That was FAST!

I have been letting the little fellows settle in, but due to the wet weather here in Sydney atm I was concerned the soil in the enclosure was retaining too much moisture. It was which  rectified by adding more dry soil, but before I added the mix I checked to see if I was going to smother any egg deposits. Not only did I find two egg clusters I also found hatchings, that's only 23 days since I collected the first specimens.
I have separated the hatchings and the eggs to a different container, where I can more adequately maintain conditions.

New recruits

Found more today than I did on the previous effort, 25 in total 8 mature.
4 of the mature snails have light coloured flesh, though are also heavily patterned.
A few with less pattern, but unfortunately they have darker flesh.
I am starting to get the feeling that I will not find two specimens to breed directly from in the wild, I will need to breed the qualities into them first.

Checking the snails

Everything looks to be going well in the farm, do not see a lot of movement till I moisten the enclosure. Basically only changing food plus keeping things moist, just hope there is some breeding going on. It is interesting to see the varieties in the shell patterns, one would have to ask themselves how on earth to breed that out.

I am pleasantly surprised that all the snails look healthy and happy (as happy as one could be with being placed into captivity).

Rain rain go away!

Well that is what you would be singing if you were not keen on hunting snails. In periods of dry harsh weather the snails will hide deep within foliage, they then create a hermetic seal between their shell and the surface eliminating transpiration which would shrivel the little fellows up. They can create several stages of seal depending on the extremes of weather, some temporary and others thicker in times of dormancy. It is not at all unusual for a snail, to seal their opening up completley falling to the ground.
The first drops of rain are their signals, the water dissolves the seal and they will spring to life again. A great attribute to have in such a harsh existence.

As you can see it is raining outside today, as well as checking the snails I will go for a walk around the neighborhood collecting the emergents.

fuite vers la liberté!

A moral dilemma...

I am sure any farmer has issues arising with the final stages of production (the killing that is), I did not however imagine that snails had a very high sensory and interaction level with external stimuli. As another hobby I have done/do a whole heap of macro/micro insect photography. I am fascinated especially with insects of a high order interaction, my favourites being common jumping spiders and common brown AU Bull ants. Both have a high interaction level with their environment and respond to human presence making them intriguing to observe.

After only a few days I have found myself bonding with these creatures, as I mentioned before I was not at all expecting this. I have read others blogs/articles of this nature in which the outcome, was releasing the snails as good conscious and an affection for the creatures prevailed.

I am a meat eater, I know where and how my meat is bought to my table, I am not really proud of this but I am what I am.
If I was to meet the cattle I am eating and be allowed to bond, I do not think then I would be able to consume them. My snails seem to have a variety of characters, in fact I have started to name them. How else do you remember which one is which?

I think I need to decide whether I am breeding pets or consumable food here, atm due to my limited space I would be happy to get a few nice examples to breed from at least.
I have also been looking for cheapish ag land on which I could start a small hobby farm, if anyone knows of something near Sydney please let me know.

Many hands...

I've heard they make lite work so enlisting family/ friends asking them to put snails in a container, placing in some greenery for feed till I can arrange a pickup. I am doing some work for the neighbor today and will ask him to pay me in snails instead of the money he insisted on.

Speaking of collecting if you have plenty of snails that you do not want to kill, consider collecting them for Ronnie.

http://www.ronniessucculentsnails.com.au/
Who is Ronnie?

Ronnie is a 21 year old Canberra man who loves animals, loves his sport and loves his family.
Ronnie also has a moderate intellectual disability, as well as a life-long history of hospitalisation, injuries and surgeries due to a serious chronic epileptic condition.
Ronnie’s challenges mean that entering regular mainstream employment is not an option for him.
However, having completed his schooling at Canberra’s Black Mountain School, Ronnie’s family was determined to find a sustainable career that would help support his physical, mental and social development and also provide inspiration for others who are trying to help loved ones with special needs.
Breeding and growing snails for the ever-hungry restaurant market (pun intended) proved to be the perfect solution!
Now, Ronnie enjoys taking care of his snails every day, ensuring they have clean homes as well as adequate food and water. He also keeps a close eye on them since they have great escape techniques!
Get involved!

Are you worried about using poisons to control snails in your garden, especially with pets and children around?
Would you like to quickly and humanely rid your garden of snails while helping a worthy social enterprise?
Then get on board with Ronnie’s snail collection program!
All you need to do is collect the snails from your garden (kids might be happy to help with this!) and keep them in a secure container with some small air holes.
Also place some vegetable leaves and a lid filled with water in the container, if they are going to be in there for a few days.
Then contact Ronnie to arrange pick-up or delivery!
Contact Ronnie’s Succulent Snails

6 Kurundi Place, Hawker, ACT 2614
T. 02 6278 5358 M. 0408 971 546 E. ronnie@ronniessucculentsnails.com.au
http://www.ronniessucculentsnails.com.au/