Better Farming Series 33 - Farming Snails 1: Reaming about Snails; Building a Pen; Food and Shelter Plants (FAO, 1986, 57 p.) How to begin Choose a place on your land to put your snail farm Clean the site and prepare the ground

Better Farming Series 33 - Farming Snails 1: Reaming about Snails; Building a Pen; Food and Shelter Plants (FAO, 1986, 57 p.)

How to begin

Choose a place on your land to put your snail farm

80. Try to choose a place that is close to your house. That way you will be able to watch your snails, protect them from their enemies and take care of them easily

Close to your house

81. In Items 34 to 41 you were told that to farm snails you must have the right kind of soil with the right amount of water.

82. Remember, if green leafy vegetables grow well in your soil, snails will also grow well in the same kind of soil.

If your garden grows well, so will your snails

83. In Items 59 to 61 you were told that low, wet land and wind are bad for snails. So, avoid low, wet places and try to put your snail farm where it is protected from the wind.

Avoid low, wet land; Find a place protected from wind

84. In Item 63 you were told that after the first year you will need at least two pens and later you may want even more. In Item 69 you were told that it is best to start with a small pen of 5 x 5 metres.

85. So, try to find a place where you can put at least two or three 5 x 5 metre pens.

two or three 5 x 5 metre pens

Clean the site and prepare the ground

86. Clean the site and prepare the ground a little before the growing season so that you can build the pen in time to plant the food and shelter plants.

87. First, mark out a square of 8 x 8 metres on the place that you have chosen.

Mark and clear the 8 x 8 metre square

88. That way, with a pen of 5 x 5 metres in the centre of the square, you will have a path of 1.5 metres all the way around it (see Item 92). If you have enough land, the path can be even wider.

89. Clear the square of trees, bushes grass, creeping grass and weeds. Take away all of the roots and the big stones that you can.

Take away roots and big stones

90. Spread the plant material that you have cleaned evenly on the ground and cover the whole square. If there is not enough, bring more plant material from another place.

Cover the square with plant materials

91. When the plant material is dry, burn it. This will kill the insects, the weed seeds and the roots of creeping grass, and rid the ground of mice, rats and shrews.

Burn the plant materials

Note
Insecticides and poisons can also be used to rid your pen of insects, mice, rats and other enemies of snails. However, if you use them, do not use them by yourself because they are very dangerous. Ask someone who knows how to use them, such as your extension agent.

92. Now mark out a smaller square of 5 x 5 metres inside the big square. This is for your first snail pen.

Mark the 5 x 5 metre square

93. Dig the ground in the smaller square to a depth of 20 centimetres and turn it over well. As you dig, remove any rubbish or roots that you find.

Dig in the ground

94. While you are digging, if you see any more insects or any of the enemies of snails, bring more dry plant material and burn the ground again. To farm snails, the area must be free of insects, mice, rats and other enemies.

95. When you have finished digging, the ground in the 5 x 5 metre square should be as smooth and well worked as it would be if you were planting a vegetable garden.

The 5 x 5 metre square should be smooth

96. However, do not use any fertilizer, animal manure or compost as you might with a vegetable garden. Fertilizers may burn the snails and animal manure or compost may bring in insects and weed seeds.