Breeding crayfish indoors. Blue Cuban crayfish. Purchasing young specimens
The type of business in question is very relevant in modern world. This is because crayfish are in great demand, but their cultivation on a large scale is not developed. Competition in this business is minimal, if not completely absent.
When you start breeding crayfish, no matter how you do it, you become an entrepreneur. You need to register yourself. And only after registration you can move on to business.
Advantages of a crayfish farming business
A number of advantages of such a business can be listed:
- minimum initial investment. Compared to any other business, a crayfish breeding business will require you to make an initial investment ranging from 10 to 200 thousand rubles. Or maybe even less.
- good opportunity for implementation. Crayfish are quite a popular product. They are in demand not only in the market, but also in bars, restaurants, cafes, etc. There are simply many points of sale, like in no other business.
Reservoirs for breeding and equipment
Crayfish are bred in artificial and natural reservoirs.
In the natural environment, it is very difficult to control cancerous populations, but there will be no cost for special equipment, feed, drainage system, etc.
An artificial pond will cost more than a natural one. It will require a special drainage system, aerators, thermometers and other equipment.
Breeding in ponds
Let's start with the fact that a pond can be either natural or artificial. You can dig an artificially created pond yourself or use a ready-made one.
If you decide to dig a pond, you can use special equipment or dig by hand. After all, crayfish do not have to live in deep bodies of water.
There are several requirements for artificial reservoirs:
Another option is to rent a pond. It is necessary to rent a pond for a long period of time. When concluding a contract, it is better to specify the lease term for several years.
- Firstly, you will need to take care of protecting the pond. This must be done not only for a rented pond, but also for a self-dug one, if it is located outside your area. To do this, it will not be enough to simply put up a fence or fence off the area. Most likely, you will have to hire a watchman who will guard this area around the clock. Additionally, it is better to put up special signs stating that this area is private.
- Secondly, determine the quality of the water (its composition);
- Thirdly, examine the reservoir itself for vegetation and fish habitat. This point only applies to a rented pond that you know nothing about. At this stage, you need to determine whether there is enough food for your crayfish, and you may even have to get rid of some fish that can eat the crayfish.
Experts will help you with the last two points.
A pond dug on your own site will require virtually no investment. This is just the perfect option. You will not need any security, you will not depend on anyone.
Whatever method you choose, you will in any case need one or two more ponds for the young animals. Rather, these will be concrete pools. There is no way to keep young animals with adults. Young crustaceans can simply be eaten.
The reservoir with crayfish stock should be in the shade, since crayfish cannot tolerate heat.
There is no cost involved in raising livestock in a natural pond. You won’t have to spend money on equipment, furnishings, or food. The only thing you have to do is get rid of predatory fish.
Of course, a natural pond has many disadvantages:
- the growth of individuals slows down due to the presence of uncomfortable conditions in winter;
- eating small individuals;
- inconvenient catching;
- freezing in particularly frosty winters.
Breeding in aquariums
If you decide to breed crayfish in an aquarium, then, to begin with, it is better to purchase no more than 15-20 crayfish. And then, if everything works out, you can rent a special room where you can do real business.
Compared to breeding in reservoirs, aquarium breeding Cancers have a lot of advantages, for example:
Please note that any aquarium will not work here.
There are special requirements:
- volume from 250 liters.
- Ideally, the aquarium should have a wide bottom and low walls. This makes it convenient to clean the aquarium.
- the walls must be made of plastic.
Content requirements
Crayfish are very picky about their environment.
The following conditions must be strictly met:
- The water must be clean.
- The water temperature should be between 17-20 degrees. And during the development of the larvae it needs to be increased to 23 degrees. In winter, this figure cannot be lower than 7 degrees. If the temperature is too low or there are sharp changes, this will lead to the death of the crayfish.
- There is no way to do without aeration. There must be a constant flow of air into the artificial pond and aquarium, otherwise the crayfish will get sick and grow poorly. In an open reservoir, aeration occurs naturally.
Crayfish nutrition
IN natural conditions crayfish provide their own food. They feed on small snails, organic remains, carrion, insects, worms and others. IN artificial conditions The diet of crayfish includes mixed feed, fish, meat, potatoes, carrots, steamed grain, etc.
The crayfish are fed twice a day. This usually happens in the morning and evening at the same time. A cancer should eat food constituting 2% of its weight per day.
Reproduction
Reproduction occurs in certain period, falling in September, October. Males can fertilize up to two females in a row. 
The eggs will first be located under the female's shell, then they will be attached under her tail. In order for the embryos to develop correctly, the female must clean the eggs. This happens by washing with water. The larvae emerge from the eggs after 2 months, but for another 3 weeks the female hides them under her tail, protecting them from any dangers.
After this period, small crustaceans appear, which are completely independent. At home, a female will be able to raise about 50 crustaceans, when in natural conditions this figure does not even reach 20 individuals.
Shedding
As they grow, crayfish molt decreases in number of times per year. For example, young animals molt about 8 times a year, in the second year of life they molt 4-5 times, then less. An adult molts a maximum of 2 times a year.
During the molting period, the cancer becomes more vulnerable to its relatives, to birds and fish, because nothing protects it, since it sheds its shell.
Temperature
The most favorable temperature for crayfish is about 20 degrees, but not less than 17. For larvae, this figure should be above 20 degrees, about 22-23.
At lower temperatures, crayfish will eat less and, accordingly, grow worse. In winter they hibernate.
Aeration
An aerator must be located in an artificial pond and aquarium. It is an air compressor. If it is not installed, the water will simply stagnate, the crayfish will be sluggish and often sick. The aerator ensures good gas exchange in the reservoir. In a natural pond such equipment is not required.
Diseases
Plague
The most dangerous of all infections is the plague. The plague kills crayfish within a few days. They crawl closer to the shore, where they become paralyzed and their limbs fall off. Healthy crayfish can become infected by being together with sick people.
When eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, etc. If an infection is detected, then absolutely all individuals must be caught, the sick ones destroyed, the healthy ones sold. The reservoir will be treated with a special solution; it will be usable only after a few years.
Septocylindrosis
Dark spots on the body. At first the spot is green, then brown. On boiled crayfish, the affected areas are clearly visible. This disease quite often appears after crayfish molt. We need to fight it the same way we fight the plague.
Telohanis
Telochanisis is a disease that affects the muscles. They turn white, thicken, and carriers of the disease simply die. It is necessary to catch sick crayfish.
These are the most common and dangerous diseases crayfish
Types of crayfish for breeding
Usually used for breeding special types crayfish This could be the European type.
They, in turn, are divided into two types: 
- long-fingered. A rapidly reproducing species that does not require any special conditions content. In 1 year, one individual can bring about 30 crayfish. And if you do everything according to the rules and take good care of him, he gains weight very quickly.
- broad-fingered. This type of crayfish is listed in the Red Book. Therefore, to avoid any problems in your business, it is better not to separate them. Although they are the most valuable. But there are areas where fishing for such crayfish is not prohibited.
Lake and river crayfish can also be distinguished. Lakefish is a large crayfish, quite valuable. It can be successfully bred at home. Crayfish is a small specimen.
Expenses
To determine the amount of necessary costs, you need to decide on some factors:
- the method by which you will breed crayfish. There will be a significant difference between breeding in aquariums, artificial ponds or in reservoirs created by nature.
- what the product being grown will be used for. Will it be for sale, processing or crayfish are bred for breeding stock.
If we talk about breeding crayfish in an aquarium, then the cost of the necessary aquarium with all internal equipment, sand, algae, etc. is on average 50 thousand rubles . Although first of all you need to think about the premises. If a suitable one is not available, you will most likely have to rent one.
It will cost you monthly rent from 10 to 20 thousand rubles . You also need to remember about food for crayfish, which will cost about 2 thousand a month. You will also have to spend money on the crayfish themselves. For one aquarium you will need about 50 individuals. You will spend about 300-500 rubles. Or you can catch crayfish yourself and won’t have to spend money on them.
If you have chosen a natural reservoir for breeding crayfish, then you only need to purchase breeding stock and feed. Or maybe you want to install a guard or rent a pond, or dig a pond yourself.
And if we talk about an artificial reservoir, then if you dig it yourself, you will only spend on waterproofing, which will cost you about 1000 rubles. Purchasing crayfish – 500 rubles and food This is the most profitable option.
Overall, there are a lot of different possibilities here. Act based on your financial capabilities.
Implementation
There is practically no competition in this type of business. There are just a huge number of places to sell. You can sell your products simply by trading at the bazaar, or through networks of cafes and restaurants and other similar establishments. You can also open your own small kiosk.
Of course, this will require certain investments, but you will develop your own client base, from which there will be no end. And, for example, having agreed with some large restaurant, we can already talk about wholesale supplies.
Payback period
You can consider an artificial pond. So, to dig three reservoirs and equip them you will need a maximum of 50 thousand rubles. Let's assume that you purchased 500 crayfish. It will cost you 10 thousand rubles. Of the acquired stock, there will be about 350 females, each capable of breeding 40-50 crustaceans.
As a result, we get 15,500 crayfish, the total weight of which will be on average 4,000 kilograms. You can sell one kilogram of crayfish for 300 rubles. It turns out 1 million 200 thousand. If you consider that you spent only 60 thousand rubles on this business, then you get quite a good profit.
True, crayfish will grow to normal sizes only in 2 years, that is, this time there will be no profit at all. But it's worth it. Crayfish farming is a fairly profitable business.
Stanislav Matveev
Bestselling author " Phenomenal memory". Record holder of the Book of Records of Russia. Creator of the training center "Remember Everything". Owner of Internet portals in legal, business and fishing topics. Former owner of a franchise and an online store.
Crayfish were once the most affordable delicacy in the territory post-Soviet space. They can only live in clean water, and, unfortunately, every year the reservoirs where they live are becoming fewer and fewer. To eliminate the shortage of these delicious arthropods, crayfish breeding farms are being organized in some regions. They dig out over a large area artificial ponds, which are filled with the purest water and require constant monitoring of their condition. In this article we will look at a less labor-intensive and expensive method - breeding crayfish in an aquarium.
Features of the organization
At first, there is no need to officially register the business, since there is a high risk of an unsuccessful outcome. You will always have time to register an individual entrepreneur, but for now it’s better to start looking for a suitable room to house the “cancer farm” aquariums. Any heated industrial building with an area of about 100 square meters is suitable. meters. Naturally, this room must have reliable plumbing and proper electrical wiring.
If you live in rural areas, then aquariums can be placed directly on personal plot, digging them into the ground to about three-quarters of the height. The choice of aquariums themselves should be approached with maximum responsibility. They must meet the following requirements:
- The volume must be at least 250 liters.
- The material of manufacture is exclusively plastic. Metal and glass are too unreliable for a number of reasons.
- The height of the aquariums is no more than one meter, and the bottom should be as wide as possible.
Initially, you should purchase 5-10 aquariums to test the method of growing crayfish. Subsequently, the number of containers can be gradually increased, limited only by the size of the room/area. The optimal water temperature for breeding crayfish is from 17 to 21 degrees Celsius.
The aquarium “cancer farm” has a number of undeniable advantages in front of the pond. Let's list some of them:
- Simplified monitoring of crayfish condition.
- Economical feed consumption.
- Strict control of water purity and temperature, facilitating the comfortable development of young animals.
- There is no cold winter period, which allows you to get your first profit from the business six months earlier.
- If desired, you can “place” crayfish larvae in aquariums instead of adults, saving considerable money.
After installing the aquariums, it is necessary to purchase “biomaterial” - female and male crayfish. An important point: the number of females should be approximately twice the number of males. To get a ton of marketable crayfish, you need to purchase about 600 females and 300 males. You can feed arthropods with insects, larvae, fish and worms. A few days before catching crayfish for sale, you should add nettles and potatoes to their diet - this will improve the taste of the meat.
Financial issue
To organize an aquarium farm for breeding crayfish you will have to spend about 300,000 rubles, including the purchase of almost a thousand females and males. During one season, 600 females will produce approximately 3,500 offspring. Young crayfish need to be fattened to a weight of 300 grams. The total mass of the produced “products” will be about 1 ton.
Average market price A kilogram of crayfish is 200 rubles. Accordingly, when successful implementation all raised offspring can earn up to 200,000 rubles. Not super high numbers, but with due diligence and compliance with the rules of caring for crayfish, profits can be significantly increased.
Eventually
In the minds of the majority of citizens of our country, two concepts - “crayfish” and “beer” are practically inseparable from each other. In fact, crayfish meat is not only an ideal snack for beer, but also an extremely useful product. The original iteration of the famous Olivier salad used crayfish meat instead of boiled sausage. From all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself: the business of breeding crayfish in an aquarium is very promising. There will always be demand for products, both from organizations Catering, and from private customers. Good luck in business!
Crayfish farming is a great start-up that allows... minimum investment earn decent money for the whole family. The business has long been popularized in Turkey and the United States. In our country, crayfish farming as a business is not very developed, but it is worth considering as one of the options for starting your own business.
So, what is needed to breed crayfish:
- pond or special containers;
- productive crayfish individuals that can produce offspring;
- availability of special equipment to create a microclimate;
- food for crayfish;
- time.
Growing crayfish is a large-scale production; it can be organized in large or small volumes. Options for withdrawal even at home are being considered. The business is not too expensive in terms of money, but it requires careful use of resources and a scrupulous approach to cultivation, since a slight inattention can result in loss of investment.
Reservoirs for breeding crayfish.
The main place for breeding crayfish are reservoirs. They can be natural or artificial. It should be noted that regardless of whether the reservoir is artificial or natural, it must be insulated, since in severe frosts all crayfish can die. Reservoirs can be built based on financial capabilities:
- pool;
- aquarium;
- pond.
Pool
The most favorable option is a swimming pool, which winter periods it will be possible to cover, which will increase productivity by 2 times, since the crayfish will not hibernate. If you build up to 4 such pools, then from one breeding cycle you can get up to four hundred crayfish. To make a pool for crayfish with your own hands, you need to pave the bottom of the container with large crushed stone and pour clay.
Aquarium
For small production volumes, it is possible to make a regular aquarium for breeding crayfish. But you shouldn’t expect good returns from it, and there will be more problems with creating natural conditions: crayfish need pure water which will have to be cleaned regularly. When raising crayfish in an aquarium, problems with cannibalism may arise: smaller individuals must be kept in a separate container, since they will be eaten by larger crayfish. You need to know that expensive fish and squid cannot be added to aquariums containing crayfish.
Ponds
The most inexpensive way is to breed crayfish in your own ponds. It requires practically no investment, but the financial return will not be so high, since cold period year, the crayfish will hibernate, and accordingly, growth and reproduction will not occur as quickly as in individual reservoirs. Crayfish also grow well in marshy areas. If you have a small pond and an abundance of food around - grass and algae, crayfish can create their own habitat and create income for you without any investment at all, you just need to catch them and find a buyer for the product. It still makes sense to organize industrial breeding of crayfish in closed reservoirs, since it will create guarantees of stability of the microclimate and conditions for reproduction.
How to properly raise crayfish
When drawing up a business plan for breeding crayfish at home, you need to take into account the fact that you can grow the size you sell in a few years. After preparing the breeding container, crayfish are released into it. The water must be purified and of high quality, so it will need to be changed several times a month. To provide easy way When replacing water, it is necessary to provide a drainage and supply system in all containers. Water can be collected from a well or reservoirs with clean water- rec.
The water does not change completely; it is necessary to constantly add about 30% of the tank, which will update the balance of oxygen in the water and ensure the necessary balance minerals. It is imperative to read special literature on how to raise crayfish. You must know all the nuances of feeding, growing, and reproduction.
If a business plan is drawn up for breeding crayfish in an aquarium, it is necessary to take into account the actual offspring. If a female can produce up to 200 crustaceans per year, she will remain alive and grow to the right size only 15%. Many crustaceans will be eaten by their relatives, who will not disdain the young animals in the absence or insufficient quality of the feeding offered to them. To prevent anything like this from happening, all females must be placed in separate tanks, and as soon as the small crustaceans hatch, she must be removed and the offspring allowed to grow.
Young animals must be fed the same foods as adults. Typically, meat, dead fish, vegetables and bread are used. Of course, there are also special feed for crayfish, but in this case it will be necessary to plan for additional expenses in the crayfish breeding business plan.
The main thing you need to know is mandatory composition stern:
- fats;
- vegetables with big amount fiber;
- crude and digestible protein;
- minced fish and flour;
- calcium supplements.
Where can I get crayfish?
Growing crayfish as a business involves the constant purchase of female and male specimens. You can immediately purchase only females that will already be carrying eggs. If it is possible to take females from open reservoirs, then you will not have to buy them at all, you will just need to carefully collect them and transfer them to the breeding site.
There are companies that already have an established crayfish breeding business, and they offer individuals for sale.
Depending on the types of crayfish, there are different ways content.
Australian crayfish
It differs from the others in its claws, which are quite fleshy. This crayfish wants to live in a warm environment, so it will be easy to grow at home. It is also necessary to provide a pool in the aquarium and the ability to go to the surface. Crustaceans need to build as many holes as possible, because they need a separate place to eat and a separate place to sleep. After molting, the crayfish will need to hide in a hole, and the deeper it is, the better. Australian crayfish eat fish and algae. They also will not disdain bread or feed.
Blue Cuban crayfish
This crayfish can be grown in open reservoirs, since it is quite unpretentious. The main condition is to ensure a temperature of 26 degrees and constant bait. This cancer grows quickly, reaching the size required for sale in just six months. Breeding such crayfish in an aquarium is possible, but the bottom must be sandy and covered with hard plants. It is also necessary to provide good filtration and create many burrows.
Marble crayfish
This species is as fastidious as the Australian one. He needs to create 20-28 degrees, he must be fed constantly and plentifully. This cancer is quite large - it grows up to 15 cm in length. The elite breed is more expensive and profitable.
Far Eastern and European crayfish are bred in Russia; it is better to breed the latter type at home. They have their own 2 subspecies - broad-fingered and long-fingered crayfish. The first is more valuable due to the presence of a high-quality abdomen. This type can be bred in open areas throughout Russia. This species is not picky, it feels good in cold water with a temperature above 4 degrees, and in warm water- he will be comfortable up to 28 degrees.
Feeding crayfish
IN natural conditions crayfish feed on everything they find at the bottom of the reservoir. These can be fish remains, algae, insects, worms, small crustaceans and generally all organic debris. Since all crayfish are cannibals, it is necessary to ensure constant and proper feeding. Food must be thrown into the container where the crayfish are grown once for several days. The presence of algae will provide the diet essential minerals and elements, it is especially important that there is enough calcium in the food, since it is the main substance for the formation of the shell of crustaceans. The food is thrown into the feeding cages. It is desirable that the size be approximately 40 by 40 cm. If the water warms up above 7 degrees Celsius, it is necessary to add meat and earthworms to the food, in addition to vegetables. Too much food is also bad. If the water starts to bloom after being overfilled with food residues, it will be necessary to clean it. If the situation is not very critical, you need to add earthworms to the water; they can correct the situation.
Homemade food recipes for crayfish or shrimp
Food recipe No. 1. To formulate the food you will need the following components: frozen spinach, peas, chard, carrots, dried nettles and sea almond leaves, soy flour from the store healthy eating, trout feed (or pellets for aquarium fish), dried amaranth, calcium carbonate, chlorella and spirulina powders. All this should be crushed in a mixer until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Then the slurry is put into ordinary ice trays and placed in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Before feeding, break off the required amount of food, the single dose of which depends on the number of crayfish or shrimp. But you shouldn’t prepare dry mixtures: due to contact with atmospheric oxygen the nutritional value of such a mixture will steadily decrease over time.
Food recipe No. 2. Spinach leaves, carrot and cucumber rings, slightly poached in the microwave - this is a real delicacy for all decorative decapods. It can be used in daylight to lure even the most timid crayfish or shrimp out of their hiding places.
Food recipe No. 3. Spinach leaves, carrot, pumpkin and cucumber rings slightly poached in the microwave or scalded with boiling water, crushed fresh corn and green peas, boiled rice, oak, Jerusalem artichoke, almond leaves, banana pulp, dry vermicelli, calcified cottage cheese, bloodworms. For 0.5 liters of milk - 1 ampoule (10 ml) of calcium chloride - heat until curdled, let stand for 6-10 minutes, express through a couple of layers of gauze. The resulting mass can be frozen by spreading it thinly over polyethylene or foil. Suitable for both invertebrates and many fish.
Catching crayfish
As a rule, crayfish are introduced into growing containers in early spring. In mid-summer, you can observe that females are carrying eggs. After the young animals grow up and shed their shells a second time, they must be caught and moved to other tanks so that they do not freeze. New house for small crustaceans it should be warm. If you wait 2 years, the young animals will gain sufficient size and the income will be significantly higher. One-year-old crayfish should be caught and transplanted into special reservoirs in which they can increase their mass. The required weight of the crayfish, which is up to 500 g, is gained in approximately 2-3 years. By this age, cancer grows up to 10 cm in length - this is commercial goods, which is subject to further implementation.
How to remove crayfish correctly
Catching crayfish in ponds is done with special nets, fishing rods or crayfish.
They are usually caught until the end of autumn. The easiest time to catch crayfish is in the summer when the nights are warmer. The fastest way to catch crayfish is to drain the water, but you should only resort to it when the young are completely removed. Otherwise, he may die.
Difficulties of crayfish breeding
The most difficult thing you will have to face when breeding crayfish is monitoring the quality of the environment - water. Firstly, it must be saturated with oxygen. As mentioned above, for a sufficient amount of oxygen, it is necessary to fill in 30% water, this will saturate 1 liter with up to 5-6 mg of oxygen. Hydrogen needs 7-9 mg per 1 liter of water. Special devices make it possible to digitally measure the amount of these elements. The presence of minerals is no less important. There are also indicators that show how much calcium and silicon there are in the water. If these substances are not enough, the cancer shell will not harden. The main source of calcium is algae, which must be constantly added, since they are food for crayfish and will decrease as they eat. On the surface of the pond, it is necessary to ensure a water replacement rate of 50 liters per minute per 1 thousand m. sq.
If the pond is dirty, you risk losing all the individuals, since in such conditions various bacteria develop very quickly, leading to crayfish diseases. The most terrible of them are: plague, porcelain and rust disease. Firstly, they can be easily diagnosed because appearance the shell will be changed, and secondly, this will affect the fertility of individuals. Diagnosis must be made by a veterinarian. To avoid infection of new crayfish, they must be transplanted into a quarantine tank after catching.
Now, let's calculate the profitability and payback of crayfish farming.
Now that you have read such a volume of information about growing crayfish, let’s try to take a closer look at our business and calculate the revenue and, most importantly, the profit of this business. Let's try to take the matter seriously, since we plan to raise our crayfish in a RAS. RAS – closed water supply installations. Our RAS is a module in the form of 6 containers, their total volume is 1.5 m3. The dimensions of each container are 1.5 * 0.75, the height of the sides is 0.25 m, the bottom is 0.35 m. Electricity consumption is 81 W/hour.
By the way, lobsters can be grown in a RAS. To keep 100 kg of lobster, a volume of water in the RAS of 250 liters is sufficient. at a temperature of 5-10 degrees with a water circulation of 1000 l/hour.
The RAS is equipped with: a circulation pump, a UV lamp, a compressor with a battery, a water heater and instructions for assembly and operation. The cost of such an installation is 60,000 rubles. Delivery is not included in the price. You can do this installation yourself; many crayfish farmers do this. Below we will calculate how many of these installations we need to purchase and how much space will be needed.
Initial data
The Australian red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus or Red Claw crayfish) or ACCR, is a species of freshwater crayfish native to the rivers of north-west Queensland and the Northern Territory of Australia.
We plan to produce 5000 kilograms of ACCR per year or 417 kilograms per month. The period of growing crayfish for sale is 9 months, average weight– 80 grams. Then it turns out that for us to have the declared volume, we should have 5212 babies born per month. Let’s assume a mortality rate of 20% and get 6,255 cancers per month. The stages of caviar development are determined by its color:
Stage 1 - light cream 1-3 days at 28°C
Stage 2 - dark brown 12-14 days
Stage 3 - appearance of eye spots - 20-23 days
Stage 4 - orange-red - 28-35 days
5th stage - gathering of crustaceans - 35-40 days
Organizational plan for a crayfish breeding enterprise:
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1. Search for premises |
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2. Conclusion of a lease agreement |
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3. Conclusion of a contract for equipment |
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4. Room renovation |
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5. Equipment installation |
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6. Water preparation |
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7. Buying crayfish and throwing them into the water |
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8. The beginning of mating crayfish |
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9. The appearance of the first offspring and their growth |
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10. Start of selling crayfish |
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Now let's calculate how many females and males of crayfish we need to receive this amount of crayfish per month. The female gives birth to offspring once every ninety days, the average number of crustaceans is 200 pieces, or 800 crustaceans per year. Then it turns out that 6255 crayfish are born per month; we need 375 female crayfish for our business. Just in case, add another 20% - we get 450 pieces. For every three females there is one male or 150 male crayfish.
Thus, the number of crayfish can be about 6255 * 9 + 450 + 150 = 56895 pieces.
The planting density of “family crayfish” will be 20 pieces per 1 m2, the total density, taking into account young animals, is 50 pieces per 1 m2. Then we will need 56895/50 = 1140 m2 of bottom area in the RAS. The area of one of our RAS is 1.5*0.75*6=6.75 m2. It turns out that we need 169 installations. The total cost of 169 RAS will be 10,140,000 rubles, including delivery and installation of 10.5 million rubles. Other equipment – 500 thousand rubles.
The total investment is presented in the table below.
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Purchase of equipment |
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Room renovation |
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Buying crayfish |
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Organizational expenses |
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Total expenses |
The area of the tanks is 1141 m2, adding 25% for passages and additional areas for production, we get the required production area equal to 1426 m2.
The cost of renting a warm room in the suburbs will be 50 rubles/m2, excluding utility costs for electricity and water. The cost of repairs is 2 million rubles.
Business revenue for the planning period of 2 years amounted to:
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Proceeds from the sale of crayfish |
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Total revenue |
Permanent and variable costs for the same period are:
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Fixed expenses |
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Payroll taxes |
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Rent |
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Depreciation |
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Accountant services |
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Variable expenses |
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Food for crayfish |
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Communal expenses |
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Total costs |
According to our calculations, it turned out that to open a business and keep it afloat for the first and partly the second year, you will need 14,539 thousand rubles. The simple payback period for this business is about 11.5 years.
It's up to you to raise crayfish or not. Business is not easy, don’t believe anyone who says that in two years you will earn millions. To the madness of the brave...
Before delving into the root of the idea of “crayfish farming as a business” » you should consider all the pros and cons of growing them both in natural conditions and at home. This will allow you to navigate this matter more correctly.
How to start a crayfish farming business
The positive aspects are as follows:
The process of breeding crayfish is a type of business that requires minimal costs;
The business requires only start-up capital; in the future there will be no need to spend large sums;
There is no need to closely monitor the life processes of crayfish;
The sale of crayfish practically does not cause problems, since they use in great demand;
Crayfish farms can be marketed as "ecologically clean look business”, which is very popular nowadays;
Disadvantages of the cancer business:
This type of business has a very long start-up period; from the start of opening to the process of selling products it should take up to 3 years;
The payback period for the business is also long, up to 4 years;
As you can see, this type of business has fewer disadvantages than positive aspects, but they are apparently very significant. This factor frightens many people, but if you have a great desire and interest in crayfish, you can try, wait a few years, and then with the right approach you can make good money.
Breeding crayfish at home for sale as a business can bring stable income entrepreneur, since crayfish is a specific product and is in great demand. This business niche is practically free; few people are engaged in this type of business, so competition is minimal. It is not profitable for large enterprises to grow crayfish on a large scale, because it is almost impossible to sell a large batch of products later, because crayfish meat is an expensive product, and the payback period is very long.
There are several options for breeding crayfish. The most popular of them:
In open or closed reservoirs (artificial or natural);
In aquariums or swimming pools;
In the basements;
In closed water supply installations;
Breeding crayfish at home for sale, basic requirements.
For cancer business at home, closed water supply installations are most often used. To do this, you need a separate room that is well heated, with constant temperature air not lower than 15°C.
To populate crayfish you need:
Three large containers made of plastic or plexiglass. The bottom of the containers must be equipped as naturally as possible for its inhabitants - a layer of stone, sand and clay, of sufficient thickness so that the crayfish can make burrows for themselves as in natural conditions.
Water purification filters to provide the farm with clean water. Manual cleaning of pools is not recommended, as small crustaceans may die during this time.
Devices for catching and devices for transporting crayfish;
Oxygenator with oximeter;
Several containers are required primarily to ensure optimal reproduction of crustaceans. Large crayfish need to be placed in another container in time after the appearance of small crustaceans, otherwise they will eat them. Adults adapt faster to a new environment, but young animals may die.
Crustaceans are fed meat, porridge, vegetables, and there is also specialized food. Regular Products should be crushed before giving them to crayfish.
Usually blue crayfish are grown at home, since ordinary crayfish grow for a very long time before they acquire a marketable appearance. You can buy this type of crayfish at special fish farms.
The number of crayfish with which to start a farm depends on the size of the farm premises, the volume of containers and its quantity. The number of males and females should be in a ratio of 1:3. First, you should try to breed crayfish in small quantities, gain experience, and only after that try to expand the business. About 80 crayfish are placed in a 300-liter aquarium.
Growing crayfish in conditions close to natural
The second method of breeding crayfish is in an artificial or natural reservoir. This method can be used if there is a pond near your house or cottage. Breeding crayfish in a pond implies more natural conditions for keeping them.
What is needed for this method, what work should be done:
Lake, pond, natural or artificial, built independently or rented. First, the bottom must be cleaned and predatory fish removed;
The prepared reservoir must be divided into three parts - for crustaceans, for young individuals, and for pre-sale individuals. Fences should be made of durable mesh;
It is necessary to consider the supply of fresh and clean water to the reservoir, using pipes or a pump;
The natural density of planting individuals per 1 m2 should be observed as much as possible - about 5-7 pieces. It is recommended to first populate the pond with species of crayfish specially created for artificial keeping, and only then add simple river crayfish to them. It takes about 3 years before crayfish reach marketable weight, with favorable conditions content.
Breeding crayfish in artificial and natural reservoirs as a business process is lengthy, so the crayfish themselves are not cheap. It is best to start brood with females of the best breeds of crustaceans. The most best breeds crayfish that can be used for brood are:
“Red Swamp” is characterized by its small size, but good adaptability to all regions of their breeding. Does not require maintenance, the minimum water level in the pool with crayfish should be 15 cm;
The Cuban Blue, a breed artificially bred by breeders, grows rapidly within one year. Habitat: sandy ponds with hard water, easy to care for;
"European Longfingered", a prolific and fast-growing breed of crayfish, both in artificial and natural conditions;
“Australian”, this breed of crayfish is bought for restaurants, is in great demand, but is very demanding in care, it requires warm keeping and a large number of water (20 liters) of water per crayfish, grows well in pools;
“Marble”, a unisexual breed of crayfish, a large individual, is kept in warm water with a temperature of up to 28 Cº.
Buy the right breed You can buy crayfish for brood in fish farms; the cost of a female per piece is about $8. If you order in advance, you can purchase a ready-made herd of 500 individuals at a lower price of up to $5 per 1 piece. The most expensive female of the elite breed can cost up to $100 apiece. You can not buy crayfish, but catch them yourself in a river or lake, but then you need to wait up to 4 years for them to grow.
Before you start breeding crayfish, you should carefully study the features of their life activity - the necessary parameters of habitat, growth and reproduction.
Crustaceans prefer reservoirs with a dense sandy or clay bottom with the presence of limestone. Under natural conditions, crayfish hide from predators in snags, tree roots, fallen trees, stumps, and stones. In artificial reservoirs it is also worth organizing such conditions for them.
Crayfish show sensitivity to different water quality, because they are also called indicators of water purity. Crayfish will not optimally reproduce and live in water bodies that contain industrial waste, chemical pollution, as well as a silted and littered bottom. Water for crayfish should contain a sufficient amount of oxygen - 5-7 mg/l, hydrogen - 7-9 mg/l. The temperature in the reservoir where crayfish live should be 18-22 Cº. Young individuals require more heat - the optimal water temperature for them is up to 24 Cº.
Crayfish mate every year, but the periods are different in each region. Most often this is from February to March or from October to November. One male can fertilize up to 3 females. The female lays up to 500 eggs, but not all survive. In general, one female is capable of producing offspring of up to 30 crustaceans.
Crayfish have a varied diet– plant and animal foods, such as worms, small fish, mosquito larvae, algae. As a rule, crayfish do not hunt, but take what lies nearby; they grab the prey with their claws and tear it off piece by piece. Cancer is able to eat up to 2% of its weight in food. You can buy specialized food for crustaceans, or you can feed them porridge.
Threats to the life of crayfish living in natural habitats include predatory fish, muskrats, birds, and otters. Most dangerous period for crayfish, this is the period of their molting, when they are without a shell. It is during this period that crayfish hide as deep as possible in snags and holes, and come out of the shelter only to eat. The molting period is obligatory for crayfish - this is how they grow. If there is a shortage of food in the habitat of crayfish, they begin to eat each other, survival of the fittest. If crayfish live in natural conditions, they do not hibernate in winter. They simply become less mobile, burrow deeper into the bottom of the reservoir and continue to feed as usual.
In artificial favorable living conditions, when there are no predators nearby, there is always food, warmth, clean water - the crayfish reaches its marketable weight in three years. This is why not many businessmen want to wait that long to establish a business. Of course, in nature there are breeds of crayfish, described above, that grow quickly and are capable of gaining required weight, and you can also buy one-year-old crayfish for brood. Therefore, if you have a strong desire, you can try to implement this business idea.
The idea of growing crayfish may come to mind various reasons. This is both a desire to earn money and simply to eat tasty organic food. pure product. The meat of these arthropods is not only a delicacy, but also a healthy product. It contains a minimum of calories and a maximum necessary for the body elements: sulfur, calcium, vitamins E and group B. Crayfish can be bred in ponds (natural or artificial) or in aquariums.
In order for crayfish to take root and reproduce well, the reservoir must be from 1.5 m to 3 m deep. Its bottom is sandy or rocky. There must also be conditions for animals to dig holes. Optimal quantity ponds - at least three with an area of at least 30 m2. Two of them are intended for fattening, and one for raising fingerlings. Pool insulation provides accelerated growth crayfish, because at subzero temperatures crustaceans hibernate or even die. No less important is the indicator of water purity and acidity. To do this, the water must be running and the pH must range between 6.5 and 8.0. This can be ensured by a drainage system and pumps. Change the water every 2-3 weeks, but no more than 30%, so as not to disturb the natural microclimate. Buy breeding stock from specialized commercial enterprises. The pond is populated with adults with eggs at night, being careful not to damage the offspring during transportation. You can also release the fry, but no later than the second half of August, so that they have time to acclimatize. For each male there should be two or three females, which he will subsequently fertilize. The planting density is small - six to eight pieces per 1 m2.
As you can see, growing crayfish in open reservoirs is a less expensive activity, but animals grow slower than in aquariums, because no one has canceled seasonality (at least in central Russia). Plus, this business requires considerable investment, the payback period of which is 3-4 years.
