit and Grains Safe for Snails
Snails eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as cooked grains. There should be more vegetables like sweet corn, cucumber, mushrooms, lettuce, broccoli, green bean and fruit such as apples, strawberry, apricot, grapes, kiwi, mango in the food.
2. Make the Produce into Shred
When the organic foods are ready, you need to use a vegetable shredder to make the product smaller to the size in which the snail can feed on. It is advised to ensure that the shredder or knife used should be free from chemicals as snails are sensitive to chemicals. In short, wash the shredder or knife before making use of it.
3. Feed the Snail Gradually
Now, you can begin to feed the snail. Generally, 0.25 cups will be enough for the snail each day for a start. As time goes on, you will understand how much will be needed.
4. Supply Water
Provide a shallow bowl of non-chlorinated water in the snail environment. The snail often requires a moist or humid environment. This water provided should be constantly changed every 1-2 days. Also, you will need to be spraying the snail every 24 hours to keep it hydrated.
5. Provide Calcium Source
Calcium is a very important food supplement for snails. You will need to keep a calcium source in the tank at all times. Calcium is needed to keep the snail shell smooth and healthy.
Things to Avoid When Feeding Snails
If you don’t understand the proper feed of snails, they might die from the feed being provided. Here are some tips to help you safeguard the life of your snails when you start a Snail Farming Business;
- Snail find it difficult to digest processed foods, snacks, sugary food and raw grains. So, these foods are to be avoided, as they make them bloat.
- Food that contains salts should be avoided as this can dehydrate them quickly.
- Also, do not feed snails with rotten or contaminated food.
- Always clean the pen before supplying food including the portion where the food will be placed.
- Always wet the pen to help the snail humidity. Snail are mostly active in the night, so wetting of the pen should be at least twice a day, with emphasis in the evening.
Conclusion
This article on Snail Farming Business provides you with an insight into what sort of food is required to feed snails. Snail consume mostly what human consumes with few exceptions. They are very sensitive to chemicals that’s is why you should seldomly keep their environment clean and moist. Snails are nocturnal, they tend to be more active at night than during the day. Understanding these things will help you have a productive Snail Farming Business.
