Breeding crayfish at home: how to grow them yourself. Brief business plan for growing crayfish Artificial crayfish

If you want to start a promising business that does not require large material and time costs, and also has almost no competition in the market, then crayfish farming as a business is exactly what you need!

However, here you need to think about access to a reservoir, equipping it for keeping crayfish, purchasing the crayfish themselves, food for them and further marketing of products. In addition to all this, it is necessary to study the experience and recommendations of already experienced “crayfish experts” in order to reduce the number of errors by own experience. You should be patient, crayfish do not grow at lightning speed, the return on investment is approximately 2-3 years. So the business plan for growing crayfish is quite long-term.

We are studying the crayfish sales market in Russia, which potentially has no restrictions yet, although the developed consumption of crayfish in our country also does not have any restrictions. Therefore, there is no particular competition in this type of business yet. It is necessary to show entrepreneurial initiative and establish mutually beneficial business contacts with beer bars, cafes, restaurants, outlets fast food and other similar establishments in your city. Over time, these retail establishments will order a supply of gourmet crayfish from you in advance. You should not ignore this way of selling crayfish, such as selling crayfish on the market; for this you can hire a seller or stand behind the counter yourself. To sell crayfish, you must obtain a veterinary certificate. You can arrange delivery of goods yourself in small quantities. To encourage buyer interest when purchasing large quantities of crayfish, provide promotions and discounts.

Which cancer to choose and where to get it? To begin with, you can catch crayfish living in natural conditions. Lake crayfish gain weight and grow better than river crayfish. Sales of both young animals and grown-up crayfish are carried out by various specialized farms, where you can also get recommendations for care. It is usually recommended to breed long-toed and broad-toed crayfish, which grow quickly and are unpretentious in maintenance. Blue crayfish grow quickly and are prized. It is better to release crayfish into reservoirs and start a crayfish business in the month of May, but for this it is necessary to equip the reservoirs themselves.

Let's start equipping reservoirs

The most favorable for crayfish are shallow reservoirs with a rocky or sandy bottom. Crayfish have one bad feature - they can eat their own kind, i.e. larger crayfish can destroy young animals. To do this, it is necessary to prepare several reservoirs; as practice shows, three reservoirs will be optimal. In the first there will be young animals, in the second reservoir there will be crayfish over a year old and in the third there are already adult individuals that have reached the required weight.

The area of ​​the reservoirs should be approximately 30-50 sq.m. with a depth of 1.5-2 m. A suitable plan for the construction of reservoirs can be found on the Internet. The depth of the pond is not as important for crayfish as the presence of a dense, clay or sandy bottom. At the bottom of reservoirs it is necessary to place driftwood, roots, and hollow stones in which crayfish could hide. You can use plastic pipes for these purposes, but under no circumstances metal ones. River plants can be planted along the edges of reservoirs, bringing the conditions of the reservoirs as close to natural as possible.

The water in reservoirs must be running, but it is possible to breed crayfish in ponds with a source. In this case, it will be necessary to lay a channel from the source to the pond. Water from a well is also suitable for this purpose, if there is one on your site. In any case, at the inlet and outlet of water, it is necessary to make several barriers from boards with small holes, which are protected with mesh so that the crayfish cannot escape from the reservoir. It is advisable to install compressors or pumps deep into reservoirs to purify water. You should think about keeping crayfish in winter. To prevent the water from freezing, you need to take care of slightly heating the water. The ideal temperature for growing crayfish is not lower than 15 degrees. At this temperature, crayfish do not hibernate and grow much faster.

Crayfish should be fed following a specific plan in the following sequence, alternating black bread, chopped fresh fish, boiled potatoes, young green nettles, corn porridge. The advantage in feeding should be food of animal origin. It is useful to feed earthworms; they do not pollute the water. Crayfish are fed once every few days, setting norms and feeding times based on individual specific circumstances. There should be enough food so that the crayfish do not lose their claws in a fight for food, and, accordingly, their presentation, but not too much, so that the water in the reservoirs does not bloom and is not polluted. The volume of feed given should be normalized based on the calculation that one crayfish requires feed in the amount of 2% of its weight per day own body. During the molting of crayfish, it is necessary to add algae to the diet to harden the shells.

Crayfish- valuable invertebrates that are in constant demand due to their excellent taste and high biological value of meat. They belong to the order of decapod crustaceans, in which the three anterior thoracic segments are fused with the head, forming the cephalothorax. Five pairs of thoracic legs are used for movement, hence the detachment got its name. The head and chest are covered with a shell called the carapace. The three anterior pairs of thoracic limbs are transformed into jaws, with which crayfish capture food particles and transfer them to the mouth. Females carry eggs attached to the abdominal limbs. The gills are completely covered by the carapace and are not visible from the outside. The eyes are located on stalks, thanks to which they can turn in all directions, providing a wide horizon. However, crayfish can only see closely located objects at a distance of no more than two meters. Therefore, I write, crayfish find shelters and sexual partners using the organs of smell and touch.

The color of the crayfish matches the color of the bottom of the reservoir in which they live, most often gray-green or brown. Crayfish dig holes at the bottom and slopes of the banks of reservoirs, in which they spend the daytime and also spend the winter. As crayfish grow, they shed their old shell. This process is called molting. At first, shedding occurs frequently, then less and less often. After molting, the cancer for some time, until the new shell hardens, becomes completely defenseless and cannot feed. Crayfish live up to 20 years. Growing fish, ducks and crayfish in ponds in polyculture has been known for a long time.

In European countries, broad-clawed and long-clawed crayfish are grown in Germany and France. Signal crayfish imported from the USA are also bred in Sweden and Finland. It is called signal because it has white spots on its claws, bordered by a blue stripe. In Russia, the most common crayfish is the long-fingered crayfish. Crayfish are omnivores, in most cases they are not competitors to fish, and often bring benefits, being orderlies of reservoirs, eating the remains of dead animals. Crayfish grow quite quickly. In the first year in carp ponds, in 2.5 - 3.5 months after 8 - 9 molts, fingerlings reach a length of 7 - 8 cm and a weight of 10 - 15 g, two-year-olds - also after 8 - 9 molts - reach a length of about 12 cm and a weight of 70 d. When grown together with two-year-old carp, we received from 2 to 10 quintals of two-year-old crayfish per 1 hectare of pond area. The planting density of yearling crayfish is up to 5 specimens per 1 m². In the southern regions, it is promising to grow long-clawed crayfish in ponds together with carp and herbivorous fish: white carp, bighead carp and grass carp. It has been established that crayfish feed on the excrement of herbivorous fish.

In non-draining reservoirs it is possible to create a self-reproducing herd of crustaceans. To do this, it is infused with captured egg-bearing females, sexually mature males or juvenile crayfish. It is most preferable to introduce underyearlings at the rate of 4 specimens/m² of crustacean useful area, i.e. areas where they can dig burrows. On next year re-introduction of the same number of fingerlings is carried out. Considering that in central Russia crayfish become sexually mature at the age of 3 - 4 years, one can expect the appearance of a full-fledged self-reproducing herd in about 4 - 5 years. From this moment you can start catching them, but not more than 20% of adult crayfish per year, so as not to disrupt the existing structure of the herd.

Catching can be done using shell traps baited with pieces of fish or meat. Catching with cast nets is effective. In drainage ponds, young crayfish can be introduced in the fall at a rate of 4 specimens/m² and caught two years later, when they reach a weight of 40 - 45 g and a length of about 10 cm. In specialized elongated crayfish ponds, you can get about 4 centners per hectare. If it is not possible to purchase juvenile crayfish, it is possible to organize its production in small ponds with an area of ​​0.1 hectares, having a depth of 1.0 - 1.5 m. The planting density of producers ranges from 1 to 5 specimens/m². To obtain 100 fingerlings, you need to have 1 egg-bearing female. Therefore, the number of sexually mature males and females should be quite large.

In ponds, crayfish producers need to be fed (slaughterhouse waste, kitchen waste, low-value fish, etc.). The food is placed on feeding tables. Best time feeding - before sunset. Larvae at the first stage of development are fed with small zooplankton; at subsequent stages - artificial food, for example, starting carp or trout feed, chopped fish, meat, slaughterhouse waste. Adequate nutrition reduces the mortality of juveniles, since the larvae exhibit cannibalism after the second molt. After five molts, i.e. by the end of August, the juveniles reach a length of 2 - 2.5 cm, by which time their food range expands. They begin to consume plant foods.

Typical feeding areas of the reservoir are coastal shallow water (up to the water's edge), places overgrown with aquatic vegetation, especially elodea, urutya, chara, hornwort, as well as deeper areas overgrown with water lily, egg capsule, and pondweed. The success of growing crayfish largely depends on the conditions of detention, the chemical composition of the water and the characteristics of the soil of the reservoir.

Crayfish prefer to live on pebble-sandy, clay-sandy soils with a small admixture of non-rotting organic silt. Crayfish grow most intensively at water temperatures of 18 - 22 °C. They prefer water of low (3 - 4 mg eq/l) and medium (4 - 8 mg eq/l) hardness with slightly alkaline pH values ​​(7.2 - 8.8). The critical pH value of water for crayfish is 4.6. The content of sulfate and chloride ions should not exceed 10 mg/l, and total iron - 0.3 mg/l.

The content of nitrogenous substances has a significant influence on the condition of crayfish. Thus, the ammonium content should not exceed 1.0 mg/l, nitrates - 0.7 mg/l, nitrites - thousandths of mg/l, albuminoid nitrogen - 2.0 mg/l.

The growth of crayfish, especially juveniles, is affected by water exchange. A comfortable zone for them is areas of a reservoir with weak water flow. The permanganate oxidation of water should range from 7.5 to 15.0 mg 02/l.

The results of growing crayfish depend on the quality of the purchased fry and their successful delivery to the place of detention. If it is not possible to reproduce planting material locally, then it is necessary to purchase it from safe infectious diseases farms. Transport crayfish better at night or during cooler times of the day. Before shipping, they are washed in clean water and temporarily kept in flow-through containers. The simplest and accessible method for transportation of adult crayfish is transportation in regular boxes and medium-sized boxes (60x40x30 cm). Crayfish are placed in them in 3-5 rows with their backs up, interlacing the rows with damp cushioning material (grass, moss, gauze, shavings). It is advisable to reduce the temperature in the transported container during transportation. For these purposes, you can use finely crushed pieces of ice.

When transporting fry weighing 200 - 300 mg, the density of stocking in boxes should not exceed 20 pieces. per 1 dm². The number of layers (rows) is the same as when transporting adults. The total number of crustaceans per box I (60×40×30 cm) will be 2 thousand pieces. For transportation of smaller juveniles, double-walled plastic bags with a capacity of 40 - 60 liters are widely used. Fills 1.3 bags pure water, then up to 1000 crustaceans are loaded into it, and the remaining volume is filled with air or oxygen. This method of transportation, especially using oxygen, allows crayfish to be transported without waste within 24 hours. It is best to introduce young of the year in the second half of August. During this period, the crustaceans have enough time to settle in the reservoir before wintering begins. The density of stocking of a reservoir with fingerlings corresponds to 4 - 6 pcs./m² and depends on its feeding capacity.

The successful outcome of the introduction of crayfish depends on the species in whose habitat the reservoir is located. The broad-clawed crayfish adapts well to clean water bodies with reduced trophicity (presence of plant and animal food), high water transparency and rocky and pebble soil. The long-fingered crayfish is less demanding on the oxygen regime. It grows well and reaches large sizes in warmer water bodies with increased trophicity.

An unfavorable factor when growing crayfish is the presence of predatory and benthos-eating fish in the reservoir - pike, catfish, burbot, black buffalo. The safety of crayfish during the growing period is influenced by a combination of factors. This external conditions habitat, the internal state of the body, the ecological cleanliness of the reservoir and, of course, diseases, mainly infectious.

Most dangerous disease is the plague. It causes an acute outbreak of the disease with mass death of all ages of crayfish. The disease occurs with the destruction of the shell, walking legs and impairment nervous system. The behavior of crayfish with plague is as follows: crayfish leave their homes (burrows) and walk along the bottom of the reservoir on straight legs, often falling on their sides and turning over on their backs. The outcome is usually fatal. To prevent an outbreak of plague, prevention is carried out - disinfection of fishing gear with a 3% solution of copper sulfate for 5 - 10 minutes. Such farms or reservoirs are subject to quarantine for 5 years. Rusty spot disease causes great damage to crayfish farming. It appears as black-brown spots on the shell. With this disease, there is a massive death of crayfish. Effective measures to combat these diseases have not been developed. To prevent the spread of diseases to new bodies of water, sick and dead individuals are disposed of and quarantine is established. Breeding crayfish is a profitable business on fur farms and broiler farms where there are ponds nearby. In these farms, crayfish will serve as orderlies.

Of course, everyone has heard about crayfish living in rivers around the world, in Russia and Germany and other countries. Moreover, everyone knows not only what an ordinary live crayfish looks like, but they have also eaten it. But not many people know that crayfish are different in all countries. This is due to the conditions of their existence and what they have to eat.

Our crayfish that live in the waters of the Don, Volga or Dnieper, even the largest ones, are considered relatively small, but the largest crayfish are the inhabitants of the rivers of Tasmania. It’s hard to imagine, but some of the largest individuals weigh more than 5 kilograms, and they grow up to 0.8 m in length! See what this breed of cancer looks like in the photo.

But, unfortunately, such individuals are now rare even in those parts. This happens due to the fact that their living conditions have deteriorated significantly. But the existing individuals are quite huge by our standards; you will never find specimens weighing about two kilograms in the rivers of the Don, Volga, Dnieper or abroad in France or Germany.

The crayfish that live in our rivers are typical representatives of crustaceans. They are very demanding on water quality, so they can be a kind of living indicator of the cleanliness of a reservoir. Simply put, if there are crayfish in a river, stream, lake or headquarters, then you can swim and fish in such a place.

The basis of the diet of crayfish is vegetation, not only living plants, but even fallen leaves. They eagerly eat dead fish, and if they are lucky, even live ones.

Active at night, they prefer to spend daylight hours hiding in burrows (which they can dig on their own) or in other shelters.

They search for food mainly by smell; their corresponding organs of touch are well developed. They can find the corpses of fish or other living creatures at a fairly large distance.

General information

During the Jurassic period (about 130 million years ago), many animals appeared on Earth, including crayfish, which subsequently quickly populated bodies of water throughout the globe. They feel most comfortable in reservoirs that are at least three meters deep with ten-meter depressions. Best Temperature water in summer time about twenty degrees.

River crayfish is not an entirely accurate name, since they live not only in rivers, but also in other bodies of water with fresh water hence a more accurate name suggests itself - freshwater crayfish.

Habitat

Crayfish, as we have already said, are very demanding of their habitat. The first condition is that the water should not be salty, otherwise their reproduction becomes impossible due to a number of circumstances.

For these crustaceans great importance has sufficient oxygen content in water, at least 5 mg/liter. Acidity is also important, which should not be too high. The water must be clean. Crayfish can live in almost any body of fresh water, but their favorite habitat is rivers.

The bottom in the habitat of the crayfish must be hard and silt-free; only under these circumstances can they organize the necessary shelter for themselves.

A rocky bottom may also be suitable, since they can calmly settle under stones, without even digging holes, which they prefer to do near coastal holes or on coastal slopes. As a rule, at the boundary between a hard and soft bottom. Smart crayfish try to make the passage into the hole as long as possible, often about a meter or more, and the hole itself can be located under a fallen tree, tree rhizomes or under stones.

Crayfish burrows are never large and are dug based on the size of the crayfish itself, which makes it much easier for them to protect themselves from attacks by their larger counterparts.

It is quite difficult to pull Cancer out of its shelter; it clings very tightly to its walls with its claws. You can determine that there is crayfish in the hole by looking at the fresh soil near the entrance.

Crayfish live at depths from 50 cm to 3 meters. Best places For burrows, as a rule, large males take over, the worst ones go to small males and females. Young individuals usually try to stick to shallow water, often close to the shore, under pebbles, leaves and twigs.

As everyone knows, crayfish are inveterate hermits and everyone has some kind of shelter, which he has to protect, first of all, from his own relatives. During the day, crayfish hide in shelters, closing the entrance to them with their claws. In case of any threat, they quickly retreat deeper into the hole.

To search for food, crayfish go out at dusk, and if the sky is cloudy, they can go out earlier. Typically, crayfish move in the water at night with their claws extended forward. In case of danger, it swims back very quickly, striking strongly with its tail.

It is generally accepted that crayfish stick to one place. But this is a mistaken opinion. An experiment was carried out and marked individuals ended up in gear one hundred or even two hundred meters from the place where they were released. This suggests that these are quite mobile intelligent creatures.

Crayfish breeds

The success of the crayfish farming business, especially in initial stage will depend on the competent selection of the breed of females because each has its own characteristics. The most interesting of which are:

Various crayfish and for breeding the right breed can be purchased at special farms. They are usually sold by weight, but in some cases individually. The price for one female can range from 5 to 100 dollars, depending on the breed. $5 per female.

Video “Crayfish Behavior”

This video shows different breeds crayfish that are bred in home aquariums. Look how these smart creatures behave.

For breeding, crayfish are sometimes caught in local reservoirs, but in this case they have to wait a long time for puberty.

Sizes of crayfish and how long they grow

The speed at which crayfish grow depends on the temperature and composition of the water, as well as on the food and the number of individuals per 1 square meter. reservoir The growth rate in different bodies of water may be different. However, even in the same body of water, growth rates may differ. In this case, much depends not only on water and feeding, but on the age of the crayfish. In the 1st and 2nd summers of life, females and males grow almost equally. However, already from the end of the 3rd summer, males are larger than females. Experiments were carried out in southern Finland and the following facts were established. The length of the crayfish by the end of the 1st summer reached 1.4-2.2 cm, by the end of the 2nd from 2.5 to 4 centimeters and by the end of the 3rd from 4.5 to 6 centimeters. It is worth knowing that according to the regulations in Finland, Germany, Russia and other countries, the minimum size allowed for catching must be at least 10 centimeters, i.e. males are six to seven years old, females are one to eight years old. Under favorable conditions (suitable temperature, sufficient amount of food) they can grow to the permitted 10 centimeters several years earlier, and in unfavorable conditions, a year or two later.

The world of crayfish is quite interesting and has attracted the attention of scientists in past centuries.

The question is often asked, to what size crayfish can grow, i.e. how many centimeters is the maximum length of their body? Here it is appropriate to go back a hundred years and turn to the research of the German fish farming advisor Brofeldt, according to which the following facts are presented. For example, in the town of Kangasala it was not uncommon to see individuals longer than 16 centimeters, but after a few years they began to be found much less frequently. It is also known that specimens of twelve to thirteen centimeters caught in the last century were considered average. Such facts may make us distrustful, but crayfish do not have to be large.

In the fifties of the last century, the Seura magazine organized competitions to see who could catch the most large cancer. The winner was the participant who was able to catch the crayfish, the body length of which was 17.5 centimeters, and if measured to the end of the claw - 28.3 centimeters, the weight of the champion was 165 grams. Some other facts regarding the winner are also given. First, he only had one claw and second, it was a female!

The next largest male was 16.5 centimeters long, but the length of his claws was 29.9 centimeters and his weight was 225 grams.

There are also other evidence of caught crayfish, the length of which exceeded 17 centimeters. But this is very rare. It should be noted that, according to the data of the Estonian researcher Jarvekulgin, males are more than sixteen centimeters and weighing 150 grams, and females are more than twelve weighing about eighty grams - a rarity. Undoubtedly, the female caught in Finland can be classified as a giant.

The question about the age of crayfish or how long crayfish live is difficult to answer because... exact method there is no determination of their age. The lifespan of some crayfish has to be determined by comparing age categories or categories of crayfish of similar length. As a result, it is impossible to determine with great accuracy the age of individual large specimens. However, there is evidence that some individuals lived to the age of twenty years or even more.

Perhaps in the future a method will be discovered and we will accurately determine how many years a particular cancer has lived.

Crayfish in Germany

The successful breeding of crayfish in Lake Rottach-speicher (Germany), the water surface of which is about 300 hectares, is indicative. It is worth noting that it was filled only in 1990, when, together with various types the fish released 10 thousand crayfish fingerlings. The entrepreneur who rented this lake began to harvest a large harvest of large males within two years and now has a solid business with volumes of about 50 tons. Some of the individuals that were released in 1990 were caught only ten years later, some weighing up to 250 grams.

It was in Germany that significant success was achieved in the field of crayfish breeding. The beginning was made in 1985 at one of the Bavarian enterprises specializing in crayfish breeding. A special installation with a closed water supply was created and successfully used. Its capabilities are not limited to the hatching of crayfish; it is successfully used for breeding young of the year. This installation allows hatching more than 150 thousand fry and 35 thousand fingerlings during the year. And even though crayfish eggs are fertilized at this enterprise in a natural way, artificial insemination is also used in other German enterprises.

IN in this regard Great success was achieved by specialists from one of the companies in Eversee. Initially, they borrowed the experience of Finnish crayfish farmers in the field artificial insemination. Subsequently, a special installation was created to fertilize the eggs. It works according to the following scheme. The eggs of the females are scraped off and placed in baskets, in which they are continuously washed with water, simulating the process of natural fertilization under the female’s tail. This made it possible to almost double the fertilization rate of eggs compared to natural ones. It was also noticed that the larvae obtained in this way are more resilient than after hatching in females.

Almost all crayfish farmers in Germany are united in a union promoting the protection of crayfish in Europe. The Union often holds various forums and conferences to discuss important issues and crayfish farmers exchange experiences. In 2007, the 3rd forum dedicated to the protection of crayfish was held in Austria and a special booklet was published, in which not only the most interesting materials, but also important and useful recommendations on shellfish farming.

Why are there few crayfish in our country?

To answer this question, you need to know that live crayfish are a natural indicator of the pollution of a reservoir. Crayfish often die from discharges that can only be detected in laboratory conditions. There are many false versions that have no basis, since in this case not only crayfish, but also fish, and in some cases people, would die. In order to determine why living crayfish die, you first need to know where exactly this happened. For example, it was the Don, Seversky Donets or another river and what enterprises were located there. Consistently in this way you can establish the source.

However, crayfish can die not only from chemical pollution. For example, ships are sailing along the Don, which could well have introduced microorganisms that caused the death of crayfish. There are many factors that can lead to the death of crayfish. It is also very bad that restoration of the population requires at least 5 years under favorable conditions. We already had a similar precedent in the nineties. At that time, crayfish in the Don River almost completely disappeared and then appeared only ten years later. Recent years the situation on the Don is more or less stable.

This video shows how blue and common crayfish that live in the waters of the Don or another river can be successfully grown in a small farm.

There are a lot of business ideas. One of the most profitable and cost-effective is crayfish farming. The product is always extremely popular and in great demand. Therefore, there should be no problems with its sale. The main thing here is to find sales channels, register as an individual entrepreneur, organize the growing process, and, of course, have initial capital. Let's take a closer look at the crayfish farming business plan.

Peculiarities

The main areas of this business can be identified as follows:

• growing arthropods in rented pools or reservoirs with their further sale;
• organizing your own farm (creating an artificial pond);
• breeding at home in aquarium containers.

Undoubtedly, the most expensive project is the improvement of your own reservoir. Financially secure people can do this. For everyone else, we offer crayfish breeding at home at minimal cost.

Introductory part

So, you have seriously and for a long time decided to grow this delicate delicacy and get good profit. Before you start turning your idea into reality, you should open an LLC or individual entrepreneur, choosing the OKVED code 01.21 (for raising pets).

If you are planning to study retail trade(sell to wholesale resellers), then you need to select 52.23.

Next, clearly write out a business plan for breeding crayfish, in which every little detail should be included and an estimate should be calculated. Growing arthropods at home is carried out in a large aquarium. You will also need a compressor and a pump to purify the water. Be sure to purchase stones and sand, as crayfish love to make burrows.

Make sure that the aquarium is in a well-heated room. Think about pet food, too. They feed on a variety of porridge, worms and fish, more on that later. Before breeding crayfish at home, we recommend reading information about these inhabitants. Please note that arthropods periodically shed their shells and appear “dead” and refuse food. There's no need to worry about this. Finally, think about marketing your product.

Which crayfish to choose?

River and lake crayfish are grown in captivity. Let’s immediately make a reservation that river arthropods love warm climates - this should be taken into account. If your region is not Sochi, then we recommend breeding a lake “pet”. It is also called “blue”, it quickly reaches commercial size and has good taste.

When growing them, you need to prepare females on legs with live eggs. For example, to breed a ton of crayfish, you will need at least 500 females, which are caught in ordinary reservoirs. Males live in separate containers and only in the fall they are placed with females (there is 1 male for every 2 females). As a result, you can get up to 100-150 larvae from one female.

How to organize a pond?

When drawing up a business plan for breeding crayfish, be sure to include conditions that imitate natural bodies of water. To do this, it is not necessary to dig deep holes and fill them with water; you can grow them in large containers. If you have a plot of land, then you can easily organize a pond on it, only with a roof and heating, so that the crayfish do not die in cold weather. Of course, this is very labor-intensive, so we’ll focus on an aquarium.

We purchase miracle “farms” for breeding crayfish - three large containers. Harmless containers made of plastic or plexiglass are quite suitable for these purposes. And the larger the volume of your artificial reservoirs, the better. So, in a 250-liter aquarium you can plant 50 crayfish at a time.

Let us say right away that it will not be possible to install them for decades, since they deteriorate every four years. At first glance it will seem that no problems will arise, but this is only a misleading impression. Be prepared for anything. At least for the first few years, try to install the pond permanently.

Why do you need three containers?

Adult individuals quickly adapt to new conditions, unlike newly born ones, which is why they need to be removed. Immediately after the appearance of a new batch of arthropods, transplant the adult from the young. You should not change the water for two days, since in an artificial reservoir there are favorable conditions for development and growth. A crayfish farm at home can bring great profits, and at minimal cost.

This business will require considerable patience from you at first. You will have to create for them yourself optimal conditions for growth: clean, feed and monitor the water temperature. As mentioned above, crayfish are unpretentious to the conditions, reproduce quickly and feed on everything. Know that your pets should always be full; it is better to overfeed them than to underfeed them.

Carefully monitor the cleanliness of the reservoir; special filters will help with this. Don't forget to purchase equipment to catch them. Now let's talk about what to feed cancer at home. For your “dear” pets, you can buy bloodworms, earthworms, shrimp, scallops, beef heart, bread and seaweed (you can replace them with lettuce and spinach). In this case, food can be dried, fresh or frozen. Feed should be given three times a day.

We sell goods

A business plan for breeding crayfish at home is not as complicated as it seems. We all understand perfectly well that in order for a product to generate real income, it must be sold.

But how to do this without dating? To begin with, recommend the delicacy to your friends, relatives and acquaintances, and they will tell their friends. This way you will be able to find your first clients. Place an advertisement for the sale of crayfish in the newspaper and on Internet portals.

Go shopping, cafes, restaurants with the goods. The strategy here is simple - offer prices below market prices. To ensure that your customers stay with you for a long time, monitor the quality of the delicacy you sell. Learn the intricacies of selling - praise more, make compromises and provide discounts. By the way, you can deliver throughout the region. This will be a huge step forward!

Financial side

Now let's decide on the financial side. How much will crayfish farming bring you in the end? We will release 100 individuals (300 arthropods in total) into each of the three artificially created reservoirs. For this we will pay about 15,000 rubles. Separately, we will calculate the costs of improving the aquariums - this is another 20,000 rubles. Total costs – 35,000 rubles.

Let's calculate what we get as a result. Today's purchase price per kilogram of crayfish ranges around 200 rubles. One individual weighs about three hundred grams. With a full sale, your income will be at least 100,000 rubles per month. Financial calculations show that this is real and profitable business with minimal capital investment.

Final part

The prospects for raising crayfish look very rosy, since the animals are bred quickly and do not require special care and huge investments. The only catch is finding a clientele, but with great desire and minimal competition, difficulties are unlikely to arise. You can quickly expand and acquire a real body of water. The most important thing is to increase demand and find regular customers, then there will be more profit, and the incentive will not dry up.

It is difficult to provide accurate universal calculations of the first investment for creating a crayfish farm, because much depends on the time of the start of cultivation, the method, conditions, the number of arthropods, the cost of the goods sold and much more. But judging by the reviews of entrepreneurs who have been in this business for a long time, we can clearly state that payback with maximum effort will not take long. If you comply with all the requirements and rules, you can receive over 200% of net income per year.

In this technology, it is important to take into account the moment of molting and hibernation of crayfish. Naturally, during this period, weight gain and growth slow down significantly, and with frequent shedding, on the contrary, it accelerates.

IN home production you can easily increase the number of molts up to three times a year, and this is very good indicator. Crayfish can be sold live, boiled-frozen or boiled.

But to prepare them you need equipment, because for large batches, ordinary refrigerators and gas stoves are not enough.

You will also need a car for transportation - we advise you to enter into an agreement with some shipping company. Cumbersome difficulties will arise with certification, labeling, packaging and veterinary certificates.

But all these issues can be resolved if there is positive dynamics and great prospects are visible. Remember, everyone has difficulties, especially at first. In fact, any activity requires maximum effort and patience, and the result directly depends on you. If you strive to become the master of your own profitable business, then don’t relax and be confident in your abilities.

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

Pond

How to breed crayfish in ponds? To begin with, if it is silted or swampy. The proximity of crayfish to crucian carp, carp and other non-predatory fish is allowed. However, keep in mind that such businesses will suffer when winter comes. This is explained by the fact that crayfish tend to hibernate if the air temperature drops below fifteen degrees Celsius. In a state of suspended animation, they stop consuming food and, accordingly, do not gain weight. If the pond completely freezes to the bottom, your pets will die.

However, many businessmen are wondering how to breed crayfish in ponds, because such reservoirs are the most sustainable aquatic systems, capable of self-purification 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 in the natural environment these animals do not grow fast enough. The commercial mass is gained approximately in the fifth year of life. Thus, the business will begin to generate income only after six years. The attractive thing is that there is virtually no initial investment required.

Aquarium

How To do this, you will need an aquarium with a capacity of at least two hundred and fifty liters (frameless). Pour soil into 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? To do 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, it is allowed to increase the stocking density of animals to three hundred and fifty individuals per square meter.

The only drawback of the described business is its small volumes. It is difficult to achieve industrial scale due to limited area breeding. However, some entrepreneurs have figured out how to breed crayfish in an aquarium in order to get maximum profit. At home, they raise the larvae to “fingerlings,” and only then release them into a natural or artificial reservoir. Thanks to this solution, it is possible to organize successful business. But how to breed crayfish at home to minimize losses? Control over water quality should come first. 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 to prevent the crayfish from hibernating at low water temperatures. To organize lighting, purchase a lamp with a power of two hundred watts and hang it in the center of the ceiling. Equip your basement with multi-tiered shelving to accommodate aquariums. After completing the preparatory work, it will be time to ask yourself how to breed crayfish.

Where to buy

Buying larvae is not easy. Most likely, you will have to raise the young animals yourself. You can even buy crayfish at the supermarket. For every male there should be two females. In autumn, mating time begins. 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 properly breed crayfish so that they actively gain weight? To do this, it is important to organize high-quality good nutrition. Crayfish prefer earthworms, insect larvae and small snails. In an artificial habitat, they will not refuse steamed and crushed grains, boiled potatoes and grated carrots. These products should be most animal diet. Meat and fish are valuable sources of protein. How to breed crayfish without making mistakes in the process of feeding them? Count on daily norm animal food. It should be 2% of their weight.

Features of reproduction

Mating occurs in September and October. Males are able to fertilize up to two females in a row. If they come across a third one, 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 animal's shell. Once laid, it is secured under the tail. In order for the embryos to develop properly, the female constantly washes the eggs, thereby effectively cleaning them. After two months, the larvae hatch. For another three weeks they rest under the female’s tail to avoid many dangers. After this time, completely independent crustaceans leave their cozy shelter forever. In their natural habitat, each female is capable of raising up to twelve larvae. She cannot have more than twenty descendants a year. As for home conditions, this number can actually be tripled.

Shedding

Young crustaceans molt eight times in the first twelve months of their lives. They will have to go through this up to seven to nine more times over the next two years. Adults molt much less frequently - once or twice every 12 months. During this period, the old shell is simply discarded, as it becomes too small for the growing animal.

How to breed crayfish correctly? We need to give them Special attention 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

Breeding sites

If you are serious and plan to turn crayfish farming into a highly profitable business, we recommend organizing a farm. Only in this case will it be possible to establish production delicious product on an industrial scale. To do this you will need the following:

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

- Pools where crayfish are bred and have become independent individuals. There they need to be raised to the fingerling stage.

- Indoor ponds. There should be at least two, but it’s better to try to organize even more. This way the business will develop 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 occurs better in elongated ponds. It is recommended that they have running water. That is why it is so important to have a river flowing nearby. If this is not possible on your farm, drill several water wells.

Be sure to place shelters for crayfish at the bottom of reservoirs. They can be fragments of plastic or ceramic pipes, stones, driftwood, etc.

Important point

What kind of crayfish is best to breed? In Russia, the most common species are Far Eastern and European. The latter are most often used on an industrial scale. They are divided into long-fingered and broad-fingered. The latter are the most valuable species. It is their abdomens that are called “crayfish necks” in cooking. However, keep in mind that this type is listed in the Red Book, so it is still better to breed long-toed crayfish. This way you will avoid problems with inspection authorities.

Lake and river crayfish are also distinguished. The first ones are most suitable for home business, because they do not hibernate and can reach impressive sizes. However, there is one drawback: lake crayfish are very capricious. To breed and successfully maintain them, you will need a warm room with an area of ​​at least twenty square meters. Crayfish are not so demanding, but they are smaller in size, and accordingly, they are not so expensive.

When purchasing animals, do not lose sight of the fact that crayfish of different species do not live in the same body of water.

A dacha is not only for garden beds

Arranging a pond on personal plot, keep in mind that it is very important for crayfish to have holes. That is why the pond should have clay banks and a rocky bottom. It is very important that it is located on your territory, then you will be able to control the breeding process and protect the animals from criminal attacks.

How to breed crayfish in the country? If the area 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 no expense and order necessary equipment. After completing this stage of work, think about landscaping the 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 to organizing drainage. To do this, you can use a regular pipe, which is closed on top 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 over several years, you will need to purchase about six hundred individuals. The main costs occur during the start-up period. They amount to approximately 120 thousand rubles. for equipment of reservoirs and 50 thousand rubles. for the purchase of young animals. If you invest two hundred thousand rubles, you will earn your first million in about two years. Of course, these are just rough estimates. In fact, income depends on sales prices. In addition, 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 currently competition in this area is low, and this is despite a constant shortage of crayfish. Numerous restaurants, cafes and bars may be interested in your product. As a rule, they prefer wholesale suppliers.

Did you know that salted crayfish caviar is almost as good as red caviar in taste and nutritional quality? This can also be emphasized in the process of searching for buyers. In addition, in various types of production, the chitinous shells of the animals considered, 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 organization of the habitat and careful care of crayfish is the key to success.