Snail Farming: Introduction
Snail farming is fascinating and it is exciting watching the GAL snails growing in a controlled environment. I had always been interested in snails for as long as I could remember. There are different species of edible snails in our environment. The ones commonly found in backyards don’t grow big and children delight in hunting for them. The Giant African Land Snails (GALS) on the other hand are big and eaten in many homes. The snails can be introduced into our home backyard especially if you have plantain plants though the forest is their natural habitat.
My interest in snails developed as a child when my Mum used to sell Congo meat. Congo meat then is snail meat prepared and seasoned with sauce. My Mum will always reserve a portion for us to eat and I became very fond of this delicacy. Though my Mum stopped selling Congo meat I didn’t get over my love and craving for snails. I love eating snails and would have wanted it to be part of my daily meal but the price is not pocket friendly.
Snail Farming: Rearing Snails in Backyard
The GAL Snails can be reared with ease within the home environment but it has to be done correctly. My journey into snail farming began some years ago. Initially my motive was profit oriented but it didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
I started the farm with misguided ideas. I was made to believe they will thrive on soil and grass with little or no care. This turned out to be far from the truth; I learnt in a hard way after incurring losses. I stocked a large number in an enclosed well constructed structure but they were not well fed. Due to improper care they started dying as they had low resistance to diseases. The massive deaths made me disappointed so I dismantled the structure constructed and took a temporary rest.
Despite not rearing snails again they were always around in my backyard especially after a heavy rainfall.
Snail Farming: It Is Enjoyable
Easy to start snail farming
Snail farming is very easy to start but you need to be well informed. You can get the structure in place within a week with little resources. The small startup can be nurtured to become a viable big snail farm.
Good source of meat
Snail is a good source of meat; very delicious and nutritious. I am neither a doctor nor scientist but as a laywoman I know snails have vital nutrients. They are good for the body especially for a grandma like me. My judgment is based on what they consume. I feed mine with cucumber, cabbage, pumpkin leaves, carrot, pawpaw fruits and leaves, plantain, watermelon,powdered eggshells and more. They are voracious eater and will consume the best of anything you placed before them. It is therefore no wonder that they are rich in nutrients. I strongly believe that what goes into the body determines the output which is why snails are valuable.
Easy to manage
Snail farming is not tedious. The work I do on the snail farm is insignificant when compared to the poultry work or vegetable garden. I don’t need to pack waste or clear the snailery as their waste mix with the soil to become manure.
Snail farming: Providing Adequate Housing
Snails thrive well in the forest which is their natural habitat. When rearing them at home one should provide housing that is conducive so they can also thrive and reproduce.
Their houses can be cheap or expensive depending on what you have on hand to invest. Wooden boxes, Old tyres, drums or blocks all serve as a good housing. If you have a little cash to invest you can actually construct the snailery with concrete and nets.
I converted a concrete fish pond and got a carpenter to cover it with wire mesh and net. The net is essential as snails are very skillful in escaping. The number of snails you decide to rear will determine the size of the snail house to be constructed. A good location to rear your snail is essential. It should be in a secured place and must be easily accessible for monitoring.
You can farm snails indoor or outdoor but ensure they are not overcrowded. I chose outdoor so that the snails can experience something close to their natural environment.
Snail Farming: Good Soil
Giant African Land snails need good soil to grow and obtain enough nutrients. They need soil that is rich and free like the black soil we use for gardening. Soil that becomes hard like clayey soil is not good for rearing snail. They usually dig into the soil and also lay their eggs under the soil from where the babies hatch. The soil should be such that can be kept moist as they derive most of their water requirement from the soil. The soil should be rich enough to support plant growth which will provide shade and food for the snails.
Snail Farming: Numbers of Snails to Rear
It is tempting to overstock when you are just starting a snail farm because of the small startup money. They need enough space to move freely without having to come in contact with their waste or accumulated slime. My snails are housed in a disused fish pond fully netted and raised up. So aside the ground space they can also climb to the top.
The perforated 4 inch PVC pipes scattered in the snailery also serves as additional housing. From various materials I read over the years average stocking recommendation is between 20-25 per meter squared for adult snails. You can keep up to 75-90 of the small ones in the same size of space. If you are using drums, tyres or wooden boxes you have to avoid overstocking. You will need to change the soil frequently to keep the place clean and safe for your snails.
Let the available space and resources on ground influence your decision in ascertaining the numbers you want to rear.
Snail Farming: Getting the First Set of Snails
It is very easy to get GAL snails as they are sold in most markets. It is however cheaper to get healthy breed from the Southern part of the Country. Years ago when I first tried snail farming I ordered for my stock from Edo state. I also got some giant ones from Badagry which were said to be from Republic of Benin. As a result of this mix I had about four varieties of GAL snails.
For my second snail farming attempt I only bought few parent stocks from Edo and Kogi States. I add more stock by hunting for snails in my backyard garden. Snails cannot be totally wiped off from the location where they had been reared previously. Since I reared snails years ago before letting them loose they have remained in my premises. Actually they have become pests as they eat up my vegetables and other garden plants especially in dry season.
I take advantage of their presence by hunting for them in the night especially after a rainfall when the weather is cool. They love staying under plantain and banana plants so that is usually where I check first. Sometimes early in the morning I get some just crawling to their hiding places in my garden. However they rarely move around in dry season as they would have aestivated. It is fun and relaxing doing these childhood activities. Try it for a change.
Snail farming: Taking stock
I would have loved to give an accurate number of my stock but it is almost impossible. They reproduce very well as evidenced by the new babies but I can only estimate the likely numbers in there. They bury themselves in the soil such that one cannot avoid stepping on them if you walk into the snailery. To have an idea of my stock I usually visit the snailery between 12 midnight and 1 a.m. This is the period they come out to eat or look for food. I do this to ensure I am supplying them enough food and to ensure they are healthy.
Sometimes you can be under the impression they are hiding in the soil while in actual fact they may be dead. They can be attacked and killed by soldier ants or other predators. This routine check is therefore essential to prevent serious casualties in the snailery.
Snail farming: Feeding
Contrary to my earlier misconception you need to provide enough food for your snails. My first snail farm had challenges because they were not well fed. Following which they resulted to cannibalism and were not resistant to diseases. It might sound unbelievable but snails actually eat each other. That is why it is good to separate the smaller ones from the adults.
They eat a lot of food items, fruits, vegetables, cocoyam leaves, and any edibles they see including soil and concrete. You should however ensure they don’t come in contact with salt as it dehydrates and eventually kills them.
Although they eat anything I notice they have preference for fruits especially Pawpaw (not too ripe), plantains, watermelon, cabbage, carrots and bananas. It is only when they have finished consuming all these that some of them will eat the vegetable leaves. It is expensive feeding them on just fruits so you will have to supplement by giving them leaves like pawpaw, okro, potato and green vegetable leaves.
Snail farming is cheaper if you have a garden or a place where you can obtain vegetable waste. In addition to the vegetables from my garden I am nursing pawpaw plants so as to reduce my cost. Right now I get leaves from the Pawpaw plants but what I get is not enough. Snail farming can be an inexpensive hobby if you look for free source of food supply e.g. from fruit sellers.
CHALLENGES OF SNAIL FARMING
Snail farming: Getting Good weather
They need cool weather to thrive and they are easier to manage during the rainy season. In dry season I have to spray the snailery with water frequently to keep the soil moist. I placed some perforated 4 inch PVC pipes in the snail house to further act as a shield from the hot weather. They crawl into it for shelter and this protects them from harsh sunlight. It is obvious they love the pipes as they are always crowded in there during the day.
I also keep the plants in the snail house alive so that it could provide extra shade and also serve as food. If the weather is not conducive they will become inactive and hibernate. They will not die but rather go on vacation till everything is alright.
Prone to attack
The snails can be killed and the numbers reduced within a short time by some predators that attack them. One of such that I am constantly struggling with is the soldier ants. Lizard is also another annoying predator that sneaks into the snailery. You can prevent this by providing adequate netting and ensuring the doors are kept closed. Used engine oil poured outside the snailery deter the ants but ensure the oil does not get to the snails. Garlic can be thrown inside to wade off some of these predators.
Snail farming: When to Harvest
Snails take time before it becomes harvestable. Baby snails require more than a year to get to eatable size; they have a slow growth rate. You will reap better profit if you can rear GAL snails successfully for a year as they reproduce continuously and in large numbers. A great lesson in being patient. They start laying eggs before they get to a year old and at least 50% of the eggs will hatch. The eggs get bigger as the snails grow bigger. The smaller ones lay up to 15 eggs at a time while the bigger ones could be just 6 eggs. I see more of their eggs during the rainy season and also a lot of babies coming out of the soil.
During the day the GAL snails hide in dark places. If you are using wooden box, drums or other type of containers you can easily pick what you want. For the semi free range like what I have you can harvest in the night when they come out for food. Pick the size and numbers you require and set aside in a basket or sack until ready for use.
Snail Farming: Processing The Meat
Reaping the harvest from your farm labour is sweet and the joy is better experienced when you are eating the harvest.
2 Timothy 2:6 The farmer who has done the hard work should have the first share of the harvest.(GNT)
We all have different ways of preparing snails but the meat requires thorough cleaning.
How I Clean
- Parboil the snails
- Allow to cool and extract the meat from the shell
- Remove the wastes and the parts that are not edible
- Wash well in clean water. I add white Vinegar to the water to remove the slim. You can use lime or lemon but for me the vinegar is cheaper and readily available. Vinegar bottle costing just N200 can be kept handy in the kitchen shelf for everyday usage.
- After washing you can now season and cook as desired
Quick Checklist
- Ascertain the numbers you can rear
- Find out the best place to get your initial stock
- Determine the type of housing you will use
- Get the housing constructed and placed where it should be.
- Disinfect and clean the place well to be sure there are no termites or ants
- Prepare the place by planting some vegetables if a mini free range or add soil if you are using drums, concrete or old tyres
- Get their feeding and drinking trough ready
- Introduce the snails which must have been pre ordered
- Feed them well and monitor
- Begin to harvest when they are at least a year old
- Always clean the meat well before cooking
Conclusion
I hope this post provide enough information for you to start your own snail farm. You can farm snails on a larger scale but you will need a feasibility report and good market survey report.
Please feel free to comment, share, subscribe or ask questions and I will be glad supply the answers.
I offer training, supply of breeding stock and consultation service on snail farming. We all love to eat snails and in each locality we have special names for these edible snails. In my place they call it “AKIKORI”. Let’s build snail name library together; write the name it is called in your place in the comment box. Knowing the name in your place is a starting point as you set out to start your own snail farm.
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God bless you ma for thought of getting off recession.
How useful is a snail that its shell is paforated and the one that is kept in excessive heat or display in the sun for long time everyday?
Greetings Sir.
1. In my post it is not the shell of the snail that is perforated but rather 4inch wide PVC pipe so that the snails will crawl into it and be protected from the heat. If the weather is unfavorable the snails will hibernate that is they become inactive and will dig into the soil where they will remain till the environment becomes conducive. Not all of them will survive if allowed to hibernate so it is better to make their housing as cool as possible.
2.Market women do perforate the shells of snails already harvested and ready for sale. They are able to pass twine through those holes and hang them to attract customers.
3. When stocking it is not advisable to buy the ones that have been exposed to the sun. Most time they are already dehydrated and many will die when you attempt to rear them. It is always better to get your stock from the ones that were freshly picked from the forest.
I want to start with iron drums filled with sand for snail rearing, hope this can serve. I will put it under a Mango tree and cover with iron net. Feed them and water them to keep cool
Yes. Fill it with rich black soil free from rodents and pest. You will need to wet them often and replace the soil at intervals.
How soon can one replace the soil
I just started a small farm using bathtub fill quarter way with black soil.
How soon can one replace the soil
I just started a small farm using bathtub fill quarter way with black soil.
Please revert
I intend to start snail farming with metal drum, covered with iron nets placed under a mango tree. Hope this is ok.
OK. But you can only put minimal numbers. You also need to regularly change the soil.
In need breeding stock. how can I reach you?
I dont have in stock now. Where is your location or email: yewun@recipe4growth.com for discussion.
I’m in Cameroon and I’m interested. Can we talk on whatsapp?
674628298. (+237)
The thing is I’ve been storing them just for eating and they mostly hibernate. So now, though I have very little space, I used blocks to make a fence on the tiled floor and covered the area with some soil.
I water it from time to time and feed them with cabbage and another leaves. Then I cover with a plywood. Please I need some more advice. Thanks
IT IS OK WHAT YOU ARE DOING. IN ADDITION CHANGE THE SOIL ONCE IN 3 OR 4 MONTHS. WET OFTEN BUT DONT LET THE PLACE GET WATER LOGGED SINCE THE FLOOR IS TILED(WATER CANNOT DRAIN). VARY THEIR FOOD. GIVE THEM FRUITS LIKE BANANAS, PLANTAIN THAT ARE NOT TOO RIPE AND ANY OTHER VEGETABLES YOU CAN GET AROUND.
I leant a lot reading your article, pls ma I want to convert one of my room to snail house will that be OK too ma?
It depends on the state the room is in. Would you use be using wooden boxes or alternatives in the room or you want to use the floor of the room directly. Remember you will need to put soil and keep the soil moist. This might cause some damage to the room itself in which case you may want to opt for something less expensive. Weigh the pros and cons and pick the best option
Ok please can I get a sample of questionnaire to get a local market for my snails?
Thanks for the write up… Please how can I get a good species from you to rear. Am in Aba Abia state
It will be easier and cheaper for you to get around you. They have good prolific breeders in the Eastern area and Rivers.
Hello and thanks for the airticle. I got heart broken today when I got to my farm and soldier ants were in all pens(old tires stacked in 3’s). I have Qs pls…
*First, how do I deal with this in a more natural way.. I used “sniper” solution to kill the ants.. I took out all snails I could. The sniper solution kill both ants and snails. 🙁
*My other Q is, could you please send me the pictures of perforated pipes you talked about, were they placed vertically or horizontally. I am thinking of going extensive this time.
Thanks.
So sorry for your loss. Never mind challenges like this motivates us to seek for better ways of achieving good results. Now you know sniper is not good for snails. If you have good breed of snails soldier ants cannot wreak havoc within a short time. Whenever you see them in the snail pen remove the snails and wash with water to dislodge the ants, change your soil and block known places the ants reside.
The perforated pipes are the regular plumbing PVC pipes that I perforated with metal placed on fire or you can use any other heat source. I wish you better luck.
In my language snail is called ‘Osin’. I love snail farming and would like to rear snails but how can I get the GAL snails? I live at port harcout, Rivers State
Morning Ma, am very happy to see this right up by you. Infact is very interesting. I really thank God for your life.
Ma, Can I have your Whatsapp number for confidential discussion
Please Complete the contact us form to activate email discussion
Morning Ma, am very happy to see this right up by you. Infact is very interesting. I really thank God for your life.
Ma, Can I have your Whatsapp number for confidential discussion. Still waiting to hear from you. Thanks
Please complete the contact form and we will interact by mail.
Thanks for the write up. It’s so educative and mind captivating.
1. How many adult snails can be reared in a 6 inch by 3 inch housing.
2. How do I get good breeding stock. I am in Lagos. Th
1. The space is small maybe just 10 for the fun of it. You can get at Oyingbo, Epe or Badagry.
Thanks for the information provided freely. The lord will prosper your snail business. please can you send your number to me on the mail provided so that we can chat on whats app. I still have some questions to ask especially in the hatching process.
thanks
Good day ma, hope this site is still active?
I am happy to come across your write-up on snail.
My question goes thus:
👉Is snake a predators to snail?
👉I heard that snail on it’s own has a negative spiritual symbolic believe, not to talk or rearing it👉how lucrative is snail in this present century? Does it have a market value if I invest on it?
Pls can I chat with you on WhatsApp?
The site is still active. I have been busy on other things. * Yes snakes are predators to snails. * On the issue of spiritual it depends on individual belief. I know God created everything for us to freely use without restrictions and when we are in Christ He frees us from every bondage including bondage of touch not or eat not!
*Snail is good as hobby or an additional side income. If it has to be a major source of income it will require a major investment and technology. For now I am not available for whatsapp but email me and you will get a response
Good day ma, hope this site is still active?
I am happy to come across your write-up on snail.
My question goes thus:
👉Is snake a predators to snail?
👉I heard that snail on it’s own has a negative spiritual symbolic believe, not to talk or rearing it👉how lucrative is snail in this present century? Does it have a market value if I invest on it?
Pls can I chat with you on WhatsApp?
The site is still active. I have been busy on other things. * Yes snakes are predators to snails. * On the issue of spiritual it depends on individual belief. I know God created everything for us to freely use without restrictions and when we are in Christ He frees us from every bondage including bondage of touch not or eat not!
*Snail is good as hobby or an additional side income. If it has to be a major source of income it will require a major investment and technology. For now I am not available for whatsapp but email me and you will get a response
Thank you ma, i just want to start a free range type of snail farm. I have red through many articles about snail farming but i still need to continue learning since i have not start yet. But what i want to know is what are the challenges i should expect and the prevention. i already have knwledge on repellants plants . please advice . i want to do it in ikorodu area of lagos.
In addition to what you have been reading. I suggest you connect with anyone into snail farming around your area to see and have a hands on experience. This will enable you evaluate properly before committing funds to the project.
Thanks a lot, this is very helpful and encouraging. In my place snail is called Eju .
I am glad it helped. God bless you.
Hello. Good day Ma. Thank you for these information. Very helpful. Please is it good to heat up the soil to be used for the snail pen before introducing them into it to get rid of the ants and all?
Yes if you can. It does not mean you will not monitor you pen as ants can still sometimes get to the snails. If you remove them soon enough there will be no death to the snails.
Snail is call igbin in Yoruba land.
I started with 100 snails picked from my garden all of varying sizes . I housed them in 3 layers of old tyres.
My concerns are:
If the number and different sizes Will be a problem?
It difficult changing the soil completely there are always small ones instead I just top the soil up. Is this ok.
I feed them with kitchen waste mostly vegetables; cabbage, cucumber, water melon, garden egg Banana. They appear to be doing well.
Is there need to separate the big ones from the small ones?
Will the snail grow big or there one that are permanently small?
1. From your statement that you picked around the house garden it is likely that what you have are common house snails that do not grow very big.
2. If you are keen on rearing then you need good species like Achatina marginata as they grow very big. Achatina Fulica is good too but they do not grow fast. Achatina achatina grows very big but they are Ghana breeds. I have reared them in the past but they are easily susceptible to diseases.
3. If the place is spacious enough you can keep them together temporarily while you arrange for additional space where you separate them according to their sizes.
Hello ma, I am a little bit worried, I wanted to start up a snail farming I have started building the pen but I don’t know the actual length or weight of a pen that can house 100 snails and if I may ask a question, how do I group 100 snails in a pen?
I wanted to start up with at least three pens with length of 4ft and wight of 70cm I don’t really know if it will be enough to house the 100 snails?
I want to know if snails can be reared in a water settlement area and how can I get a mentor for starting it? I need help on it please.
U said that snail can be harvest in a year time, I want to know if I allow my snail(the big once) to lead it’s egg and I harvest them (the big once) out and keep the egg and the small once would it affect the farm??
Because from ur post I understood that snail can eat it’s younger once if not deprecated .like, I sell out those big one that is sepreted from the small one
Wow thank you very much ma ,
Ma is it must for you to incubate their egg in a separate pen or live it to hatch in the pen where they are been laid
it is not a must. both methods works fine
Thanks so much for this write up ma. It’s so educative. My questions are:
1. How can I reduce mortality rate in my farm…concrete pens. I have lost over 300 snails in 5months out of my initial stock of 2000.
2. How can I improve on hatchibility of the eggs.
3. Can I use the pvc pipes in the concrete pens in place of plantain leaves which are not always available?
4. Can you, please include the picture of a perforated pvc pipe in your response?
5. Thank you and God bless you abundantly ma.
Thanks for the insight. I started my snail farm at my backyard. So I decided to practice rearing snails with only leaves in my drum pens and wooden net caged pens. Though soil is recommended but I decided to ignore the soil and they are far better doing well with the dried cashew leaves which I constantly wet each day. My next is to use discarded mushroom sawdust or normal saw dust which I will boil to kill all micro-organism that can affect my snails. Their eggs are only harvested and incubated in treated black garden soil for hatching. Thanks a lot.
Michael-Ghana W/Africa.