It is high in protein and iron, low in fat and contains almost all the amino acids needed by humans
Edible snails also play an important role in folk medicine. International trade in snails is flourishing in Europe and North America.
However, in spite of the considerable foreign and local demand, commercial snail farm such as those in Europe, south-east Asia and the Americas hardly exist in Africa.
Types of Snail
- The Giant African Snail is a 20 cm long snail native to Africa, and it is one of the largest snail species. In some places, it is considered an invasive animal because of its high reproduction rate and the voracious appetite for crops and vegetation.
This type of snail is good for commercial purpose due to its size.
Garden Snail – Helix aspersa
The garden snail is a small species with a height up to 1.3 inches and a particular shell design that distinguishes it from other species. They are native to the Mediterranean region, Western Europe, part of Asia and northern Egypt.
Roman Snail – Helix pomatia
The Roman snail has a beautiful shell that it is almost a third of its total weight. Originally native to Europe, it is found in most of the world now. It inhabits in temperate forests with humid temperatures but scanty rainfall.
Disadvantage of snail farming.
Climate without expensive artificial means of climate control, snail farming is restricted to the humid tropical forest zone, which offers a constant temperature, high relative humidity, preferably no dry season, and a fairly constant day/night rhythm throughout the year.
Breeders, hatching and feeding
Breeders start to lay eggs at sexual maturity, at the age of 10-12 months. They should be transferred to boxes or pens at a density of 1-1.5kg snail/m². Usually, the egg hatch 2-3 weeks after laying, with a range of 10-31 days, depending on temperature. They should be fed tender leaves such as pawpaw or cocoyam leaves and a calcium supplement for good shell development. The soil in the pens should be kept moist and enough water should be provided.
Predators, parasite and diseases
The major snail predators are mice, rats and shrews, thrushes, domesticated birds and others like snakes, millipedes and centipedes.
I hope with this little info, someone can try to start a little backyard snail farming.
Please kindly upvote if this helps.
Thanks