How to properly grow crayfish at home?

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

Basics of crayfish breeding. Preparatory work

The whole process of growing crayfish can be adjusted with minimal financial investment. But you have to be patient. Cancers grow for 2-3 years. Accordingly, starting from zero, until that time, you will not receive either gourmet meat or profit. But you will need to constantly feed the animals, take care of 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 an ordinary reservoir grow more slowly.
2. You should buy adult arthropods. You can grow young growth on your own.
3. The optimal ratio of males and females for good offspring is 1: 2.

It is better to use purebred crayfish for breeding.

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

Advice. Males can be skipped if females have roe on legs.

How to properly equip a reservoir

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

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

Attention! More than 30% of the volume of the reservoir cannot be renewed at a time. This will lead to a violation of the microclimate.

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

Reservoir for growing crayfish

Aquariums are most often used as artificial places. This is quite costly: most likely, you will need several containers. Maintaining the correct temperature in them is easier, but more expensive. You can put 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

Once you've set up your growing site, move on to purchasing a living base for breeding. Among lovers of crayfish, the following varieties are popular:

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

Blue Cuban Cancer

• Marble. Large and fleshy. Capricious to leave. Requires water heating up to + 20… + 28 ° C, a relatively large amount 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 first purchase of crayfish for breeding is not the last. To get a full-fledged herd that can independently reproduce its numbers, you will need periodic purchases over 5 years.

Cancer care

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

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

Crayfish are famous scavengers. Their diet includes the remains of fish, algae. However, when bred 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 the pet store.

Attention! You can not overfeed crayfish. Better not to feed.

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

Breeding crayfish for sale is a profitable business

An important sign of the normal development of the livestock is molting. Cancer throws off the shell, which has become cramped for him, and overgrows with a new one. Young individuals do this about 8 times a year. In the next 365 days of life, this number decreases to 5, then to 3-4. The normal growth rate of a 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 breeding crayfish

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

For open ponds, stakes and lakes in cold weather, the installation of greenhouses is relevant. They keep you warm by keeping your crayfish at a normal temperature. Farmers also use various filters to keep the pond clean and polypropylene frames to keep the water in the pond.

Having achieved good results in breeding crayfish, you can easily start a small business. Arthropods will be sold to shops, restaurants and cafes. Food establishments willingly take delicious meat.

Growing crayfish at home: video

Anyone who has tasted crayfish meat at least once knows how tasty and tender it is. At present, the breeding of these representatives of the fauna in Russia is practically not mastered. However, the demand for the product is high. Some villagers manage to earn good money by fishing for crayfish in their natural habitat, but in this way they negatively affect the natural population of these animals.Such fishing is essentially poaching. Even before the revolution, on the territory of Russia, they were successfully breeding crayfish in an artificial environment. The resulting meat was exported to many European countries. The current state of affairs is such that the main suppliers of this product to the world market - Turkey, China and Spain - are countries where crayfish were not found at all before.

Pond

How to breed crayfish in ponds? First, clean the reservoir if it is silty or swampy. Neighborhood of crayfish with crucian carp, carp and other non-predatory fish is allowed. However, keep in mind that such a business will suffer with the coming of winter. This is due to the fact that crayfish tend to hibernate if the air temperature drops below fifteen degrees Celsius. In a state of suspended animation, they stop eating and, accordingly, do not gain weight. If the reservoir completely freezes to the bottom, your pets will die.

Nevertheless, many businessmen are wondering how to breed crayfish in ponds, because such reservoirs are the most stable aqua systems capable of self-cleaning and self-renewal. At the same time, there is an opportunity to save a lot on feed, filters and aerators. Crayfish will happily feed on plankton, algae and insect larvae. The disadvantage is that these animals do not grow fast enough in their natural environment. Marketable mass is recruited at about the fifth year of life. Thus, the business will begin to generate income only after six years. It is attractive that almost no initial investment is required.

Aquarium

How to breed crayfish at home? To do this, you need an aquarium with a capacity of at least two hundred and fifty liters (frameless). Pour soil at the bottom of the container, and also place stones and driftwood there (your pets will hide behind them).

How to breed crayfish at home so that they do not hibernate? For this, it is important to ensure that the water temperature fluctuates insignificantly and does not fall below fifteen degrees Celsius. In addition, it is important to ensure high-quality filtration and aeration of the liquid. Under such conditions, an increase in the stocking density of animals up to three hundred and fifty individuals per square meter is allowed.

The only drawback of the described business is its small volume. It is difficult to achieve industrial scale due to the limited cultivation area. However, some entrepreneurs have figured out how to breed crayfish in an aquarium for maximum profit. At home, they raise the larvae up to the "underyearlings", and only then release them into a natural or artificial reservoir. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to organize a successful business. But how to breed crayfish at home to minimize losses? Control over water quality should be in the first place. In this case, not very many larvae will die, in addition, they will develop much faster.

Basement

How to breed crayfish at home if you don't want to clutter up your living space with huge aquariums? Use your basement. For most people, it plays the role of a place to store unnecessary things, but for you it will become a way to get money. If necessary, you will need to insulate the basement so that the crayfish do not hibernate at low water temperatures. To organize lighting, purchase a two hundred watt lamp and hang it in the center of the ceiling. Equip your basement with multi-tiered shelving to accommodate your aquariums. After completing the preparatory work, it will be time to ask the question of how to breed crayfish.

Where to buy

Buying maggots is not easy. You will most likely have to raise the young yourself. You can even buy crayfish in the supermarket. There should be two females for each male. Mating time begins in the fall.At the end of spring, females can be easily visually distinguished from males by the presence of eggs under the tail. A kilogram of these animals can cost you from three hundred to five hundred rubles. And even such small expenses can be avoided by catching crayfish yourself in the pond.

What to feed

How to breed crayfish correctly so that they actively gain weight? For this, it is important to organize high-quality nutritious food for them. Crayfish prefer earthworms, insect larvae and small snails. In an artificial habitat, they will not give up steamed and crushed grains, boiled potatoes and grated carrots. These foods should make up the majority of the animal's diet. Meat and fish are valuable sources of protein. How to breed crayfish without making mistakes in the process of feeding them? Calculate the daily food intake for animals. It should be 2% of their weight.

Breeding features

Mating takes place in September and October. Males are able to fertilize up to two females in a row. If they come across a third, they will simply eat it. This fact determines the optimal ratio of individuals of different sexes in the reservoir (two females for one male).

Initially, the eggs are located under the shell of the animal. After laying it is fixed under the tail. In order for the embryos to develop correctly, the female constantly washes the eggs, thereby effectively cleaning them. After two months, the larvae hatch. For another three weeks they rest under the tail of the female in order to avoid many dangers. After this time, completely independent crustaceans leave their cozy refuge forever. In their natural habitat, each female is capable of growing up to twelve larvae. She cannot have more than twenty descendants a year. As for home conditions, this number can actually be tripled.

Molting

Young crustaceans molt eight times in the first twelve months of their life. In the next two years, they will have to go through this seven or nine more times. Adults molt much less often - once or twice every 12 months. During this period, the old shell is simply discarded, since it becomes cramped for a growing animal.

How to breed crayfish correctly? It is necessary to pay special attention to them during the molting period, when the animal becomes especially vulnerable to attack not only by predatory fish and birds, but also by its relatives.

Diseases

The main ailments of cancers can be divided into infectious and invasive. The causative agents of the latter are parasites (most often these are microsporidia, branchiodella, trematodes and metaciria). The most dangerous infectious diseases are plague and burn disease. They develop under the influence of various pathogenic fungi. In addition, the business may suffer from a decrease in livestock due to overfeeding, insufficient filtration and aeration, and a sharp change in water temperature.

Breeding sites

If you are serious and plan to turn crayfish breeding into a highly profitable business, we advise you to start a farm. Only in this case will it be possible to organize the production of a tasty product on an industrial scale. This will require the following:

- Incubation aquariums. It is very important that they are equipped with powerful heaters, compressors and filtration systems.

- Pools where crayfish are bred, which have become independent individuals. There they need to be raised to the underyearing stage.

- Covered ponds. There should be at least two of them, but it is better to try to organize even more. Thus, the business will grow faster. The minimum area of ​​the reservoir should be 25 square meters. m, and the depth is 2 m. Keep in mind that gas exchange is better in elongated ponds. It is recommended that the water in them be running. That is why it is so important to have a river nearby. If this is not possible on your farm, drill several water wells.

Be sure to place crayfish shelters at the bottom of the ponds.They can be fragments of pipes made of plastic or ceramics, stones, driftwood, etc.

An important point

What are the best crayfish to breed? Far Eastern and European species are most widespread on the territory of Russia. The latter are most often used on an industrial scale. They are subdivided into long-toed and broad-toed. The latter are the most valuable species. It is their abdomens that are called "cancerous necks" in cooking. However, keep in mind that this species is listed in the Red Book, so it is still better to breed long-toed crayfish. Thus, you will avoid problems with the inspection authorities.

They also distinguish lacustrine and river crayfish. The former are most suitable for home businesses, since they do not hibernate and can reach impressive sizes. However, there is one drawback: lacustrine crayfish are very moody. For their breeding and successful maintenance, you will need a warm room with an area of ​​at least twenty square meters. River crayfish are not so demanding, but they are smaller in size, respectively, and they are not so expensive.

When purchasing animals, do not overlook the fact that different types of crayfish do not live in the same reservoir.

Summer cottage not only for the beds

When equipping a pond in a personal plot, keep in mind that it is very important for crayfish to have holes. That is why the pond should be with clayey shores and rocky bottom. It is very important that he is on your territory, then you will be able to control the breeding process and protect the animals from criminal encroachments.

How to breed crayfish in the country? If the site is large enough, it is better to organize three or four reservoirs. Of course, you can do it yourself, but an excavator can handle such work much easier. Spare some money and order the necessary equipment. After completing this stage of work, think about the improvement of reservoirs. It is better to cover the bottom with stones and sprinkle them with river sand. Plant grass (field or garden) along the edge of the pond.

Next, proceed with the organization of drainage. To do this, you can use a regular pipe, which is closed from above with a valve. Put a net on the pipe so that the crayfish do not have the opportunity to leave the reservoir through a kind of tunnel.

The most exciting moment is filling the pit with water and launching the first crayfish. Now comes a period of constant concern for the habitat of animals. Remember to change the water every two to three weeks. It is better to renew the pond by about a third, so as not to greatly disturb the established microclimate.

Is it profitable to breed crayfish?

To obtain at least one ton of these animals in a few years, you will need to purchase about six hundred individuals. The main costs are for the start-up period. They amount to approximately 120 thousand rubles. for the equipment of reservoirs and 50 thousand rubles. for the purchase of young animals. With an investment of two hundred thousand rubles, you will earn your first million in about two years. Of course, these are only rough estimates. In fact, the income depends on the selling prices. Also, keep in mind that the larger the crayfish, the more expensive they are.

How to sell?

The absence of problems with points of sale is one of the main advantages of this business. The fact is that at present the competition in this area is low, and this is with a constant shortage of crayfish. Numerous restaurants, cafes and bars may be interested in your product. They usually prefer wholesale suppliers.

Did you know that salted crayfish caviar is practically not inferior to red in taste and nutritional qualities? This can also be emphasized in the process of finding buyers. In addition, in various types of production, chitinous shells of the considered animals, amazing in their properties, are widely used.

Conclusion

We examined in detail the question of how to breed crayfish. This business is profitable, but don't expect instant profits. Proper habitat organization and careful crayfish care are the keys to success.

Raki, a traditional Russian delicacy, is quite picky about environmental conditions. There is such a sign: if crayfish are found in a river, it means that the water in it is clean. Alas, in recent decades, there are fewer and fewer such rivers throughout the country, and probably in other regions of the world. And the delicacy is still in demand. It turns out that it is necessary to establish its "production" in an artificial environment. By the way, a similar experience was already in pre-revolutionary Russia, and crayfish were one of the important export items. Today, crayfish breeding is successfully carried out by China, Spain, Turkey. Maybe private Russian business and individual entrepreneurs will be able to support the domestic brand of the best exporter?

Breeding crayfish

For those who have decided to master the cultivation of crayfish, one of the main questions is: which ones. It would be wrong to think that he is a cancer in Africa as well. There are many different species, but for breeding in our country European and Far Eastern species are most suitable... There are long-toed and broad-toed crayfish (these are the most valuable, but they are listed in the Red Book and, in order not to have troubles with the law, it is better not to tempt fate, but to try to do business on long-toed ones). In addition, crayfish are subdivided into lake and river crayfish, each species has its own pros and cons, which must be analyzed before making a final decision. And it still does not hurt to study numerous videos on the Internet, this will also help determine the question of which species to breed.

Video on the topic

The active season for breeding crayfish lasts from five to seven months... It is quite intense. According to statistics, each crayfish released into the reservoir will give three dozen more of its kind by the fall.

In the pond

The choice of the reservoir is fundamentally important. There are also options here, one of them is a pond. The main thing that suits a person in this situation is the ability to do without significant material investments, using an existing reservoir, with a stable aqua system (which means that expensive filters and aerators will not be required), a natural habitat, and the availability of feed. In ponds, crayfish, crucians, carps and some other types of non-predatory fish can live in a neighborly tolerance towards each other.

Before breeding crayfish, the pond must be cleaned if it was excessively silted or even swampy. But this is not so difficult compared to another problem: with the onset of winter, business in a natural reservoir will stop for natural reasons - arthropods will hibernate already at temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius. If the pond is shallow and the water in it freezes to the very bottom, the crayfish in it can simply die. These are the risks a person starting a business should bear in mind. According to the calculations of experienced "breeders", their wards in their natural habitat will gain the necessary weight for implementation only after five years, and they will be able to talk about profit only six years later. Not everyone will be satisfied with such rates.

However, there will always be entrepreneurs who, for the sake of future stable profits, are ready to be patient and even dig their own pond that meets all the necessary parameters. So, what should be the pond:

• average area - 50 square meters;
• depth - at least two meters;
• the bottom is rocky, covered with sand so that crayfish can dig holes;
• the banks of the pit must be sown with grass;
• from coastal trees and shrubs, the best option is willow;
• in the absence of natural water flow, aeration must be provided.

In an artificial reservoir, additional costs will be required for feeding crayfish, since there are fewer daphnia, plankton, and cyclops in it than in a natural one.

It is advisable, if possible, to plant the young in a separate pond, because adults can eat small ones, even without a shortage of food, this is just their cannibal nature.

In aquarium

There is an option for growing crayfish at home in an aquarium.Is it better or worse? Compare, analyze your capabilities.

An aquarium will need a frameless one, with a volume of at least 250 liters. Sandy soil should be supplemented with stones and snags so that the arthropods have a place to hide from prying eyes. The temperature regime must necessarily exceed 15 degrees Celsius, otherwise crayfish, as in ponds, will prefer hibernation to an active lifestyle. The aquarium should be provided with filtration and aeration, and of sufficient quality. If this is achieved, then, according to experts, it is possible to populate the useful area of ​​a home reservoir quite densely: for each square meter - up to 350 individuals.

And even these figures seem insufficient to the entrepreneur, he wants a different scale. Here is an option that allows you to make your business more optimal: at home, in an aquarium, you can grow the smallest thing, no older than "underyearlings", and then release them into the pond, where they will continue their growth and will not be "on the menu" of older individuals, because already can stand up for themselves.

Video about growing in an aquarium

While the small fry are in the aquarium, care needs regular, almost daily. Necessary:

• monitor the temperature of the water;
• filter it;
• provide the inhabitants of the aquarium with food, including vitamins.

Those who use tap water and filters will have to change them about three times a year - this is the only way to ensure the required water quality. If you fulfill all these requirements, your charges will quickly gain weight.

In no case should metal structures be used when arranging an aquarium - this material is harmful to crayfish. Plexiglas and plastic are ideal.

In the basement

Do not forget that a country house always has a basement, which means it is an excellent platform to start a business. If necessary, it can be insulated so that your wards do not plunge into winter sleep, and to light the room, hang a 200-watt electric lamp. It is best to equip your work area with shelving that allows you to conveniently position your aquariums. Ask your acquaintances who have already started a similar business for a video - this way you will most efficiently equip the room and avoid possible mistakes.

Cover the bottom of each aquarium with clean river sand, do not forget about stones and snags. The optimal aquarium volume is 250 liters.

If you have a spacious basement, you can make a pool in it instead of aquariums, or rather, two pools: for adult crayfish and for babies.

Other options

For those whose houses are located in villages, near places of former peat mining, it makes sense to equip a pond where peat was previously mined. After the mining equipment leaves, as a rule, there are shallow and wide open pits that can be equipped for breeding crayfish in large enough volumes. The ponds created on the site of peat extraction are quite clean, the processes of decomposition of plants in them are slower, and there is enough food for a large number of individuals.

Another option is floodplain lakes, where the water warms up very well in summer. However, they can be used only as a temporary shelter - in the spring, to launch the grown-up juveniles into the reservoir (which were grown in the basement in winter), and in the fall - to pick up the "harvest". If you fine-tune the whole process, you can make a good business on it, since special financial costs for the arrangement of the reservoir will not be required, and the food supply is very generous. There is evidence that productivity in such floodplain lakes is even higher than in ponds.

Breeding in the country

A dacha resident, with a large land plot, start-up capital and a willingness to work, can start breeding crayfish directly at the dacha. Reservoirs (two or three, not one) are better to dig by hiring special equipment. Bottom - cover with sand, be sure to add stones and driftwood.Sow any grass on the banks of water bodies, which is usually used for sowing a lawn. An important step: to properly organize drainage so that the water does not stagnate and is clean. A pipe with a valve is usually used. However, at the end of the pipe, facing the reservoir, you need to put on a net so that your charges do not use this underwater tunnel. Water renewal is carried out once every two to three weeks.

Renew the water not by one hundred percent, but by about thirty percent - this way you will preserve the microclimate established in the reservoir.

Where can I get it?

Experienced businessmen say that it is much easier to raise young crayfish on their own than to acquire larvae. There were cases when adult crayfish were bought in a supermarket, put into an aquarium at home or in the country, looked after them, and then they already had their own viable juveniles. Reproduction of crayfish at home is a completely natural process that is not associated with any special hassle.

The number of crayfish with which it is wiser to start a business is ten to fifteen pieces. It is better if there are two females for each male.

Feeding issues

Crayfish are fed once every three to four days: they throw food into the water, it settles to the bottom and is eaten there by the inhabitants of the reservoir. If you want crayfish to gain weight quickly, the diet should be complete and varied. The daily intake of food is approximately two percent of the weight of the individual. Armed with a pen and calculator, make the necessary calculations so that your charges do not go on a starvation diet. Here what should be on their menu:

• meat,
• vegetables,
• grains,
• worms and larvae,
• snails,
• insects,
• fish.

Breeding features

The "sexual" life of crayfish resembles a thriller: a male impregnates two women in a row, and if a third appears on his way, he simply ... eats it. In order for events not to acquire such a dramatic turn, there is a recommendation - to acquire for each "gentleman" two "young ladies". Mating usually occurs in the first autumn months. The female carries eggs under the tail, under the protection of the shell. In the same place, larvae hatch and for another three weeks they stay near the mother - otherwise they simply would not be able to survive in the surrounding water element, which is quite aggressive for small individuals.

In nature the female raises a dozen larvae at a time... In an artificial habitat, this figure triples.

Molting

During the first twelve months of their existence, crayfish molt eight times, in the next twenty-four there are seven to nine molts. Adult crayfish change their old outfit for a new one once or twice a year.

Cancer diseases

These arthropods can get sick themselves and carry some diseases, they are divided into: invasive (pathogens - various parasites) and infectious (burn disease, plague). If you suspect that your pets are sick, you should definitely contact your veterinarian.

Is it profitable to breed for sale as a business?

You can answer this question by paraphrasing the words of the song: "Think for yourself, count for yourself."

Really, you can't do without a calculator... To get at least one ton of crayfish, you will have to acquire six hundred individuals over several years. Particularly significant will be the initial cost of equipping a reservoir or aquariums. Experienced people estimate these costs at about two hundred thousand rubles (50 thousand of them - for the purchase of crayfish for breeding). If everything goes as you plan, then the first million can be earned in a couple of years.

Of course, this is only a scheme that does not fit force majeure circumstances and costs, and as a positive point - good prices in the market for your products and the quality of your goods (by the way, it also increases the price if you received large, especially valuable copies ).Even if wholesale prices are low, the profitability of the business is considered to be in excess of one hundred percent.

The answer to this question is in the video.

How to sell and to whom

The competition in this area of ​​business is not high, so there should not be any special problems to negotiate supplies with any restaurants, bars, cafes, grocery stores, especially private ones. For greater confidence and guarantee of future income, conclude contracts for the supply of your goods.

Certain consumers will be interested in your products, including specific families who, having bought once, will appreciate your product at its true worth. As you expand your customer base, spend some money on online and media advertising. At least for the initial promotion.

Conclusion

Growing crayfish at home is pretty profitable and interesting business.

However, when starting a business, you need to remember that it will take patience to wait for financial investments to start "making money", and a lot of work. Yes, yes, you won't have to sit back, even if you have debugged the entire technological chain - you are still dealing with living organisms that need daily care and attention.

With a competent approach to business and correct calculations, any idea can become an exciting and profitable project. Selling crayfish as a business will certainly meet your expectations of increasing your own budget - after all, such an activity brings good profit, but at the same time does not require serious costs.

Let's find out what features such an undertaking is characterized by and how expedient it is to build your own business in this area.

Information about the essence of the project

A crayfish farm is a rather specific business. Usually investments in it are minimal, but you can only reach the self-sufficiency threshold of the project through some years - after all you need two yearsto raise the livestock and get offspring from it. True, in the future you can already count on a stable and regular income.

Keep this in mind when you plan to breed crayfish as a home business. You can find a video with reviews of entrepreneurs and specialists about such an unusual occupation in our review.

As a rule, the livestock is grown either in a natural reservoir or in its artificial analogue. Of course, renting any pond will become unprofitable, given that you will not earn anything in the first years. And in the conditions of natural growth of arthropods, the period for the sale of the first batch of products can be delayed by five years.

Important! It is advisable for a beginner to pay attention specifically to the cultivation of crayfish on a farm in enclosed spaces. This will significantly reduce investments - after all, any structure can be used for such purposes.

However, with the above method, you should remember about the constant cleaning of the aquarium. Moreover, there should be several containers. Usually, adults live in one of them, fry in the other, and the third serves as a reserve for replacing water and cleaning the main reservoirs. It is also important to take into account that it is adult crayfish that are planted during reproduction, since young animals still unadapted to life often die when environmental conditions change.

Breeding crayfish at home would be a good business idea, because this niche is still empty today and a beginner has a high chance of success.

In general, the business of growing crayfish will require careful attention to its wards. These animals react very sharply to water pollution and temperature drops below 15 degrees. Therefore, you will have to think in advance if you can create similar conditions for them.... Although with all the seeming shortcomings and reservations, this business promises pretty good income at extremely low costs. Moreover, you can start a business simply as an individual, and you can register an individual entrepreneur when you start selling the goods directly.In addition, today this niche in the market is practically empty and the beginner has a high chance of success.

We are looking for a room

You can start a crayfish business by finding a suitable building for this. Experts advise paying attention to attics, basements and even garages. All these buildings will allow you to maintain the required temperature regime and place several containers there with suitable dimensions of the area. Of course, the best solution will be the premises that you own.But do not forget that the volume of one reservoir should be from 2.5 cubic meters. Therefore, the minimum set - three tanks - can be located in a building with an area of ​​50 sq. m... Moreover, you should analyze the condition of the room in advance and get rid of fungal infections, rodents and insects.

Growing crayfish in the basement is a good solution for a budding entrepreneur

By the way, growing crayfish in the basement is the best solution. So, you will be deprived of the need to carry out measures to warm the room, as well as equip it with a heating system. Wintering of arthropods provides for a temperature of five degrees Celsius, so the basements perfectly meet such conditions. In addition, it is necessary to equip the room with power supply. True, for an area of ​​50 sq. m. you only need one lamp with a power of about 200 watts.

Cooking a pond

So, the main equipment for growing crayfish is an aquarium or a pool system. The choice will depend only on the total area of ​​your premises. Remember, the minimum volume of one aquarium should be from 2,500 liters, and the location should provide free access for their maintenance. Of course, the tank is made of durable materials and reinforced with load-bearing elements so that the structure can withstand such a mass of liquid. A not bad, but rather expensive option for capacity will be the purchase of a closed water supply installation. True, making its analogue with your own hands, as a rule, will not be difficult and will significantly reduce costs.

One of the options for equipping a room for breeding crayfish at home

Separately, you need to talk about the structure of the pool system. Several reservoirs should be built, the bottom of each of them should be laid out with sand and small stones, and also populated with various plants. Since standing water is destructive for crayfish, each container must be equipped with a compressor, a purification filter and, if necessary, a heater. Consider a drain system for fluid replacement. A good option for a capital reservoir would be a pipe with a shut-off valve closed with a fine mesh, and if you choose to breed crayfish in an aquarium as a business, you can drain the water using a hose. In any case, the room should be equipped with a good drain.

A separate nuance will highlight the direct replacement of the fluid. Remember, you cannot completely change the water. Experienced entrepreneurs in such matters advise draining only a quarter of the total volume of the reservoir. This measure will prevent abrupt changes in the microclimate for arthropods, which can even lead to molting and a slowdown in development. Powerful compressors and heaters can be used to avoid hibernation.

A constant temperature around 16 degrees and the enrichment of the liquid with oxygen stimulates the activity of arthropods, and also prevents the onset of their molt. In addition, you can influence their growth by increasing the number of individuals living on one square meter to 350 pieces. Typically, the cost of one such aquarium will be about 30,000 rubles. If we talk about the cost of related equipment, here you will keep within about 110,000 rubles. This will include several filters, compressors, thermostats, fishing gear and other small accessories. That is, the approximate investment in equipment for breeding crayfish will amount to 200,000 rubles.

Features of the purchase of livestock

Another step towards the implementation of your idea, requiring some investment, will be the acquisition of arthropods. Of course, when planning a crayfish breeding business, it is advisable to find a supplier who can offer you their larvae rather than adults. True, today this is a rather difficult task for a beginner. Please note that the livestock is farmed and not caught in a pond. Remember, individuals recovered from their natural environment develop much more slowly, which will increase the payback period of the case. There are a few more rules for such a business as growing crayfish at home. The video below describes all these nuances in detail.

However, nevertheless, pay attention when buying that the proportion of the ratio of males to females is 1: 2. Remember, during mating, a male is only able to fertilize two females. He simply eats excess individuals.

It is optimal to purchase an adult livestock in November. It is at this time that spawning begins, so females can be easily distinguished by the presence of eggs. The issue of transportation will also become very important. Experts advise to carry out transportation in wooden containers, laying arthropods on their backs in rows... Moreover, the utmost care should be observed with females that have eggs.

If you acquire livestock during the spawning period, females can very easily be distinguished from males.

Considering that most often you can buy animals by weight, and not by the piece, buying a kilogram of large arthropods (10 pcs.) Will cost about 1,100 rubles. To populate one reservoir of 2,500 liters (the rest are reserves for young animals), you will need to purchase about 30 kg, which will amount to 33,000 rubles.

Features of the content

Growing crayfish as a business will be quite an attractive project due to the low running costs of caring for and feeding the livestock. These animals are very unpretentious in food and are almost omnivorous. Of course, arthropods prefer meat, but cereals, bread, cereals and hay can be used as additional complementary foods. The main diet can be formed from worms, bloodworms, clams and frogs.

Considering that crayfish are unpretentious in food and omnivorous, feeding them will not bring large expenses.

Considering that crayfish are predominantly active at night, it is advisable to feed them late in the evening. In the morning, you should inspect the pond and remove food debris, as it will quickly contaminate the water and cause a lack of oxygen in it. It is optimal to purchase a special feeder for these purposes. When planning to breed crayfish at home for sale (video), remember that the payback rate of the entire project depends on the quality of the conditions of detention and care for them. Therefore, try to create the most comfortable conditions for them. As a rule, the monthly expenses for 300 pieces of arthropods will be approximately 3,500 rubles.

Attention! You can buy a fishery business plan from our partners for 990 rubles.

Final calculations

Of course, any idea must have a clear financial basis for trying to implement it. Therefore, here is a short business plan for breeding crayfish for you, including the contingent costs of organizing and running the business. The initial costs include the following items:

• preparation of tanks (3) - 90,000;
• equipment - 110,000;
• livestock (125 pcs.) - 33,000;
• transport and overhead costs - 17,000.

You can start a business when you have savings of 250,000 rublesand you also have a personal basement of 50 m2. Now let's consider the costs of two years of keeping individuals. They will look like this:

• food costs - 84,000;
• utilities - 156,000;
• minor expenses - 60,000.

Thus, the operation of the business for two years will cost about 300,000 rubles. We will find out how profitable the business will be.Each of the females you purchased (200 pcs.) Is capable of producing about 30 heads of offspring annually. So, in two years, you will be able to increase the volume to 9,000 individuals ready for sale. With the cost of a kilogram at 1,100 rubles, your revenue will be at the level of 990,000 rubles. The profit will be 690,000 rubles. and will allow you to recoup the entire project immediately after the implementation of the first third of the livestock.

As the approximate calculations of the business plan show, breeding crayfish for sale will be a profitable project.

As you can see, a project aimed at breeding crayfish, the business plan of which we reviewed above, is capable of generating considerable income. Of course, by investing your own funds for such a long period, you risk a little, but, on the other hand, during this time you will be able to establish supply channels and resolve all bureaucratic issues. So, experts estimate this activity quite highly from a financial point of view.

You can download a detailed business plan with calculations here.