How to start Snail Farm
Snail is a
common name which is applied to most of the members of the molluscan class gastropoda
that have coiled shells in the adult stage (Fredericks, 2010). When the word is
used in
its most general sense, it includes sea Snails, land snails and
freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often
applied to land snails than to those from the sea or freshwater. However, some
species of snails called aquarium snail are often found in the aquatic habitat
with a coiled shell (Fredericks, 2010).
Human
infections caused by pathogens transmitted from aquarium snails or the aquatic
environment are quite common depending on the season, patients’ contact with
aquarium snails and related environment, dietary habits and the immune system
status of the exposed individual. They are often bacterial species
facultatively pathogenic for both aquarium snails and man. The infection source
may be aquarium snails kept either for food or as a hobby (Acha and Szyfres,
2003). Thorough microbiological examinations are the prerequisites for correct
diagnosis.
However,
quantification of the occurrence of these diseases is difficult because many cases, typically
gastrointestinal illness, go unreported; the symptoms usually do not last long
and are self-limiting in apparently healthy people (Acha and Szyfres, 2003). It
can be extremely difficult to detect certain in vitro slow growing causative agents
of diseases such as those of Mycobacterium
infections or infections caused by anaerobic pathogens. Mycobacterial
infections are quite misdiagnosed with subsequent inappropriate therapy (Kern et al., 1999; Harth et al., 1994; Ryan
and Bryant, 1997). Consequently, the disease can last for years (Ang et
al., 2000).
The
bacteria load of enterococci present
in snail is reasonably high, the bacteria flora in each of the snail sample
range from 5-8 organisms/g. and are capable of causing health risk (Giaccone,
2012). An infective dose of up to 104 cfu-g especially of Salmonella is dangerous for humans when consumed via contaminated
snail food; (Giaccone, 2012). It will be unhealthy for consumers to eat snail
meat that is not properly cooked first and dried since it is known that E.coli and Klebsiella species and Salmonella species survive in dry products (Urabe, 2008). Recent
study shows that E. coli presented
the highest volume of enterobacteria organism present in snail. (Sprosten, 2006).
These organisms of the family Enterobactericaea are found in the intestinal
tracts of humans and animals in the soil and can be pathogenic to man. The
results suggest that contamination of snail with fecal material, feeding on decaying
matter, fecal contaminations of water, sell in the open market without covering
them, poor handing are several factors that contribute to snail being carrier
of enterobacteria organism, (WHO, 2007).
The association of E.coli and Klebsiella pneumonia with aquarium snails may also have public health
significance and this fact indicate that aquarium could be another source of
nosocomial infections (WHO, 2007). These pathogenic organisms isolated from the
four markets such as Abakpa main market, Ekeaba market, Ahia ofuru market and
Abakaliki main market visited have serious health implication to man. The risk
of food borne illness is on the increase and the needs to provide effective way
of managing this condition is of immerse significance. In the opinion of FDA
(2011) which reported that heat application (90C for 10 minutes) is an
effective way of eliminating pathogens from food. Snail meat which contain high quality food
that is rich in protein (low in fats,) and a good source of iron, that is, 3.5
mg/100 g (USDA, 2006). The comparative nutritive value of snail meat to some
animal protein sources have been studied by some researchers. In an instance,
the protein contents of 88.37, 82.42 and 92.75 % were discovered in snail, pork
and beef respectively (Imevbore and Ademosun, 1988). With a fat content of only
1.3 % and iron content of 12.2 mg/100 g in edible carcass, the nutritive value
of snails is reported to be comparable to that of domestic livestock. It is
estimated that snail is 15% protein, 2.4% fat and about 80% water (Saldanha et al., 2001). A study on a snail species in Brazil estimated
that 75% of the fat in snail is unsaturated fatty acids. That is 57%
polyunsaturated fatty acids, 15.5% of monounsaturated fatty acids and 23.25% of
saturated fatty acids (Su et al.,
2004). However, it can be easily contaminated by pathogens and serve as vehicle
of transferring infectious agents to consumers. Kirkan et al. (2006) reported the presence of E.coli in fresh aquarium snail sample which
notably could have been contaminants from soil. So, despite rich nutritional
values of snail, the involvement of the mollusks in general in the transmission
of infection mostly as secondary host for pathogens makes it necessary to study
the microbiology of the resident snail without leaving their nutritive values
behind.
Snail Farming
According to Awa (2003), snail farming is the rearing of snails in captivity. The snails are confined in an enclosure and most of their requirements like feed; water and lime are supplied on a regular basis by the farmer. On maturity, the snails are harvested, processed and consumed by the farmer or sold. Since the seasonality of supply of snails from the wild limits their use for meat on a continuous basis, the need for organized small or large scale snail farming has become imperative.There are two main systems of snail farming. These are indoor and outdoor systems. Indoor system involves raising snails indoors in pens located in a building. The snails are fed a mixture of fresh vegetables, concentrates, and other food materials. The system utilizes little space as the snails could be raised even in trays placed on shelves on the walls. In advanced management, the system allows for temperature regulation, controlled lighting, regular cleaning, and health care Awa (2003.Out-door System: Snails are raised out- doors on pastures. The snails may or may not be fed. The farmer has little control over the performance of the snails. The snails move about feeding on natural food materials. A modification of the out-door system is one in which the snails are confined out-doors in enclosures and fed both synthetic and natural diets. It is easier to control and manipulate snails in this setting. This system fits in very well into the Nigerian farming system Awa (2003.Requirements before starting Snail Farm:
The farmer will need the following to start a snail farm – The modified out-door system need the following items, they include, enough edible live snails,a good site near his house with the right kind of soil and the right amount of water for the snails to live and grow, enough food and shelter plants and materials to build a pen for the snails Awa (2003).
Selection of site:
A prospective snail farmer must choose a suitable site for his farm. Important factors to consider include location, soil type, moisture content, wind direction, lime content of the soil and environmental temperature Awa (2003).
Location of Farm: The snail farm should preferably be located close to the farmer’s house. In this way he will be able to watch his snail regularly, detect any problem early, protect them from their enemies and take care of them easily. There should be adequate space for future expansion (Udoh , Akanyung.and Igiran, 1995),
Soil Type: The snail farm must be sited at a place where the soil is rich in humus and other decaying plant and animal materials. The soil should contain sufficient lime or calcium for eggs and shell and snails shell formation. Snails do not live in hard soils nor do they live in loose sandy soils. Snails cannot dig into hard clayey soils to rest and lay eggs while soils with a lot of sand do not hold enough water. The ideal snail soil should be medium (light) to allow air and water to penetrate easily (Udoh, Akanyung.and Igiran, 1995).
Moisture content of Soil: Snails prefer damp soils. The farmer should avoid very wet lands and lands prone to flooding in the rainy season. Dew and rain keep the ground moist so that the snail can move easily and dig into it to rest and lay their eggs. For a round the year production of snails, a ready source of water supply for irrigation or spraying should be provided. Snails usually seal off their aperture and go into hibernation during the dry season unless a continuous supply of moisture is guaranteed (Awa, 2003). The soil could be kept continuously wet by the provision of shelter plants like banana/plantain or the farm could be watered to provide the necessary conditions for the survival and multiplication of snails (Udoh, Akanyung.and Igiran,1995).
Wind Direction: Snail farms should be situated in sites well protected from the wind. Strong winds during the snail growing season are bad for snails because they lead to dehydration and subsequent drying up of snails.
No comments:
Post a Comment