HOW TO REAR SNAILS.

 HOW TO REAR SNAILS. Snail farming also referred to as heliculture is a lucrative business with high export potential.Snails are small,hardy and easy to manage.

They can be raised on small or large scale using various means of housing.

The snail business is easy to set up, with simple management.. Snail farming is not capital intensive, does not require specialized equipment ,the feed are readily available and cheap.. 


Snails dont constitute a nuisance to the environment because there is on noise from the pens, and waste is odorless.

 The snail is divided into 3 parts; the shell, muscular foot and the visceral mass. The shell is the most visible part which makes up 30-40% of the whole body.

The shell is a means of identifying various species, and it has ornamental values.The shell increases with body size,thus its also a means of determining the age of the snails.

The muscular part also referred to as foot is the edible part, and makes up 45% of the body weight.Its also the means by which the snails move.

The visceral mass houses the internal organs and the reproductive organs. The snails are hermaphrodites, but they still require another snail to lay eggs. .


Snails can be housed using various enclosures depending on size of stock. Old tyres with wire netting,drums,wooden cages, cemented high/low fenced pens or natural gardens .The housing must be intact to prevent  openings for rodents,ants and mosquitoes.  The housing must provide shade,to prevent heating up the snails resulting in death.


 Snails feeds on greens,tubers and fruits. Snails can feed on leaves of pawpaw,cassava,fruits of mango,banana,orange. They can also be fed  with well ground broiler ration,chick mash or layer ration.

The feed must be balanced with adequate components of carbohydrate,fish meal and calcium supplements. Water is very important in snail diet and it must be readily available.

 The  floor of  the house of the snail must be covered with loamy soil which must be kept moist to allow the snails to burrow and lay eggs.

The snails/ hatchlings that are to be the foundation stock must be carefully chosen, they should be of good weight (300-350g),with no cracks on shell and no nodules.

The snails must be well stocked to prevent cannibalism,death and poor growth. A stocking density of the snails should be 40-50 hatchlings/m2, 30- 40 growers/m2 and 12-15 adults/m2.

 The sexual maturity of the snail is 5-6 months, upon maturity they lay eggs in presence of other snails and the eggs are buried deep in the sand to protect them. The snails lays about 80-100 eggs in clutches/batches.

AGRIBUSINESS: HEALTH BENEFITS OF SNAILS.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF SNAILS. 1) It has low fat and cholesterol content. 2)It is rich in iron,thus recommended for anaemic patients. 3)Its a good source of protein. 4)The meat is juicy and tender suitable for young and old. AGRIBUSINESS: HEALTH BENEFITS OF SNAILS.

ENERGY FROM CHICKEN WASTE.

Renewable energy is produced by using chicken droppings to make bio-gas. Chicken manure produces gas that is sufficient to power homes,schools, industry and also provide heat that can be used in poultry houses. The waste produced from 350 poultry birds amounts to 34kg of litter +68 litres of water is needed to power a 2.4m3 biogas plant daily,which will provide up to 6 hours of continuous gas that can be used for lighting and cooking. The chicken dropping is processed in the biogas plant to produce methane-rich gas which is captured and stored in a generator to produce renewable electricity and heat.The heat generated is used to dry grains and also heat for animal housing. The smell associated with poultry waste is eliminated as the gases are extracted and burned. Every kg of organic matter will yield 0.5m3 of bio-gas hence 1000 kg of chicken litter will yield 200 m3 bio-gas. It takes 1m3 of bio-gas to produce 2.1kw of electricity. The pooling of waste from various farms can be transferred to designated bio-gas plants which will generate power to these areas making each zone a power generating unit,making electricity constant and available to all.

ELECTRICITY FROM CHICKEN WASTE.

The use of waste to generate electricity in the world today has various advantages to the individuals,nation and the environment. The waste generated in the poultry industry, the livestock farms,agricultural waste,food waste and human waste can be channeled into a bio-gas plant to produce methane,heat and electricity. The power generation in most countries need to be upgraded to serve the populace better,drive industrial growth and maintain a safe environment.The millions of tons of chicken droppings/litter can be channeled and put in a bio-gas plant to generate electricity. Waste of poultry has before now been a menace to the society because of improper management and disposal,but with the introduction of a pre-treatment technology that treats the waste before its passed to the anaerobic digester,for breakdown to produce the desired products. The use of chicken waste to generate power will reduce cost of production in the manufacturing industry,which will translate to lowered overhead cost,lower prices of products and more profit for manufacturers. The generation of electricity from waste is a viable project taking to consideration the amount of poultry birds that are in the country; in a well managed system various sectors/areas can actually provide power to their community. The generation of electricity from chicken droppings is on the move..................join the change movement! no more blackouts....Electricity for all. Join my partners and I as we light up your communities, state and turbo charge your businesses.

WASTE TO WEALTH USING POULTRY DROPPINGS.

The poultry industry is a viable sector ensuring food security and contributing to the GDP of the economy. The revenue generated from this industry has been harnessed to drive growth and development but better management practices can actually increase the figures and provide more by- products that will further propel growth.

 The waste produced by the birds is a threat to the environment because of improper disposal and utilization of millions of tons of manure and litter soiled droppings produced daily

. The waste generated by poultry is a problem to farmers as the high nitrogen content of the waste releases ammonia fumes in the air making environment unbearable, hence most poultry farmers are at a loss at how to manage the waste. 

 Poultry waste normally is used as fertilizer for vegetable farm but it must be stored for about a period of 6 months before it can be used,the use of poultry waste to make bio-gas is a much better way. Chicken waste can be used to produce eco-friendly bio-gas which will provide energy in form of heat,gas(methane) for cooking and electricity and the digested slurry is disposed as treated fertilizer which has better market value.

 The use of the chicken manure to make gas requires specialized digester: the chicken manure is a peculiar waste to use to generate bio--gas because of the high nitrogen content ,but technology has found a way around it .

 The use of a specialized pre-treatment technology makes the anaerobic digestion easy, and the gas generated can be used to power homes and business across the country.

MYIASIS IN DOGS.

Myiasis is a skin infestation of the coat of animals, also occurs in man. Myiasis occurs in most species including rabbit, the difference is in the species of fly that causes the infestation.

 Myiasis is also referred to as fly strike. Myiasis though seasonal ,usually occurs in animals with soiled coats due to diarrhoea, open wounds,  and urine stains.
 Myiasis in dogs occurs when the bot fly lays eggs on moist coat of dogs, the eggs hatch in 1-2 days into larvae which are actually maggots,this burrow into the coat causing irritation and pin point protrusions .

PIG# HOUSING.

Starting a pig farm requires detailed planning and management. The success of raising pigs is hinged on the types of breed you select,feeding technique,operations management,housing and disease prevention and control. Bio-security protocols for the pig farm must be well stated and strict compliance is necessary. The pig farm must be on a well drained land,with adequate water supply,electricity and good roads with easy access to major markets. The housing of the pigs plays a vital role to the success of the production process and as such this must be the first consideration. HOUSING; pigs must be housed in solid structures,the house must be raised about 60cm above the ground.The floor should be made of concrete with the surface roughened to prevent slipping.The floor should be slopping to facilitate easy cleaning with water and run- off of urine.The house should be comfortable with good ventilation and shade. The walls of the house must be partially open to allow movement air through the house , must be solid to protect against predators and allows feeding of the pigs from outside without entering the pen. The pig building is divided into different pens for each phase of production cycle.The number and size of pens will depend on the number of piglets to be housed.The recommended floor requirement is as follows; 20 sqft/piglet, 30sqft/grower and 40sqft/finisher.