Anyone who has ever tasted crayfish meat knows how tasty and tender it is. Currently, breeding of these representatives of the fauna in Russia is practically not mastered. However, the demand for the product is high. Some villagers manage to make good money from the crayfish fishery in their natural habitat, but in this way they negatively affect the natural population of these animals. Such fishing is essentially poaching. Even before the revolution on the territory of Russia, they successfully engaged in the cultivation of crayfish in an artificial environment. The resulting meat was exported to many European countries. The current state of affairs is such that the main suppliers of this product to the world market - Turkey, China and Spain - are countries where previously no crayfish were found.
Pond
How to breed crayfish in ponds? To get started, clean the pond if it is silty or boggy. The proximity of crayfish with crucian carp, carps and other non-predatory fish is allowed. However, keep in mind that such a business will suffer with the advent of winter. This is because crayfish tend to hibernate if the air temperature drops below fifteen degrees Celsius. In a state of suspended animation, they stop consuming food and, accordingly, do not increase weight. If the pond does freeze to the bottom, your pets will die.
Nevertheless, many businessmen are wondering about how to breed crayfish in ponds, because such reservoirs are the most stable aquasystems capable of self-cleaning and self-renewal. At the same time, there is the opportunity to save on feed, filters and aerators. Crayfish will happily feed on plankton, algae and insect larvae. The disadvantage is that in the natural environment, the growth of these animals is not fast enough. Commodity is gaining approximately in the fifth year of life. Thus, the business will begin to generate revenue only after six years. It is attractive that the initial investment is practically not required.
Aquarium
How to breed crayfish at home? To do this, you need an aquarium with a capacity of at least two hundred and fifty liters (frameless). Pour the soil to the bottom of the container, and place stones and driftwood there (your pets will hide behind them).
How to breed crayfish at home so that they do not hibernate? To do this, it is important to ensure that the water temperature fluctuates insignificantly and is not lower than fifteen degrees of heat. In addition, it is important to ensure high-quality filtration and aeration of the liquid. Under such conditions, it is allowed to increase the density of animals up to three hundred and fifty individuals per square meter.
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The only drawback of the described business is its small volumes. It is difficult to achieve industrial proportions due to the limited breeding area. However, some entrepreneurs have figured out how to breed crayfish in an aquarium in order to maximize profits. At home, they grow larvae to “yearlings,” and only then release them into a natural or artificial pond. Thanks to this decision, it is possible to organize a successful business. But how to breed crayfish at home to minimize losses? In the first place should be control over water quality. In this case, not many larvae will die, in addition, they will develop much faster.
Basement
How to breed crayfish at home, if you do not want to clutter up the living room with huge aquariums? Use your basement. For most people, it plays the role of a place to store unnecessary things, and for you it will become a way to get money. If necessary, you will need to insulate the basement so that the crayfish do not fall into hibernation at low water temperatures. To organize lighting, get a two-watt lamp and hang it in the center of the ceiling. Equip the basement with multi-tiered racks for aquariums. After completing the preparatory work, the time will come to ask how to breed crayfish.
Where to get
Buying larvae is not easy. Most likely, you will have to grow young growth yourself. You can even buy crayfish at the supermarket. For each male, there should be two females. In autumn, the mating season begins. In late spring, females can be easily visually distinguished from males by the presence of eggs under the tail. A kilogram of these animals can cost you from three hundred to five hundred rubles. And even such small expenses can be avoided by catching crayfish on their own in the pond.
What to feed
How to breed crayfish so that they are actively gaining weight? To do this, it is important to organize high-quality nutrition for them. Crayfish prefer earthworms, insect larvae and small snails. In an artificial habitat, they will not give up steamed and crushed grains, boiled potatoes and grated carrots. These foods should make up the majority of the animals ’diet. A valuable source of protein is meat and fish. How to breed crayfish, not making mistakes in the process of feeding them? Calculate the daily food intake of animals. It should be 2% of their weight.
Propagation Features
Mating takes place in September and October. Males are able to fertilize up to two females in a row. If they get a third, they just eat it. This fact determines the optimal ratio of individuals of different sexes in the pond (two females per male).
Initially, the caviar is located under the shell of an animal. After shelving, it is fixed under the tail. In order for the embryos to develop correctly, the female constantly washes the eggs, thereby effectively cleansing her. Two months later, the larvae hatch. For three more weeks they rest under the tail of the female in order to avoid many dangers. After this time, completely independent crustaceans leave the cozy shelter forever. In the natural habitat, each female is able to grow up to twelve larvae. She can’t have more than twenty descendants a year. As for home conditions, this number can actually be tripled.
Molting
Young crustaceans molt eight times in the first twelve months of their lives. In the next two years, they will have to go through this even seven to nine times. Adult individuals shed much less often - once or twice every 12 months. During this period, the old shell is simply discarded, as it becomes cramped for a growing animal.
How to breed crayfish correctly? Particular attention should be paid to them during molting, when the animal becomes especially vulnerable to attack not only by predatory fish and birds, but also by its relatives.
Disease
The main ailments of cancers can be divided into infectious and invasive. The causative agents of the latter are parasites (most often these are microsporidia, branchiodella, trematodes and metacircoria). The most dangerous infectious diseases are plague and burn disease. They develop under the influence of various pathogenic fungi. In addition, the business may suffer from a decrease in stock due to overfeeding, inadequate filtration and aeration, and a sharp change in water temperature.
Breeding sites
If you are serious and plan to turn crayfish breeding into a highly profitable business, we advise you to organize a farm. Only in this case will it be possible to establish the production of a delicious product on an industrial scale. This will require the following:
- Incubation aquariums. It is very important that they are equipped with powerful heaters, compressors and a filtration system.
- Pools where crayfish are bred, which have become independent individuals. There they must be grown to the stage of yearlings.
- Covered ponds. There should be at least two, but it is better to try to organize even more. Thus, the business will grow faster. The minimum area of the reservoir should be 25 square meters. m, and the depth is 2 m. Note that in elongated ponds, gas exchange is better. It is recommended that the water in them be flowing. That is why it is so important that a river flows nearby. If this is not possible on your farm, drill several water wells.
Be sure to place shelter for crayfish at the bottom of the ponds. They can serve as fragments of pipes made of plastic or ceramic, stones, driftwood, etc.
Important point
What cancers are best bred? In Russia, the most common Far Eastern and European species. The second is most often used on an industrial scale. They are divided into long-toed and broad-toed. The latter are the most valuable species. It is their abdomen in cooking called the "cancer necks." However, keep in mind that this species is listed in the Red Book, so it is still better to breed long-toed crayfish. This way you avoid problems with inspection bodies.
Cancer of the lake and river is also isolated. The former are most suitable for home businesses, as they do not hibernate and can reach impressive sizes. However, there is one drawback: lake crayfish are very moody. For their breeding and successful maintenance, a warm room with an area of at least twenty square meters will be required. Crayfish are not so demanding, but they are smaller, respectively, and they are not so expensive.
When purchasing animals, do not lose sight of the fact that crayfish of different species do not live in the same body of water.
Cottage not only for beds
When arranging a pond in a personal plot, keep in mind that it is very important for crayfish to have holes. That is why the pond should be with clay shores and a rocky bottom. It is very important that he is in your territory, then it will be possible to control the breeding process and protect animals from criminal attacks.
How to breed crayfish in the country? If the site is large enough, it is better to organize three or four reservoirs. Of course, you can do it yourself, but an excavator can do this job much easier. Spare no money and order the necessary equipment. After completing this phase of work, think about landscaping ponds. It is better to cover the bottom with stones and sprinkle them with river sand. Along the edge of the pond, plant grass (field or garden).
Next, proceed with the organization of water disposal. To do this, you can use a conventional pipe, which is closed by a valve on top. Put a net on the pipe so that the crayfish do not have the opportunity to leave the pond through a kind of tunnel.
The most exciting moment is filling the pit with water and launching the first crayfish. Now comes a period of constant concern for the habitat of animals. Do not forget to change the water every two to three weeks. It is better to update the pond by about a third, so as not to disrupt the established microclimate much.
Is it profitable to breed crayfish?
To obtain at least one ton of these animals in a few years, you will need to purchase about six hundred individuals. The main costs fall on the starting period. They make up about 120 thousand rubles. for the equipment of reservoirs and 50 thousand rubles. for the purchase of young animals. With an investment of two hundred thousand rubles, you will earn your first million in about two years. Of course, these are only rough estimates. In fact, income depends on selling prices. Also, keep in mind that the more cancers, the more expensive they are.
How to sell?
The absence of problems with outlets is one of the main advantages of this business. The fact is that at present the competition in this area is low, and this is with a constant shortage of crayfish. Numerous restaurants, cafes, bars may be interested in your product. They generally prefer wholesale suppliers.
But did you know that salted caviar of crayfish is practically not inferior to red in taste and nutrition? This can also be emphasized in the process of finding buyers. In addition, chitin shells of the considered animals, surprising in their properties, are widely used in various types of production.
Conclusion
We examined in detail the question of how to breed crayfish. This business is profitable, but do not expect instant profits. Proper habitat management and careful crayfish care are key to success.