They are various types of lucrative business in Nigeria which provide a means of livelihood to millions of people globally but unfortunately only few are secretly making thousands monthly from snail farming business . West Africa is home to the largest species of land snail in the world.
Snail farming, is simply the process of rearing land snail, mainly for commercial purposes and over 500,000 tons of snails are consumed per year, including America and China?. In Asia, snail rearing is big business, providing opportunities to many farmers. Much of the harvest is exported to other developed countries in Europe and America.
Snail is highly rich in protein and low in unhealthy fat and good sources of essential minerals including phosphorus, calcium and iron, and sodium. Snail provide a very huge diet in many parts of Africa, although they are not always affordable and available all year round.
Environment for Snail Farming/Construction
When considering on venturing into snail farming you must keep it in mind that the snail house must be located in environment that is protected from wind because snails dehydrate easily, and wind is one of the factor that increase the rate of moisture loose in snail which in turn, leads to the dryness of the animal. Snail house should be construed on a low plain site surrounded with enough trees probably plantains and bananas to prevent the impact of wind.
For the construction of a Snails house, you can either dug a trench or make a concrete pen with soil deep of about 10 inches, and cover it with screen or fence the snail around to prevent any of the snails from escaping. It is good to note that snail love dark and cold places, but make sure the humidity does not drop to levels harmful to the snails, also you can use fresh green leaves or cloth that is regularly wet to regulate the temperature.
Food and Feeding Of Snail
Snails natural are green leaves and fruits feeders, although they can utilize other ranges of foods which enable then to grow tissues and it is also needed calcium to grow their shells. Below are various types of snail feeds which includes; Cocoyam leaves, pawpaw leaves, okra leaves, cassava leaves, eggplant leaves, cabbage and lettuce leaves, mango, eggplant, pawpaw, banana, tomatoes, oil palm fruits, pears. and cucumber.
Snail Harvesting
During the harvest season, it is advisable to keep few for breeding and to serve as base stock for your snail farm and It is also not wise to harvest your snails before it’s maturity, it has to be matured before harvesting.to ensure that your snails are already matured enough, check the brim of the shell and If the snail is fully matured the brim of the snail should be thicker and harder than other parts of the shell.