Snail Farming I – SS2 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (Second Term)

Snail farming, also called heliculture, is the rearing of snails for meat and other products. In Nigeria, farmers mostly keep the Giant African Land Snail. Snails need a snailery with soil, moist air, plant foods and calcium for their shells, and they must never be given salt.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• state why snail farming is a good business;
• describe the three types of snail house;
• list the simple tools used on a snail farm;
• name foods snails eat and the food they must never be given;
• give four sources of calcium for snails;
• describe the daily routine of a snail farmer.

Why should we farm snails?

When people think of livestock, they think of noisy chickens or big cows. But there is a “silent” goldmine in agriculture: snail farming, also known as heliculture. In Nigeria, we mostly farm the Giant African Land Snail because it grows big and loves our weather.

Why is it a great business?

1. Low start-up cost: You do not need millions of naira to start. You can even start in your backyard with a small wooden box.
2. Health benefits: Snail meat (congo meat) is famous for being “white meat”. It is very high in protein but very low in fat and cholesterol. It is a good meat choice for people with heart problems or high blood pressure.
3. Quiet and clean: Snails do not bark or moo, and they do not smell bad if you keep their home clean.
4. Space saving: You can keep hundreds of snails in a small corner where you could not even fit two goats.
5. Medicine and beauty: Snail slime (mucus) is used to make expensive face creams and medicines for healing wounds.

What kind of house do snails need?

Snails are “escape artists” and very delicate. Their house, called a snailery, must protect them from the sun, wind, and predators like snakes, rats and ants.

Types of snail houses

• Intensive (trench pens): These are square pits dug into the ground and covered with wire mesh. They stay cool because they are in the earth.
• Box pens: These are wooden or plastic boxes kept on legs. The legs are usually placed in bowls of water or engine oil to stop ants from climbing up to eat the snails.
• Free-range (fence pens): A large area is fenced off with fine nets, and the snails live among planted crops like potatoes or bananas.

Golden rule for housing

Never use a plain concrete floor. Snails need soil (loamy soil) to move, hide and lay their eggs.

What equipment is needed on a snail farm?

You do not need tractors for snail farming, but you do need these simple tools:

1. Water sprinkler or hand spray: Snails love moisture. You need this to “rain” on them every evening, especially during the dry season.
2. Feeding troughs: Flat plastic plates or shallow wooden trays where you keep their food.
3. Water troughs: Very shallow containers. If the water is too deep, the snails might drown.
4. Hand trowel: For turning the soil to keep it soft and for digging up eggs carefully.
5. Hygrometer: A small tool to check if the air is damp enough. Snails hate dry air.

What do snails eat?

Snails are not picky eaters, but if you want them to grow “fat” and heavy, you must feed them well. They are mostly vegetarians.

Favourite foods

• Fruits: Watermelon, pawpaw (they love this), banana and mango.
• Leaves: Pawpaw leaves (fresh or withered), cassava leaves and cabbage.
• Tubers: Slices of sweet potato, yam and cocoyam.
• Household scraps: Peelings from potatoes or plantains (as long as they do not have salt).

The “no-go” list

Never give snails salt. Salt is poison to snails. It draws out all their water and kills them almost instantly.

Why do snails need calcium?

If a snail does not have a strong shell, it will die. The shell is made of calcium. If the soil or food does not have enough calcium, the snails will start eating each other’s shells.

How to give snails calcium

1. Eggshells: Grind boiled eggshells into a fine powder and sprinkle it on their food.
2. Bone meal: Ground bones from the butcher.
3. Oyster shells: Crushed shells from the riverside.
4. Limestone: You can buy calcium powder from the market.

What is the daily routine of a snail farmer?

• Evening (6:00 PM): This is when snails wake up. Wet the soil and put fresh food in the trays.
• Morning (7:00 AM): Remove any leftover food before it rots. Check if any snails have died or if ants are trying to enter.

Evaluation

1. Give three reasons why snail farming is a good business.
2. Name the three types of snail house and describe one of them.
3. Why must a snailery not have a plain concrete floor?
4. Which food must never be given to snails, and why?
5. List four sources of calcium for snails.

Assignment

Look around your house or school garden. Find three different types of leaves that snails like to eat. Bring samples to the next class so that we can identify them.