Introduction
Attend a course conduct by individual or company will lead us to overcome the benefit as follow:
a) Exposure
b) Knowledge
c) Networking
d) Marketing
e) Guidance and advice
It will help us a lot on how to take care of this leeches farming activities start from beginning until end of the contract that mentioned in our agreement. Having a good back up by establish or reliable company will ensure that we are doing this project in a proper adviser and marketing manners.
Steps to Start
I choose the way to start and manage this mini leeches farm depend on affordable budget, support by the information from the course I attend to and of course knowledge from reading and the senior participant experiences.
Step 1.
For beginners, can start with medium scale size Polyethylene Tanks (poly tank),
It is easier to modified and to match it natural environment compare to concrete tank.
Step 2.
To pre-condition the tank, use highly acidic food like pineapple, lime and vinegar (acid acetic). Fill some tap water up to half of the concrete tank. Cut and put in the pineapples and limes, follows pouring a bottle of 350ml vinegar. The other alternative is to put the banana stump inside the tank. It will take at least 24 hours or more. More than a day is better as the objective is to neutralize the tank make it slight alkaline.
Step 3.
When the time comes, remove all water and wash it with tap water.
Step 4.
Refill sand river and about half or an inch cover the bottom side of the poly tank. Put a bucket with hole full of clay soil (grayish colored) mix with booster. 3 kgs for 300 leeches, 3 months term. This will act as breeding ground and hiding for the leeches. Another function is during harvest; we can easily move the bucket and collect the leeches. Construct a two small stand using red brick at any side of the tank, two brick for each side where we can put a pottery on the top of it. This is to provide breeding ground for the leeches.
Step 5.
Refill the tank with tap water for about 7 to 8 inches. Leeches are sensitive to salt therefore sea sand not be suitable for them. Rain water or underground water will ideal to leeches breeding. Make sure, we use clean rain water. There is no other living thing such as insect together in the tank. Pour some anti chlorine to neutralize the tap water. The PH and Chlorine tester kit is use to ensure the correct and suitable water conditions.
Step 6.
Put some clean water lettuce or water hyacinth (pond plant) to cover not more than one third of the water surface. Natural habitat for the leeches. This is where the leeches breeding and hide.
Cautions
Existence of mosquito is unlikely post a tread to the leeches. The reason preventing mosquito breeding is more of cleanliness and healthier environment.
Step 7.
The poly tank cover should have at least 1 foot square and covered with mosquito netting to prevent insect or animal from going in. Around the mouth of the tank may add 4 inches wide synthetic sponge using silicone adhesives to prevent leeches from climbing out especially during raining.
The tank should have an overflow hole, seal with mosquito netting to ensure that no escape leeches during raining and also part of the technique to control the water level inside the tank.
Step 8.
Order the leeches when the tank is ready. Now the leeches tank ready. Pour the primary leeches into the tank. The leeches have their new home.
It takes about 5 to 6 months for these leeches to reproduce.
A single mature leech will able to produce 200-300 eggs/babies. A single tank of 20 gallons will store roughly 500 leeches. Ideally 500 mature leeches will produce 150,000 babies’ leeches. (500×300)
Assuming the surviving rate will be less than 50%. That grosses about 75,000 leeches. After 6 months we can harvest the leeches.
1 kilogram of mature will be roughly 100 leeches = RM180/Kg (depend on current market price)
The cost for leeches feeding roughly RM150 x 6 months = RM900.
You may sell them back to the company where the agreement signs with. Fully refer the term of agreement we made to ensure that we have market attractive prices or to available buyers of our choice when the contract end.
Remark:
Throughout my experience this is the guidance that I use to follow with some improvement for the success of the project. The course provider or the leech’s breeders have their own style of breeding leeches. Maybe different, but the bottom line is we are still looking for the better to achieve competitive outcome. To be profitable, leech breeders should have more knowledge to make leech breeding leeches a lucrative business for the purpose of alternative medicine and treatment.
My special thanks to Mr M Rosley A Kallon and the team by the inspiration and support they have given to me.
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