Leech breeding techniques

Leeches , also known as leeches, are aquatic animals that are commonly found in fresh and salt water . Leeches have a very strong ability to adhere to the environment. They can crawl quickly on the water surface and even survive on land for a period of time. They are a common Chinese medicinal material and are now mostly cultivated artificially . Below, the editor will introduce some leech breeding techniques, let’s take a look.

1. Select a site and build a pool

Choose a place that is sheltered from the wind, sunny, and convenient for drainage and irrigation to build the pond. For small-scale breeding, you can dig ditches in front of and behind the house. The ditch should be 1 meter deep and 3 meters wide. The length of the ditch depends on the terrain. For large-scale breeding, ponds or paddy fields can be used to dig connecting ditches with a ditch width of 3 meters, a ridge width of 0.4 meters, and a ridge height of 0.8 meters. The water depth in the ditch is about 0.6 meters. There are water inlets and drainage at both ends of the ditch. Some stones and branches are laid at the bottom of the ditch for leeches to live.

2. Seedling placement

It is better to use golden leeches for artificial breeding. Strong, undamaged and large leeches should be released, with a stocking density of 10,000 leeches per cubic meter of water. Leeches can be released in spring, summer and autumn. Leeches are both hermaphrodites and each leech can lay eggs and reproduce. Generally, each leech can lay 6-10 egg cocoons, and each egg cocoon can produce 80-100 young leeches. When breeding leeches , the stocking density should be determined based on the size and number of the leeches, and the density should not be too high.

3. Feeding

Leeches feed on aquatic plants, aquatic microorganisms, organic matter, etc. Artificial breeding mainly feeds them with livestock blood mixed with grass meal and snails. Generally, 25 kilograms of live snails are put per acre of water surface and allowed to reproduce naturally. When leeches do not have enough feed to feed freely, they can be fed some earthworms, insects, etc. Feeding animal blood once every 7 days can speed up the growth of leeches. The feeding method is: put blood clots from animals such as pigs, cows, and sheep into the pool, with one piece every 5 meters or so, for the leeches to eat. When the leeches smell the blood, they quickly gather together and disperse on their own after they are full of blood. Be sure to remove residues in time to avoid water pollution.

4. Feeding and management

The suitable water temperature range for leeches is between 10-25 degrees Celsius, and the water temperature should be adjusted according to seasonal and weather changes. Keep the water quality fresh and ensure the dissolved oxygen content. Pay attention to proper water changes in summer to prevent the water temperature from being too high. Carry out daily inspections in a timely manner, observe the growth of leeches, and clean up dead leeches in a timely manner to prevent the occurrence of diseases. Farmers can add nutrients, such as appropriate amounts of vitamin B12, to promote the growth of leeches and prevent attacks by natural enemies such as snakes and rats.

The above are some tips for breeding leeches. Leeches have many natural enemies, including fish, birds, snakes, etc. Measures need to be taken to prevent natural enemies from entering the breeding area. Check the health of leeches regularly, and treat or remove any sick or injured leeches in a timely manner.