Breeding crayfish in a pond at the dacha: recommendations from professionals. Business in breeding and selling crayfish How long does it take for crayfish to grow at home

Breeding crayfish on a private plot is a simple and profitable business. To raise arthropods at home, you need to acquire a pond and maintain minimally comfortable conditions for its inhabitants. Experts give recommendations on where to start and how best to build the process of growing crayfish. Video tips will help you understand in more detail.

The entire process of growing crayfish can be established with minimal financial investment. But you will have to be patient. Crayfish grow over 2-3 years. Accordingly, starting from scratch, until this time you will not receive either delicious meat or profit. But you will need to constantly feed the animals and care for them.

The efficiency of the process is influenced by the quality of the crayfish used for reproduction:

1. For breeding, it is better to use purchased purebred individuals. Crayfish caught in a regular reservoir grow more slowly.
2. Adult arthropods should be purchased. You can raise young animals on your own.
3. The optimal ratio of males and females for good offspring is 1:2.

For breeding it is better to use purebred crayfish

It is calculated: to get 1 ton of crayfish, you need to buy 400 females. For a beginner in water management, 40 pieces will be enough for the first time. They are sold in specialized fishing companies. This to a certain extent guarantees the authenticity of the type you have chosen.

Advice. You don't have to buy males if the females have eggs on legs.

How to properly equip a pond

Water is the natural habitat of crayfish. For home breeding, both natural and manually created reservoirs are used. Good housing for arthropods has the following qualities:

• area - 30-60 sq. m;
• depth - 1-3 m;
• optimal heating is not lower than +18 °C, otherwise the crayfish will go into hibernation;
• The water is completely renewed every 2-3 weeks.

Attention! You cannot renew more than 30% of the volume of a reservoir at a time. This will lead to disruption of the microclimate.

The advantage of natural reservoirs is the presence of a clay or sandy bottom with a silt cushion: it is in such conditions that crayfish dig their burrows and create a comfortable microclimate. The downside is that the growth rate of crayfish is slowed by 3 times.

Pond for growing crayfish

Aquariums are most often used as artificial places. This is quite expensive: you will most likely need several containers. Maintaining the correct temperature in them is easier, but more expensive. You can install filter units at the inlet to the aquarium and save yourself from the need to manually refresh the water.

Advice. People who decide to start breeding crayfish for sale choose aquariums. All costs for additional equipment are paid off due to the rapid growth of crayfish.

The best types of crayfish to breed at home

Having equipped a place for growing, proceed to purchasing a living base for propagation. The following varieties are popular among crayfish lovers:

• Australian. Has a good layer of meat. It is grown only in buried artificial reservoirs. Comfortable volume for 3-4 individuals - 100 l. Inside, you should equip many holes and shelters for feeding, resting, and molting. They eat dead fish, bread crumbs, algae, and special food.
• Blue Cuban. Small looking. It is unpretentious, except that it needs a water temperature of about +26 °C. The water itself must be hard. It is also necessary to equip many shelters in the reservoir. The species develops into an adult in just six months.

Blue Cuban crayfish

• Marble. Large and meaty. Capricious about leaving. Requires water heating to +20…+28 °C, relatively large amounts of feed. The comfortable volume of the reservoir is 100 liters for 20 individuals. In reproduction, one individual acts as both a female and a male. Fry should be removed due to the risk of cannibalism.

Attention! The initial purchase of crayfish for breeding is not the last. To get a full-fledged herd that can independently reproduce its numbers, periodic purchases will be needed over 5 years.

Crayfish Care

The main features of caring for a herd of crayfish will help you get full-fledged and healthy individuals:

1. Separate and transplant each new young generation to another pond.
2. In the spring, catch the females and transplant them into another container. This will help prevent cannibalism and maintain the size of the colony.
3. The optimal temperature for females is +22 °C or slightly lower.

Crayfish are known scavengers. Their diet includes fish remains and algae. However, when breeding at home, animals should be supplemented. To do this, use vegetables, boiled meat, plankton, larvae, worms, the same algae and fish. You can buy special food at a pet store.

Attention! You can't overfeed crayfish. It's better not to feed.

The ratio of 1:2 males and females is relevant based on physiology. One crayfish can fertilize only two females. If after that he sees another one, he will probably decide to eat it. After fertilization, the layer of eggs is located under the shell of the female. By the end of next spring it moves to its hind legs. On average, about 20 young crayfish emerge from the eggs of one arthropod, although at home, experienced breeders reach 60.

Breeding crayfish for sale is a profitable business

An important sign of normal development of livestock is molting. Cancer sheds its shell, which has become too small for it, and acquires a new one. Young individuals do this about 8 times a year. In the next 365 days of life, this number is reduced to 5, then to 3-4. The normal growth rate for cancer is a weight of about 50-60 g and a body length of about 10-12 cm by the end of the second year of life.

Additional equipment for crayfish breeding

Greater efficiency can be achieved by improving the living conditions of animals. To do this, for example, you can equip a reservoir with an air compressor. The device will prevent water from stagnating in the pond. An oxidizer will do a good job. In autumn, the device is installed at the bottom of natural reservoirs and in winter saturates the water with oxygen.

For open ponds, stakes and lakes in cold weather, the installation of greenhouses is relevant. They retain heat, maintaining a normal temperature level for crayfish. Farmers also use various filters to keep the pond clean, and polypropylene frames to retain water in the pond.

Having achieved good results in breeding crayfish, you will be able to organize a small business. It will be possible to sell arthropods to shops, restaurants and cafes. Food establishments willingly accept gourmet meat.

Growing crayfish at home: video

• • Cases
• • How to officially register a pond

Breeding crayfish is an easy and profitable business that allows you to receive a stable profit with a relatively small investment. The material below will tell you how to grow crayfish at home, the secrets of reducing risks, how to choose the right equipment and a good start. Ready-made cases will tell you how to raise healthy offspring, what to feed crayfish, what diseases they are susceptible to, and what water temperature is optimal for their life.

Growing crayfish: a feature of a business idea

Many people have a desire to breed crayfish, since this business is profitable and has not yet been well developed in our country. The advantage of this direction is that a businessman can earn money after a successful start within 20 months.

Crayfish can generate income for 6 months a year, and if the business grows to an industrial scale, it is possible to make a profit all year round.

It is advisable to start this type of business for someone who has an amount of 200,000 rubles or more.

If we talk about breeding crayfish in natural conditions, this business idea is perfect for rural residents whose area of ​​residence borders a natural reservoir. To ensure that the demand for products is always high, it is better that the village where the business will be conducted is in close proximity to a populous city.

If crayfish are grown in artificial closed water supply systems, good income from the sale of arthropods can be obtained year-round.

Strengths and weaknesses of the business

When planning a crayfish breeding business, you should know everything about its pros and cons.

The advantages include:

• impressive costs only at the starting stage;
• small number of competitors;
• prospects for expanding business activities;
• the unpretentiousness of crayfish, due to which labor costs when caring for arthropods will be minimal.

Before breeding crayfish, you should study the negative aspects of this business option. It implies few disadvantages, but they exist. This:

• seasonality of the business (if we talk about breeding crayfish in open reservoirs);
• delayed start (due to the characteristics of the growth and development of crustaceans);
• significant initial costs.

Cases

To make sure that crayfish farming is a profitable business, let's look at two cases. Every story is real.

Case No. 1 on growing crayfish in an aquarium from Mikhail Aukumov from the city of Gus Khrustalny: “Before growing crayfish, I purchased a frameless aquarium with a volume of 250 liters, filled it with stones and driftwood. My aquarium was devoid of metal structures, as I know that metal is harmful to crayfish. To make the inhabitants of the aquarium comfortable, make sure that their water temperature is no more than 15 degrees. I installed a filter in the aquarium and took care of aeration. After creating the most favorable conditions for arthropods, I populated my aquarium quite densely, introducing 350 small individuals into it. But the disadvantage of the aquarium is that it is possible to grow only young-of-the-year crayfish in it, that is, a trifle. My crayfish did not get sick and quickly gained weight, since I changed the water and filters three times a year. To make the inhabitants of the aquarium larger, I released them into. There they grew and gained marketable weight.”

Case No. 2 on growing crayfish in the basement from Mikhail Bortnikov from the city of Noginsk: “My country house has a basement and I decided to equip this room for running a crayfish breeding business. I insulated the basement so that the crayfish would not constantly hibernate. For lighting I hung a 200 watt lamp. I equipped my workplace with shelves on which I placed aquariums. I covered the bottom of each aquarium with clean sand taken from the river bank, driftwood and pebbles. While the crayfish were young, I fed them with small daphnia, vinegar nematode, and crushed tubifex. Instead of the detritus beloved by crayfish, which is always present in natural reservoirs, I added fallen leaves of beech, alder and oak to the aquarium. I deliberately did not add freshly picked leaves to the aquarium, as I know that they release toxins into the water.”

Step-by-step instructions on how to open your own business: tips, documentation, calculations, risks

If you have decided to start a business:

1. We decide on the sales market. It makes sense to call large hypermarkets, small supermarkets, restaurants, pubs, and wholesale markets. When calling, you should ask if they want to purchase this type of product. If yes, then we move on.
2. We clearly define the type of crayfish that will be bred. Practice suggests that it is better to choose narrow-toed Far Eastern crayfish.
3. We decide on the place where the young animals will be purchased. There is no question of buying larvae, since they are practically not sold anywhere. Usually they buy young ones in supermarkets where they sell crayfish. It is worth buying two females for each male. If you don’t want to buy, you can catch crayfish in reservoirs.
4. We decide on the necessary equipment. If arthropods are grown in an aquarium, you will need to purchase equipment for breeding crayfish, such as an aquarium, water purifiers, heaters, as well as special devices for supplying oxygen to crayfish. If crayfish will be raised in aquariums in the basement, it is worth providing lighting and buying/making shelving for the aquariums.

If you want to grow your business over time to an impressive industrial scale, it’s worth purchasing everything to build a structure above street ponds where adult specimens will be raised.

1. We release the crayfish and wait for them to grow into adults. When populating an aquarium with crayfish, you should remember that:

• the water must be clean;
• the water temperature must be at least 15 degrees Celsius;
• number of crayfish per 1 sq. m. should not exceed 350 pcs.;
• one aquarium/reservoir should not contain crayfish of different species;
• the daily food intake for one individual is 4-5% of its weight;
• You can feed crayfish with ordinary earthworms, larvae of various insects, snails, grated carrots and boiled potatoes;
• crayfish are susceptible to fungal infections, so their health must be monitored;
• Temperature changes should not be allowed;
• Do not overfeed the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Important points: crayfish farming business plan

Before breeding crayfish, a recipe must be drawn up in advance. Before making calculations, it should be clarified that crayfish gain marketable weight when their body length is 9-10 cm. With such parameters, the weight of each individual is on average 60 g. Crayfish reach this weight after their third year of life.

If you breed crayfish in artificial intensive conditions, using five 4-level closed water supply installations (abbreviated as RAS), after 180 days you will be able to collect 40 kg of crayfish, the weight of each will be 40-50 g. After a 12-month period, you will be able to grow 90 kg of very large specimens, weighing from 100 to 130 grams. The first category will go at a wholesale cost of 600-700 rubles per kg, the second - at a price of 2500-2700 rubles per kg (hence, the revenue will be 300 thousand rubles).

The price of the RAS will be 140 thousand rubles. But other costs will also arise. You will need to buy:

• RAS for four tiers, eight containers (5 of them will be needed). The total costs for this item will be 700,000 rubles.
• Adult crayfish (one family consists of 2 females and 1 male) – 115,000 rubles.
• Shelters and feeders (if the project requires it) - 17,000 rubles.
• Equipment – ​​15,000 rubles.
• Fan for the room - 5000 rubles.
• Libra – 3000 rubles.
• The total cost is 855,000 rubles.

Such a cancer farm will be able to pay for itself in 3.5-4 years.

Many novice businessmen are concerned about the question of what risks there are and how to minimize them. Independent experts claim that artificial breeding of crayfish in RAS has virtually no disadvantages. But the advantages of this option are obvious. This:

• absence of influence of negative weather factors and other environmental factors;
• reducing the risk of cancer;
• the ability to monitor the health of arthropods;
• year-round trading cycle.

There are only two disadvantages to raising crayfish in RAS. This:

• high price of equipment;
• the need to allocate premises for such activities (if you do not have your own free premises, you will have to rent a room).

Documents and legalization of activities

If an entrepreneur does not count on a serious scale of trade, he can breed crayfish on his personal plot. In this case, the sales issue can be organized, but the buyers will be very small.

If you want to take your business to a serious level, you will need to legalize it. In addition, stores and restaurants always require the presentation of official documents for product compliance. They are issued only to individual entrepreneurs, peasant farms or organizations. If you manage to reach an agreement with large buyers about selling crayfish to them without documents, there will be a risk of receiving a fine for illegal business conduct (Article 14.1 of the Administrative Code). Therefore, it is worth registering as an individual entrepreneur. It is advisable to register a business before it starts. The tax rate in this case will be equal to 6% on income minus costs.

How to officially register a pond

It makes sense to rent a plot with a pond. For grown invertebrates you will have to issue a certificate in accordance with TR TS021/2011 (« About food safety» ) .

The founder of the business draws up a declaration and also registers it. The official certification body may additionally request:

• registration papers for opening an individual entrepreneur;
• laboratory special research protocol;
• official certificate of VSE.

In some cases, a quality management certificate may be required.

For your information! Since last 2018, accompanying veterinary documentation has been issued electronically through the FSIS “Mercury”.

This material told everything about how it is possible to grow invertebrates in artificial intensive conditions in a subsidiary farm and gave an example of an alternative business format, which involves renting a large pond and breeding arthropods in natural conditions. Knowing everything about crayfish farming, feel free to take on this type of business, which promises high demand and good profits!

Don’t know how to make money, what business is most profitable to develop? Open a crayfish farming and breeding business! This type of business is suitable for you, especially if you yourself love to feast on the meat of these animals.

Relevance of this business

People have long used crayfish as food, adding them to various recipes or eating them as an independent dish with a foamy drink. Anyone who has tried crayfish meat at least once knows how pleasant and tender it tastes. It is precisely due to its taste that this type of product will always be in demand.

The idea of ​​crayfish farming is very profitable. This type of business does not require special capital investments and at the same time brings enormous income for a whole six months, and on an industrial scale - even year-round. In Russia, crayfish breeding is practically undeveloped, so you have a wide range to implement your business idea.

In pre-revolutionary times, Russia was already engaged in a business related to crayfish, but it consisted only of catching, and not growing. Later, artificial farms for breeding crayfish began to appear, which began to supply meat to European countries.

Types of crayfish for breeding

Far Eastern and European species of crayfish are widespread in Russia. If you are planning to put your business on stream, then the European type will suit you.

Europeans, in turn, are divided into long-toed and broad-toed. Broad-toed crayfish are a very valuable species. In cooking they are called “crayfish necks”. But this type of crayfish is listed in the Red Book, so for business it is better to take long-fingered individuals so that there are no problems with regulatory authorities.

There is also a division into lake and river crayfish. Lake crayfish are suitable for growing crayfish at home: they usually do not go into hibernation and reach quite large sizes. Their only drawback is their capriciousness: to keep this type you will need a very warm room of at least 20 square meters.

Almost all types of crayfish are not large in size, but they are unpretentious to living conditions and are inexpensive.

Where to buy?

Finding crayfish larvae is not so easy. Most likely, you will have to raise the young animals yourself. You can purchase the first copies at the supermarket. Buy two females for each male. If you don’t want to spend money on a purchase, you can catch crayfish yourself in ponds.

Features of reproduction, molting and diseases of crayfish

• Crayfish mate in the fall (September, October). At the end of spring, females can be distinguished from males by the presence of eggs under the tail.
• A female cannot produce more than 20 crustaceans per year.
• Young crayfish molt about eight times a year. Adults – 1-2 times a year. When molting, it is necessary to ensure the safety of animals, since without a shell they become vulnerable to predators.
• The most dangerous diseases of crayfish are burns and plague. Make sure that pathogenic fungi do not develop in the water, otherwise the entire brood of crayfish will die.

Breeding areas

At the moment, there are two places for breeding crayfish - a pond and an aquarium.

Growing crayfish in a pond

A pond is a formed stable ecosystem with its own inhabitants and conditions. It is capable of updating.

The main disadvantages of this breeding site:

• In the winter, the pond freezes, and the crayfish hibernate as the water temperature drops below 15 degrees. If the pond freezes to the bottom, then the living creatures will simply die;
• crayfish grow slowly in natural conditions, gaining the necessary mass for sale only in the fifth year.

What can you do when breeding in a pond?

• The first step is to clean the reservoir of contaminants, since crayfish prefer clean water.
• You don’t have to destroy the non-predatory fish neighbors of the crayfish in the pond.

Video about breeding crayfish in a pond

Aquariums: keeping crayfish at home

• The minimum size of the aquarium is 250 liters.
• You should pour soil at the bottom, place pebbles and decorations so that the crayfish can hide there.
• Fill with water, ensure its filtration and purification.

Hatchery ponds and aquariums

• Equip aquariums with filters and heaters.
• Organize elongated ponds measuring at least 25 square meters and 2 meters deep.
• It is necessary that the water in the pond be running. It is very important that a river flows nearby. If this is not possible, water wells should be drilled.
• Place shelters at the bottom of the pond so that the crayfish can hide.

Necessary equipment for breeding crayfish

Maintenance and care requirements

Requirements for living conditions

• The water where crayfish live must be clean. Its temperature cannot be lower than 15 degrees, otherwise the animals will hibernate.
• The number of individuals per 1 square meter should not exceed 350 pieces.
• You cannot contain different types of crayfish in one body of water.

Feeding

In order for crayfish to correspond to their marketable appearance and weight, it is necessary to properly organize their nutrition. The daily food intake for one individual should be 4-5% of its weight.

What is suitable as food?

• Earthworms.
• Insect larvae.
• Snails.
• Steamed and crushed grains.
• Boiled potatoes.
• Grated carrots.

Delivery of finished products

First you need to find potential customers who could purchase your products. Call the nearest restaurants and catering outlets, test the waters. If your services are not needed, you can always start supplying the product to the market by selling it to fishmongers.

You can also offer your friends the grown product. These same acquaintances can recommend you to someone else - this is how you will earn your first profit.

Profitability of a mini-farm for growing crayfish

Even if you have a large profit from this activity, you need to take into account that this type of business is seasonal.

There is practically no competition in this type of business, so you can quickly find a buyer for your products and get your treasured profit.

To get a ton of crayfish over several years, it would take about 600 individuals. All the main costs are incurred just when starting a business.

It will cost about 170 thousand rubles to equip the reservoir and purchase the first batch of individuals. (20 thousand rubles for crayfish, the rest for equipment for growing crayfish). Having invested 200 thousand rubles. into business, in two years you will earn your first million. These are all relative figures; when calculating expenses and income, take into account the selling price of crayfish.

• It is cheaper to breed crayfish in a ready-made reservoir, but there is a risk of the business sinking due to weather conditions.
• You can organize your own business by first raising fingerlings (crayfish larvae) in an aquarium and then transplanting them into a pond.
• Avoid sudden changes in the temperature of the water in which crayfish live, as well as its hypothermia.
• Choose one type of crayfish for your business, since individuals of different categories do not get along with each other.
• Monitor the health of individuals. Crayfish are susceptible to fungal diseases.
• Do not overfeed animals.
• There should be half as many males as females.
• Constantly monitor the quality of the water in which the crayfish live.

Don't think that raising crayfish is very easy. This business will be profitable only when all conditions for breeding and living animals are met. Don't expect a quick fix.

Crayfish meat is distinguished by its juiciness and high taste, and is regularly in demand on the market. Growing and breeding crayfish at home can be a profitable business, since these aquatic inhabitants are ubiquitous in fresh water bodies in temperate climates.

Features of breeding and methods of growing crayfish at home with photos and videos will be described in this article. With its help, anyone can raise these aquatic creatures in their dacha.

How to breed crayfish at home

Growing crayfish at home is a simpler process when compared to mussels or shrimp. They are found in many freshwater bodies, so creating suitable conditions for their reproduction will not be difficult.

Breeding at home requires constant presence. You also need to think about the fact that to collect the catch you will have to drain the water in the pond or install special traps (Figure 1).

Note: A good option would be if you find a body of water directly next to the river. Then it will be possible to make a good flow: you take water from the river into it and take it out.

Before you start breeding crayfish at home, study all the necessary literature, and also visit farms where they are grown.

Figure 1. Features of raising animals in artificial reservoirs

The first specimens need to be purchased in special stores, and not caught from the river. It is desirable that the reservoir has clay or sandy soil. Particular attention should be paid to the water temperature. Experience has shown that old females should not be kept in the pool for more than 3-4 months, as they can eat their cubs. Consequently, after the females lay eggs, they are moved to another tank, and the eggs are left separately.

If you want to breed them for wholesale, you need to be certified.

Home breeding technology

There are several technologies for breeding: naturally - in a pond, home pond or aquarium, and an expensive method - industrial, with the installation of a closed water supply (Figure 2).

With the first method, large expenses are not required, since they feed on natural food contained on the bottom. But under such conditions, they grow slowly because they hibernate, and because of this, they gain marketable weight only by the age of three. The second technology is considered more successful, where a decorative pond is set up on the site, individuals are released into it and periodically fed so that they gain weight faster. With this method, the crustaceans will all go into hibernation.

Figure 2. Methods of growing in bathtubs and aquariums in home and industrial conditions

If you want to raise livestock all year round, a more expensive technology will suit you. To do this you will need: a heated room, several containers, a system for constantly ensuring optimal temperature, circulation, water purification and oxygen saturation. This method is good because individuals do not hibernate due to the constant temperature of the water in the containers. Therefore, you will see profits faster.

Any species can be grown using this method, the main thing is to create comfortable conditions for their life. To do this, the bottom needs to be covered with clay, crushed stone, coarse gravel or lined with stones. At the bottom of the reservoir you need to install shelters: pipe fragments, branches, stones, snags.

To organize a drain in the far part, install a pipeline with a protective mesh. Next, according to the technology, the reservoir is insulated so that the crayfish do not die. The finished pond at home is filled with clean water, without heavy impurities and chlorine, and the livestock is populated. Every two weeks a drain is made, draining a little less than half of the old water to preserve the microclimate.

How to choose a place for breeding

It is better to choose a place for a pond near a river. An ideal place to live would be a coastline with inlets and aquatic vegetation. The bottom of the reservoir should be hard (clay or sand), with the addition of stones and limestone.

If there is a small pond on your site, then the soil near the shore should be such that individuals can build burrows, or you will have to install shelters for them manually. They often build their burrows on steep, shady banks where there is less sun. For example, in the reeds or on the banks where willow, willow, and acacia grow. The main thing is that the water in the reservoir is clean, because freshwater species love cleanliness.

Growing crayfish at home: video

If you want to start growing crayfish at home, we recommend watching a video that shows how to organize this process for beginners.

Growing crayfish at home

The main place for cultivation is ponds. They are natural and artificial. Regardless of what type of pond you use, it should be insulated. They can also be grown in aquariums, swimming pools and ponds.

Having decided on the breeding site, the livestock is released into it. There should be two females per male, but no more. Water must be clean and of high quality, without impurities. Several times a month it will be necessary to change approximately 30% of the total volume of the tank, this will preserve the microclimate and update the oxygen balance. To replace water, you need to provide drainage and supply systems, and the holes need to be covered with a mesh. Water can be taken from clean water reservoirs or from a well. The water temperature should not fall below 15 degrees, this will allow individuals to grow faster.

Note: For better survival of juveniles, females should be placed in separate containers, and when the small crustaceans hatch, they should be removed, this will allow the crustaceans to grow.

Young animals eat the same foods as adults. Typically, these are dead fish, meat, bread and vegetables. You can also purchase special food for crayfish. The main thing is that the food contains fats, protein, fiber and calcium. Under natural conditions, they feed on anything - carrion, algae, frogs, worms, small fish.

They molt several times a year, at which time they are very vulnerable. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor their diet so that they do not eat their relatives.

Note: It is most profitable to breed blue crayfish; they grow faster and are more fleshy.

The technology of breeding crayfish in a pond is very popular. By following certain rules, large and fleshy individuals can be grown even in a small country pond (Figure 3).

Peculiarities

A pond is a natural and most suitable habitat. The main thing is that there is clean water in it, otherwise the livestock will decrease or even die. In the cold season, having given up food, crayfish hibernate. To prevent this, greenhouses are built over reservoirs.

Figure 3. Arrangement of a breeding pond

For crayfish to live comfortably in a pond, you need to properly equip it. It is advisable to have a pond on your property, as there are many who like free crayfish. Do not place the pond in a sunny place. The pit area should be more than 50 square meters, two meters deep, and the bottom should be flat. The pond should be lined with polypropylene sheets; it is safe for crayfish. Next, the bottom must be covered with stones and sand so that individuals can build burrows for themselves. The shore of the reservoir should be clayey, and grass should be sown around it.

When breeding in ponds, it is important to ensure an influx of fresh water, aeration and to prevent algae overgrowing; for this, the bottom must be periodically cleaned. In addition, the pond should be filled with plankton.

In general, breeding crustaceans in a pond has both positive and negative aspects. The first is that the cost of maintaining a reservoir is minimal and feeding does not require large expenses due to natural food. Disadvantages include a long payback period, low stocking density and a long growth period.

More information on how to breed crayfish in a home pond is shown in the video.

Rules

In order for cultivation to be successful, it is necessary not only to equip the reservoir properly, but also to follow certain recommendations.

Among the basic rules for growing crayfish are::

• the pond should be located in shaded areas;
• the banks are strewn with rich clay and planted with plants;
• periodically plant algae and other plants to recreate natural living conditions;
• a third of the water needs to be changed several times a month;
• The pond needs to be cleaned periodically.

Also, units are installed in the reservoir to aerate the water so that the individuals living in it receive a sufficient amount of oxygen.

Breeding crayfish in the garage

Growing in a pond can be called the standard method. But there are also more unusual options, for example, breeding in the garage.

From the sections below you will learn how to properly set up a crustacean room so that you have access to their meat all year round.

Peculiarities

Before you start breeding arthropods, it is important to think about whether you can provide the conditions they need. After all, they react very sensitively to water pollution and decreases in water temperature. In addition, you need to choose a room. This could be a garage, the area of ​​which should be at least 50 square meters (Figure 4). There you need to clean and prepare the room; if necessary, it should be insulated. You need to place one light bulb in the center of the ceiling, because crayfish do not need a lot of light. You will also need three large containers. One for adults, the second for teenagers and the third for babies. When placing all the crayfish in one tank, the adults may begin to eat the young.

Figure 4. Arrangement of a garage for breeding crayfish

Sandy soil is laid on the bottom, then various driftwood, stones, and pipe fragments are placed, which will serve as shelter for the crayfish. Each container must have a drainage and water supply system, because the liquid must be changed frequently. The holes in the drain pipe must be lined with fine mesh.

The next step is purchasing the individuals themselves in special stores. You just need to buy them, and not catch them in an ordinary body of water. It is important to remember the proportion of the sexes, namely: one male needs two females, but not three.

The water needs to be changed several times a month, replacing a little less than half the volume. This will enrich the water with oxygen and preserve minerals and microclimate.

Crayfish feed on algae, so they need to be regularly fed with fish, worms, cereals, bread, and special food. During the breeding and molting season, they especially need good nutrition.

Rules

As with other breeding methods, growing crayfish in a garage follows certain rules:

• the room should be spacious, if necessary, the walls and floor should be insulated;
• all individuals should be purchased at specialized points, taking into account the fact that there are two females per male;
• The water temperature should not fall below 15 degrees, otherwise the crayfish will hibernate.

In addition, in artificial conditions, crayfish need balanced food, but overfeeding should not be allowed.

Breeding crayfish in a greenhouse

You can also breed crayfish in a greenhouse, because according to the climatic conditions, this room is excellent for growing these arthropods (Figure 5).

However, when growing in a greenhouse, you should still take into account all the breeding rules described above.

Peculiarities

In countries with cold climates, to reduce the duration of crayfish hibernation or completely eliminate it, they use the method of insulating ponds, where crayfish breeding can be carried out in winter. To do this, a polycarbonate-based greenhouse is erected over the pond. You can convert an ordinary greenhouse into a thermos greenhouse, where the solar collector warms up the water in the reservoir. Such a greenhouse is good for use when breeding in northern territories. You can also use industrial greenhouses. Due to their dimensions, they transmit a large amount of light and heat.

Figure 5. Arrangement of a greenhouse for breeding crayfish

Under such conditions, the air temperature in the cold season will be 3-12 degrees. Water at this temperature will not freeze, which means nutrition and growth will continue. Thanks to this, the crayfish will grow faster and reach marketable size.

The cost of equipment will depend on the type and size of the greenhouse. It must be remembered that the insulation of part of the ponds must be taken into account at the design stage, since standard models of industrial greenhouses impose restrictions on the size of the reservoir.

Rules

When planning breeding in a greenhouse, you should take into account the number of individuals and the expected size of the reservoir. Based on these parameters, a greenhouse is also built.

In addition, it is better to immediately build the structure from polycarbonate, since this material transmits light well and retains temperature, but at the same time provides a stable microclimate.

Australian red claw crayfish: breeding

To breed the Australian Red Claw, special conditions are needed. This breed is the most “fleshy”. Their breeding is possible only in closed reservoirs with additional heating. At home, they are bred in aquariums with a volume of at least 100 liters. It is quite possible to contain 3-4 crayfish there at the same time (Figure 6).

When arranging a reservoir, you need to take into account the fact that crayfish periodically rise to the surface. They need shelters for eating, resting and during the molting period. To do this, you need to arrange holes in advance, set up driftwood, locks, and pots. The optimal water temperature is 20-26 degrees; temperatures above 36 and below 10 degrees will be destructive for them. Australian crayfish are very sensitive to copper levels in water.

Figure 6. Peculiarities of growing Australian red claw crayfish

This species is not picky when it comes to food: it eats well dead fish, bread, vegetables, peas, algae and combined feed. Beech or oak leaves must be present in their diet. Feed regularly with snails, earthworms or frozen live food.

Along with crayfish, you can also grow certain types of fish. Inexpensive, fast-growing species are suitable for this, because there may be cases of overeating and death of more fastidious fish. It is better to buy ordinary guppies.

Breeding aquarium crayfish

Aquarium crayfish need fairly clean water with a temperature of 21-27 degrees (Figure 7). High water hardness guarantees the possibility of building a shell after molting. To increase water hardness, you can put limestone or marble in the soil. Acidic water is not acceptable for these animals.

Note: If you decide to keep only aquarium crayfish, then an aquaterrarium with a small area of ​​land will be more suitable for you.

Breeding crayfish in an aquarium requires the creation of artificial conditions with which they must be provided. Therefore, you need to put stones, sand, clay, driftwood at the bottom - this will resemble natural conditions and make it possible to dig holes. The soil should be coarse, especially if there are living rooted plants. In an aquarium, crayfish need oxygen, so it is necessary to ensure constant aeration and filtration of the water.

Figure 7. Setting up an aquarium for growing crayfish

In the wild, crayfish love to wander along the shore in search of something edible. It is advisable to give them the same conditions in the aquarium; for this you can take an ordinary driftwood that will protrude above the surface of the water.

Based on the fact that crayfish like to walk on land, the aquarium should be covered with thick glass with a gap corresponding to the body of the container.

Note: The desire of crayfish to get out of the aquarium intensifies when the water quality is low, there is a lack of shelter, or it is overcrowded.

Crayfish feed on various mollusks, tadpoles, worms, and insects. During the molting and breeding season, they need more food.

Reproduction under artificial conditions mainly takes place after molting. The female lays eggs 20 days after mating. Juveniles are very shy; they spend most of their time under snags or behind ledges.

Breeding crayfish in an aquarium is good because you can control the temperature, hardness and other parameters of the water. Also, by growing crayfish in an aquarium, the larvae will be protected from enemies, and mortality from unfavorable factors will also be reduced.

Crayfish farming in Russia is almost undeveloped. Some rural residents sell crayfish caught in reservoirs, which has an extremely detrimental effect on their numbers. And such fishing is poaching. About 100 years ago, Russia was one of the main suppliers of crustaceans to the world market; unfortunately, its leading position has now been lost.

As with any business, crayfish farming has both advantages and disadvantages.

Flaws:

• high costs for creating crustaceans as close as possible to natural habitats;
• seasonality of earnings, this is due to the timing of reproduction - from May to October;
• slow return on investment, since the growth of fry in the winter period sharply decreases;
• making a profit is possible only from the 2nd year of work.

The disadvantages will decrease after some time due to lower costs of maintaining the habitat and faster growth of the fry.

Photo gallery of crayfish breeding:

Advantages:

• minimal competition in the market;
• rapid expansion of the customer base due to low competition;
• labor costs are low;
• business profitability is high.

The niche of crayfish breeding is practically unoccupied, and therefore a rapid rate of increase in volumes and obtaining fairly high incomes is possible.

Crayfish breeds for breeding

There are several breeds of crayfish that are convenient for breeding. Among the most common are the following.

The Australian Red Claw Crayfish is the breed with the most meat. It requires special breeding conditions: a closed pond with mandatory additional heating. To keep 3-4 individuals, you need an aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters.

An important condition is the organization of free space on the surface of the aquarium, since this type of crustacean likes to float to the surface and stay there for some time. Snags, holes and shelters are placed at the bottom. They are important because crayfish rest there, eat, and wait out the molting period.

It is unpretentious in food; it happily eats dead fish, bread, algae and ready-made food. Together with these crayfish you can keep fish, for example, guppies.

They are extremely unpretentious. They live in water with high hardness at a temperature of +26 °C. Adults are medium in size when compared to other species. They are not picky about food, they feed on everything they find at the bottom. But cases of attacks on nearby fish cannot be ruled out. By the age of six months they reach sexual maturity. Like all crayfish, they need driftwood and grottoes on a sandy bottom. You need to place a device for filtering and aerating water in the aquarium.

This type of crayfish, just like the Australian one, requires certain conditions of detention and care. Water should be within +20...+28 °C with mandatory aeration and filtration. A distinctive advantage is the ability to keep about 20 individuals in 100 liters of water. You need to feed a lot and often.

An advantageous feature of this species is that they are hermaphrodites and reproduce by parthenogenesis. The larvae are incubated on the abdomen for 30 days. After the fry appear, they must be removed from the adults into a separate aquarium, otherwise the parents will eat their offspring.

Selection and purchase

When breeding crayfish, you should give preference to long-fingered breeds; they are less demanding in terms of living conditions and gain weight faster compared to wide-fingered varieties.

It is also worth carefully monitoring the temperature of the water in the reservoir where the crayfish are located. So, if the environment is too cool, their vital processes will slow down and weight gain will be minimal, and the fertility of females will also decrease. In good conditions, after a single fertilization, the female will bring 60-230 fry.

It is imperative to take into account the territorial characteristics of the climate in which it is planned to breed crayfish. For example, if the breeder lives in central Russia, then you need to buy crayfish in nearby regions. This is due to the fact that with a sharp change in climate and long transportation, crayfish may begin to have problems with adaptation and the population may die. One of the best options is to catch crayfish in a local pond and breed them. This way, the change in habitat will be practically unnoticeable for them.

The number of individuals is calculated taking into account the volume of the artificial reservoir: per 1 sq. m. area maximum quantity – 6 crayfish. It is important that there are at least 2 males for optimal production of offspring.

Due to minimal investment and increased demand, crayfish breeding farms are now becoming increasingly popular. They are grown in natural and artificial ponds, aquariums, swimming pools, in special installations and containers. There are several farm options.

In the pond

If there is a natural reservoir, this method is the least expensive, but if there is no natural one, they dig a pond on their own on a plot of land, for example, in a country house. It is important to take into account the estimated number of crayfish. A prerequisite is the presence of sand at the bottom and a system for purifying and aerating the water.

Crayfish are unpretentious in nutrition, but require a sufficient amount of food. They prefer small fish, their fry, carrion, and aquatic plants. Therefore, you need to breed them in a reservoir along with other underwater inhabitants.

The disadvantage of this method of growing crustaceans is that they hibernate in winter, and therefore their weight gain during this time will be minimal.

In the basement

This method is more expensive than the previous one. After all, you need to purchase the necessary equipment both for growing crayfish and for creating a certain microclimate in the basement or cellar itself. The walls of the room where breeding is intended must be treated with an antiseptic to prevent the development of mold. The air temperature in the basement should not be lower than +8 °C; it is necessary to install lamps for artificial lighting. There must be two aquariums or pools with forced aeration and water filtration: for young animals, for adults and growing individuals.

It is important to organize sufficient air ventilation in the basement; this will prevent the development of mold on the walls and reduce air humidity.

The advantages of this method are as follows: crayfish do not hibernate in the winter and, accordingly, gain weight faster, which leads to increased profits.

In aquarium

At home in aquariums, crayfish are bred only in heated rooms with the obligatory presence of electricity and constant access to water. If you plan to organize a farm in a private house or on a garden plot in a village, you can bury the aquarium directly into the ground (in summer) to a depth of 2/3 of the height of its wall.

There are a number of factors that are important to observe when breeding crayfish in an aquarium:

• volume not less than 250 l;
• water hardness in the range of 10-12;
• maximum height of the aquarium – 1 m;
• the bottom should be as wide as possible;
• water temperature +17…+21°C.

This is a more expensive method, but its advantage is that the crayfish will not hibernate.

In RAS (recirculated water supply installation)

Such a factory installation requires large financial costs compared to other methods of breeding crayfish, but has a number of advantages:

• occupies a small area;
• reduces water consumption;
• can be used all year round regardless of the seasons;
• you can control the life activity of crayfish and the operation of the industrial system;
• waste disposal is simplified as much as possible.

In a swimming pool

This breeding method is the most practical and popular. You can make a pool yourself from concrete or purchase a ready-made one from special plastic or polycarbonate. Its depth must be at least 90 cm, but not exceed 1 m. A system for water aeration must be installed. The tank must also be waterproofed.

To create an environment convenient for crayfish, broken dishes, scraps of plastic pipes, bricks with holes, as well as all kinds of containers, such as pots, are placed at the bottom. Crustaceans will use all these objects as burrows and shelters.

In order to maintain the required temperature, the pool is installed indoors or a canopy is built around it.

To obtain fry, it is preferable to place two females and one male in the pool; this is optimal for mating. When young animals appear, they are placed in a separate container using a cage. Otherwise, parents will feast on their offspring.

Feeding

In order for crayfish to be healthy and receive the full range of necessary substances, food must be varied. The diet includes:

• crushed grains of corn, barley and wheat;
• bone meal, minced meat from offal and fish;
• boiled crushed carrots and potatoes;
• oak leaves as a natural antiseptic;
• insect larvae, worms, fish fry.

If the number of crayfish is large enough, it is more convenient to feed with ready-made combined feeds. For example, intended for carp and salmon fish. It is important to correctly calculate the amount of feed given. It is: 2% of body weight for ordinary individuals, and for females in position - 5-6%.

Possible diseases

All cancer diseases are divided into 2 types:

• invasive (helminthic);
• infectious.

Since both species are capable of quickly transmitting from individual to individual and thus destroying the entire population, when the first symptoms are detected, sick crayfish are destroyed and the rest of the population is quarantined. Sick individuals are not treated.

Invasive

• trematodes;
• microsporidia;
• metacircoria, etc.

Infectious

The most common among them:

• Crayfish plague. It is characterized by the following symptoms: crayfish become lethargic, sway to the sides when walking, legs are almost completely straightened, and the tail is tucked under the abdomen. A distinctive feature is also the darkening of all integuments of the body.
• Burn disease. Dark spots appear on the shell, which are most pronounced after cooking the crayfish. The diameter of the spots is from 10 to 30 mm.

Shedding

During the first year of life, cancer changes its shell about 8 times, because active growth occurs during this period. Further, as the growth rate decreases, the number of molts also decreases, so in the 2nd year of life - 5 times, and at an older age - 1-2 times a year.

Very often, young animals die when they change their shell, as they also shed the covering of their eyes, gills, teeth and esophagus.

When the cancer has shed its shell, and the new one has not yet become dense enough, it sits out in a hole or other shelter. It is important not to remove the discarded shell from the container in which the individuals are kept. They eat them after molting. After all, they contain the building material for the new coating – calcium.

Creation and development of a farm

When breeding crayfish, it is important to ensure the flow of water into the reservoir or its regular purification. A flow system is not necessary, but drainage is important. Every 2-3 weeks it is necessary to change approximately 30% of the total volume of water in the reservoir. This will allow it to be cleaned without disturbing the resulting biocenosis in the aquatic environment.

When breeding crayfish, you need to try to create living conditions as close as possible to natural ones. To do this, a thick layer of sand (10-15 cm) is poured onto the bottom of the reservoir, all kinds of driftwood, jugs, pots, etc. are placed. Crayfish like to bury themselves in the sand and hide in holes, which is especially important during the molting period, when the shell has not yet hardened.

If you plan to breed crayfish in aquariums, lighting fixtures must be installed, which increases costs, but also increases income. This is due to the fact that in the presence of lighting they grow in an artificial environment several times faster than in nature. You can notice this by the frequency of molting: in nature once every 12 months, in an aquarium up to 5 times in the same period, which indicates a faster growth rate.

It is important to install special devices for saturating water with oxygen (aerators and oxygenators), which will also increase costs, but will also increase profits in the future.

Purchase of feed

It is important to consider the habitat of the crayfish. If this is a natural body of water, they are fed only during the period when the young are born; the rest of the time, they get food on their own. For example, they eat fish and algae. They are not fed during hibernation.

If crustaceans are kept in an artificially created environment, food for them is prepared or purchased from fish farms. There are ready-made feeds for crustaceans on the market.

Food is placed in special feeders. It is important to ensure that there is not a large amount of uneaten food left, as it will begin to rot, damage the health of the crayfish and may even cause their death.

Selling products

Selling grown crayfish will be quite easy, since the demand for them is becoming higher every year. At the same time, few people engage in such a complex business. By registering an individual entrepreneur, you can offer your products to public catering establishments (cafes, restaurants, bars) and to the market. Regular customers will often come for fresh crayfish themselves. You just need to catch them, get a veterinary certificate, and the goods are ready for shipment.

Cost of starting and maintaining a business

It will not be possible to calculate the exact amount of costs and income, since it depends on many factors: the expected size of the future crayfish farm, the materials from which it is planned to build it, the cost of equipment, etc.

An important factor is the mandatory receipt of an individual entrepreneur, since without it it will be impossible to obtain a certificate and sell crayfish. In this case, of course, you will have to pay taxes, but registering as an individual entrepreneur gives you advantages for purchasing materials for organizing a farm with discounts as an entrepreneur.

As a rule, a business pays off only a year after starting, but it’s worth it, because with proper organization, profitability in the future can be up to 300%.

The amount of future income, payback period and forecasts

Income directly depends on the correct organization of the farm and the knowledge of the breeder. If everything is done correctly, then in 1 year you can return the money spent and expand production, in 2 you can increase profitability by 3 times, and in 3 you can increase profitability by 6 times or more. But before you start breeding crayfish, you need to think about everything in the smallest detail, try to visit existing crayfish farms.

Veterinary and sanitary control

Crayfish is a food product that is subject to mandatory certification. Products are assessed by veterinary experts, and the declaration of conformity is a supporting document.

To obtain a certificate you must provide:

• certificate confirming registration of individual entrepreneur (LLC);
• laboratory test protocol;
• certificate of veterinary and sanitary examination (VSE).

Sometimes additional documents are requested, for example, a contract for the supply of crayfish, a quality management certificate, etc. You can resort to the help of intermediaries who, for a fee, will issue a declaration for the breeder. The cost of such services varies in different regions. For example, in Moscow from 7 to 15 thousand rubles.