Experience in feeding Trionychid Turtle in Singapore and some suggested methods originated from result of experiment and research.
Experience in feeding Trionychid Turtle in Singapore
From years 1970, Singapore imported Trionyx Sinensis from Taiwan in order to experiment and research biological characteristics, influence of sand layer, water layer and density on growth of Trionychid Turtle.
There are 3 phases during crop:
– Trionychid Turtle under 3 months.
– Breeding Trionychid Turtle from 2 years up.
– Trionychid Turtle for meat gain, feed until 12 months, average weight 600g, long of shell 16 cm.
1. Concrete pond
Walls around pond must be high for escape Trionychid Turtle unable to escape, put floating wood for sun exposure to avoid bacteria in shell.
Cover pond floor by sand, should be sand mix with mud for Trionychid Turtle can hide their body.
Water in pond is not required to be so high for Trionychid Turtle easy to breathe, they only raise head and take a breath.
Keep water level, especially to rainy season.
Place for Trionychid Turtle to lay egg
Area for laying-egg pond is 0.5 -1.5m2, sand high 15 – 25cm. Pond for incubation can wide 9-18 m2, eggs will be sunk in sand 5 cm, this sand is daily sprayed water in the morning, except for rainny days. The pond must have place for avoid sun, rain. Eggs of Trionychid Turtle will be hatched in 60 days.
Density: 8-10 Trionychid Turtle/m2; rate: 1 male with 2-3 females; Ordinarily, Trionychid Turtle lay egg around year.
Pond for baby Trionychid Turtle
Feed Trionychid Turtle just hatched from egg in wide pond 1 – 22 m2, water depth: 20 cm, density: 1 Trionychid Turtle per 100 cm2, pond floor is cover with sand of 2 – 3cm high; plant tree (such as Hyacinthaceae) surrounding pond for Trionychid Turtle to avoid hot sun; protect Trionychid Turtle from carnivorous birds by mesh over the pond.
Pond for adult Trionychid Turtle
Area 90 – 1,700 m2, water depth: 45 – 60 cm.
Concrete bank is 45 cm high.
Pond area of 1,700 m2 feed 6,800 Trionychid Turtle.
Base on quality of water and act of Trionychid Turtle, farmer can decide change water in pond once per 2 days or per month. Add Trichogaster pectoralis to pond for killing larvae of mosquitoes; can feed Chana striatus for eating food leftover in the pond floor.
2. Food
Main food of Trionychid Turtle is fish, supplement by unqualified baby chicken, intestine of poultry, lung of pig. Breeding Trionychid Turtle feeded by fish will lay eggs harder shell.
Feed Trionychid Turtle once per day in the morning or evening by throwing food to pond.
3. Harvest
Farmers can catch Trionychid Turtle by hand or by mesh. After harvest, should leave pond 1 month free, keep water some centimeters, put Ipomeae sp to pond in order to reduce development of microorganism.
Recently, a family in Can Tho city produced 3,000 baby Trionychid Turtle that has ability to produce around year. Hope that experiences from Singapore will be useful for our farmers.
Reference: Hoa Nam (TC. KHCN TS May/2000)
