1. Breeding time of turtles
1. Natural reproduction: turtles can live on land They can also mate in water. If they mate on land, the spawning period is mostly from May to August. When the tortoise wants to ovulate, before dusk or dawn, it will dig a hole in a relatively sheltered place with loose soil away from the shore, and then lay the eggs in the hole. After laying eggs, the tortoise digs the soil and covers the eggs, flattening the mound and leaving. Female turtles ovulate 3 to 4 times a year, and the number of ovulations each time varies from 5 to 7.
2. Artificial breeding: Before the tortoise mating period, the owner needs to select the sexually mature local tortoises, raise them carefully, and provide them with enough nutrients, especially to feed them more Some protein-rich feed to help turtles produce excellent reproductive cells. During the mating period of turtles, owners need to keep sexually mature and robust male and female turtles together in a ratio of 1:1 so that they can mate naturally. During the tortoise spawning period, the main focus is to keep the breeding pond quiet and the surrounding sandy soil with appropriate humidity, so that the female turtle can lay eggs smoothly. Finally, after the turtle ovulation is completed, the feeder should pay attention to collecting the turtle eggs in time, and then artificially incubating the turtle eggs, so as to achieve a higher reproduction rate and improve the economic benefits of raising turtles.
Second, how to artificially incubate turtle eggs
In natural conditions The eggs can generally hatch in about 50 to 80 days, that is, the hatchlings break out of their shells. However, the natural incubation time of turtle eggs is easily affected by other external conditions such as temperature and light, and is harmed by natural enemies, resulting in prolonged incubation periods and lower hatchability and survival rates. In order to improve the hatching rate of tortoises, artificial hatching methods can be adopted for the tortoises. The specific methods are as follows:
1. Determine the time of egg collection: female tortoises like to dig soil under grass and tree roots to lay eggs, so generally According to the softness of the soil or the footprints and claw marks left by the tortoises, find their spawning burrows, so as to collect the turtle eggs smoothly. In addition, because turtles mostly lay eggs before dusk or dawn, in order to avoid damage to turtle eggs by the scorching sun, it is best to collect eggs in time in the morning.
2. Selection of high-quality turtle eggs: Care should be taken to select fresh, high-quality turtle eggs that have been fertilized for artificial incubation. The signs to judge whether the turtle eggs have been fertilized are: the egg shells of fertilized eggs are generally smooth and not clay; while the unfertilized turtle eggs vary in size, and the egg shells are prone to cracks and depressions, and they are prone to stick to sediment. In addition, you can observe the turtle eggs in the sun. If you see the inside of the turtle eggs are ruddy, they are high-quality turtle eggs. On the contrary, if the turtle eggs are cloudy or have a fishy smell, they are bad eggs and should not be selected. Also, avoid picking malformed eggs.
3. Incubate artificially: To incubate turtle eggs artificially, you need to prepare wooden basins, washbasins, hatching trays and other items. The specific operations are as follows: lay a layer of fine sand about 5cm on the bottom of the incubator, place the larger end of the turtle eggs on the fine sand, and then cover the turtle eggs with a layer of fine sand and a damp towel, Then place the incubator in a ventilated place. The key to the success or failure of turtle egg hatching is temperature and humidity. Too high or too low temperature and humidity can affect the normal development of turtle eggs. Generally, the temperature of artificial hatching turtle eggs should be controlled between 28 and 32 degrees Celsius, and water should be sprinkled on the turtle eggs 1 to 2 times a day to keep the turtle eggs in proper humidity. In addition, attention should be paid to preventing natural enemies from harming the turtle eggs. Generally, the artificial hatching of turtle eggs can be completed in about 50 to 60 days.
