Accompanying farmers: How to raise spiny softshell turtles effectively

(Baonghean) - Spiny softshell turtle is one of the commercial products that are favored by consumers, so many households in the province have started to raise it. Raising spiny softshell turtles does not require too much care, however, to bring high economic efficiency, it is necessary to apply the correct techniques for farming ponds, quality food sources as well as comply with the strict breeding selection process.

Mr. Tran Cong Son (Thanh My, Thanh Chuong) checks the turtle pond.

Mr. Tran Cong Son in Thanh My commune (Thanh Chuong) has many years of experience raising spiny soft-shelled turtles. He said that to effectively raise spiny soft-shelled turtles, first of all, the selection of soft-shelled turtles must meet many criteria. Soft-shelled turtles must have a plump appearance, shiny skin, and no deformities or diseases. The way to recognize a healthy soft-shelled turtle is that when turned upside down, it can immediately turn back onto its stomach. If the soft-shelled turtle is dropped on the ground and crawls slowly, and its neck does not retract completely, it is a sign that the soft-shelled turtle is of poor quality. Mr. Son added: "When selecting soft-shelled turtle parents, many factors must be considered, especially the lack of bloodline, to ensure the quality of the offspring."

According to Mr. Son, raising spiny soft-shell turtles is not too difficult, as long as the technical factors are ensured correctly, it will bring high productivity. Currently, in his system of breeding tanks, there are always 500 - 600 soft-shell turtles, of which 20 parent soft-shell turtles weigh about 7 - 10 kg/each, the other soft-shell turtles for meat weigh from 1.2 - 1.5 kg. Thanks to being able to breed and hatch regularly, Mr. Son's family always has soft-shell turtles for sale all year round, both meat and breeding soft-shell turtles. In the current market, soft-shell turtles for meat cost from 570 - 600 thousand VND/kg, soft-shell turtles for breeding (3 days old) cost 200 thousand VND/each. His family's income from raising and breeding soft-shell turtles is estimated at hundreds of millions of VND per year.

Regarding the food for raising soft-shelled turtles, it is necessary to ensure the quality. Soft-shelled turtle food is mainly from fish and meat; the amount of food each day ranges from 3 - 5% of the weight of the soft-shelled turtle, on average, 1 kg of soft-shelled turtle meat requires 17 - 18 kg of food. The period from April to November is the time when soft-shelled turtles grow quickly, so it is necessary to pay attention to feeding them enough. The spiny soft-shelled turtle breed is suitable for the Southern climate, only eating when the weather is 20 degrees or higher, with the Central weather in the 3 winter months, soft-shelled turtles only lie in the mud without eating. On cool days, soft-shelled turtles eat more, so the portion can be increased by 5%; when the weather is hot, the amount of food is reduced by 2-3%. For young soft-shelled turtles, the food needs to be boiled so they can digest better.

Spiny soft-shelled turtles are quite healthy and have few diseases, however, it is also necessary to pay attention to disease prevention for soft-shelled turtles. About twice a month, mix bran with disease prevention medicine to feed soft-shelled turtles. In addition, ponds and tanks must be built according to standards. Spiny soft-shelled turtles can be raised in ponds or cement tanks. The pond area depends on the stocking density, but must ensure a density of 0.5 - 2 turtles/m2, the pond water depth is from 1.5 - 2m, the bottom of the pond needs to be built so that it gradually slopes towards the drain, the corner of the pond must have a path for soft-shelled turtles to crawl onto open ground to sunbathe when necessary. It is necessary to ensure that the water in the pond and tank is always clean. In the winter, pay attention to leaving a lot of duckweed to help absorb dirt in the water and keep the soft-shelled turtle warm. In the summer, remove some duckweed to create ventilation for soft-shelled turtles to develop.

Phuong Thao