How to Raise Crawfish for Profit

crawfish farmer

Most of us remember as kids going out and trying to catch crawfish. It's a fun past time that actually can turn into a career under the right circumstances through building a crawfish farm. It's not an easy task, but with hard work and a love for the farm you can do quite well for yourself.

Things You'll Need

• crawfish pond

Instructions

How to Raise Crawfish for Profit

1. Realize the cost. Most crawfish farmers double their crop with rice. If you are using a natural pond bed for your farm then you will not have to worry as much. Unfortunately pond beds that can host a crawfish growing operation are few and far between, so most will have to create an artificial bed. These can get quite expensive, but when doubled with growing rice at the same time can offset some of the costs.

2. Construct your pond. Where you decide and how you decide to build your pond are crucial elements to success when it comes to a crawfish farm. Your pond bed must be a very flat area that you can easily flood and drain of water. This is why many people use pre-existing rice fields and convert them into crawfish farm, but it's even better to build your own from scratch. Make sure that your field has an abundant amount clay loams as your pond will not support crawfish burrows without it.

3. Make sure you have an adequate supply of water. Crawfish farming is all about the manipulation of water. You flood the field to get your crawfish to grow and you drain your field to get the crawfish to go under the mud and reproduce. If you do not have an adequate source and system to produce water, your craw fish farm will most likely fail.

4. Control your quality of water. Just like trying to keep up a fish tank, you need to watch your pH levels, ammonia levels, water hardness, and a host of other qualities within your water system. The higher quality your water is, the better crop of crawfish.

5. Watch your investment grow and then harvest it. Stock your adult crawfish in the spring, drain your field from June-August to allow your crawfish time to reproduce under the mud, re-flood your field in September, and selectively harvest your crop until march when you start the process all over again.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish