Topic: How To Earn A 6-7 Figure Income Rearing Snails From Your Backyard

How To Earn A 6-7 Figure Income Rearing Snails From Your Backyard - Part I (Foreword)

Agrotize Integrated Systems is a company incorporated by the Corporate Affairs Commission to engage in crop and animal production, agro-processing, off-taking and marketing services, agric-tours, agro-industrial consulting services and eco-management.


Coincidentally, we stumbled on the snail farming knowledge when one of our directors happened to engage in a business discussion during an executive training organized by a top-level organization in Nigeria.


Quickly spurred by this knowledge, we conducted snail farming trials from our backyard, and upon being successful and shocked by its high profitability, we decided to engage fully in the entire snail farming value chain which involved production, processing, marketing and feed production.


In this series, we would be sharing our knowledge and business experience on the subject of snail farming as it pertains to the uniqueness of Nigeria in terms of demography, culture and other social factors.


Most importantly, we would lay emphasis on how you can earn a 6-7 figure income rearing snails from your backyard i.e starting small.


Sit back, relax with prompt attention to details while we take you on a roller coaster ride through this life-changing masterpiece.


Regards,


Newton Ovie.
GM/CEO Agrotize Integrated Systems

How To Earn A 6-7 Figure Income Rearing Snails From Your Backyard - Part III & IV (Snail farming; Species Selection)

Snail farming


Snails are usually herbivores with omnivore tendencies. They have a complex hermaphroditic reproductive system. They are high in protein, low in fat and a source of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Recent investigations revealed that snail meat contains 70% of water while its dry matter is high in essential amino acids such as lysine, leucine, arginine, tryptophan and 30% minerals. Snail is also a source of calcium ortho-phosphate, a chemical substrate for curing kidney diseases. A recent study has also shown that the glandular substances from edible snails cause agglutination of certain bacteria; this could be of value against a variety of ailments including whooping cough. Products from snail meat belong to foodstuffs with high nutritional value. Thus, snail meat gains an advantage over others.


Snail Farming which involves the rearing of snails has the following benefits:-


1. Environmental-friendliness: Snails are environment-friendly, because, unlike poultry or pigs, neither the snail nor its droppings smell offensively. Snails can also be reared in the backyard.


2. Low Inputs Needed: Capital, technical, labour and financial inputs in simple snail farming are relatively low compared to those in other types of livestock farming (poultry, pigs, goats, sheep, and cattle).


3. High Nutritional Value: Snail meat is a good source of protein. It is rich in iron and calcium, but low in fat and cholesterol compared to other protein sources like poultry and pigs.


In order to raise snails directly from your backyard, as is the aim of this series, the right species of snails must be reared in order to maximize profits and ensure acceptability of your snails when it is ready for sale.


Species selection


The most popular edible snails in West Africa are the big black, Archachatina marginata and giant snail, Achatina achatina. Emphasis will be made on only these two species as they have been identified as the best for snail farming in Nigeria in terms of size and customer acceptability.


1. Archachatina marginata





Archachatina marginata (big black snail, giant African land snail) is a large snail, generally growing to about 20 cm and a live weight of 500g. The shell is much less pointed than the Achatina species, the roundness being especially obvious in young animals. Striation on the shell may give the appearance of a 'woven' texture. The head of the snail is dark-grey; its foot is a lighter shade.


The species reaches sexual maturity at an age of around one year, when the individuals reach a live weight of 100-125 g. Reciprocal copulation must occur to produce viable eggs. The eggs are comparatively large at 17 × 12 mm, with an average weight of 4.8g in a recent Nigerian stocking trial. For that reason the number of eggs per clutch is low, 10-30 eggs. Eggs are laid in the soil at a depth of about 10 cm.


Throughout the year, it can lay altogether around 100 – 300 eggs, with a very low mortality rate.


2. Achatina achatina





Achatina achatina (giant snail, tiger snail) can also be considered a good candidate for snail farming although it requires higher humidity than Archachatina marginata and needs a longer growing time to reach sexual maturity. Although usually much smaller, they can grow up to 30 cm in body length and 25 cm in shell height. Average adult shell length is 18cm, with an average diameter of 9cm. The conically shaped, fairly pointed shell is brownish with a characteristic stripe pattern (hence the name tiger snail).


It reproduces by self-fertilization. Unlike in many other species, reproduction is not preceded by coupling, although it is not unusual to find two snails in close proximity.

Eggs are laid in clutches of 30-300 eggs and deposited in dug-out holes about 4 cm deep. Throughout the year, it can lay altogether around 300 – 3000 eggs and also has a high hatching rate of 90+%; even 100% hatchability is not uncommon.


Let’s take a break here. In the next post, we will talk about site selection.


Do have a great time.


Regards,


Newton Ovie.
GM/CEO Agrotize Integrated Systems

N.B. If you cannot wait for the entire series to be uploaded, you can get it all in a compiled PDF document / E-book for FREE @ Compiled Free PDF Document


Questions/comments are welcome.