Feeding and management of cultured centipede during its breeding period

After the first hibernation period, the young centipede has the ability to find food, drink water, latent and other activities on a large scale, and then enter the breeding period. The breeding period of centipede is relatively long, and it takes at least 3 winters to complete 7 times of molting, which requires firm and long-lasting patience of the breeders. The main points of feeding and management during this period are as follows:

1. Stocking density

The stocking density of the centipede during the breeding period is relatively large, which should be determined according to the size of the centipede, the ecological conditions of the feeding house, the abundance of food sources and so on. In general, a small centipede who has just passed a hibernating period can keep more than 4000 centipedes per square meter. later, as the centipede molts and grows, its density decreases correspondingly to 5 centimeters long (the third molting is completed). The density dropped to 2500Muth3000 pieces per square meter. If the use of multi-layer three-dimensional pond (trough) culture, the space is small, the feeding room is dark, humid, poor ventilation, then the stocking density should be smaller. On the contrary, the air in the breeding house is fresh, warm in winter and cool in summer, and the stocking density can be appropriately larger. With the growth of the small centipede, the unsociability of the centipede becomes more and more obvious. Poor breeding environment often causes centipedes to interfere with each other and hurt each other. Therefore, with the growth of the centipede, the density should be adjusted regularly. For each molting, the number of animals per unit area should be reduced by 15% and 20%. After 4 adjustments of 3muri, the density can be relatively stable.

2. Bait feeding

The centipede in the breeding period is rich in bait, and all the animals that the centipede can eat in the wild can be used as bait in this period. Commonly used varieties are: earthworms, fly maggots, locusts, grasshoppers, frogs, yellow powder insects and so on. Should master the amount of feed, neither feed too much, waste feed, cause pollution, nor often cut off, in the name of centipede because of hunger and kill each other.

It has been reported that some animals can be added to the breeding soil to entice some small animals to feed on centipedes. We do not think this is desirable because these scraps will not only attract bait animals, but also natural enemies and insect pests, and the loss outweighs the gain. If you use this method in indoor farming, it will not be effective.

3. Size grouping

Regular grouping should be carried out according to the adjustment of feeding density, and centipedes with the same age and little individual difference should be raised in the same pond. In addition, it should be noted that several litters of centipedes of the same age had better be raised in the same pond, and the centipedes of the same litter should not be randomly assigned to each pond for breeding, because we have observed that mutual interference and killing among centipedes often occur between centipedes in different nests, but less in the same nest. In each group, only some centipedes with slow molting, very small individuals and poor physique are picked out and raised in separate ponds, while the healthy, strong and fast-growing centipedes are still kept in the original pond.

4. Observe carefully

Observation of the growing period of underage centipedes can be done by turning on the lights for a short time. The observation time is about 10:00 in the evening, when most centipedes climb out of the feeding soil, looking for food, drinking water and swimming on the surface of the feeding soil or on the activity field. At this time, their activity ability, physical development, health status, and whether they enter the molting stage can be observed. The observation time should not be too long, the light should not be too strong, and it is not necessary to observe every day, when some abnormal conditions are detected in the centipede group, or the temperature suddenly changes, or it is speculated that the centipede has entered the molting period, or after some new measures have been implemented, we should observe the reaction of the group in time and deal with the problems in time.

If the centipede is found to be restless and restless, and a large number of centipedes do not return to the breeding soil after dawn, we should consider whether the breeding soil is abnormal and whether it needs to be replaced. If it is found that the centipede is frightened or eaten in the molting stage, consideration should be given to whether the density is too high, or whether there are unquiet factors in the environment. When discovering a diseased centipede, we should promptly deal with whether it drops too fast, whether the feeding time and feeding quantity are correct, and so on.

5. Pay attention to adjust the temperature and humidity

The temperature and humidity requirements of juvenile centipedes over two years old are basically similar to those of centipedes. Due to the long time of this period, there are many external climate changes during this period, which requires enough patience and concentration of breeders.

6. Pay attention to prevent escape, prevent enemy invasion, and do a good job in environmental cleanliness.

These points have been described in the breeding and management of centipedes and will not be repeated here.

7. Timely harvest and seed retention

When the centipede grows to the fifth age, the vast majority of centipedes have reached the standard of body length of medicinal centipedes and have entered the stage of sexual maturity. It is also believed that the centipede has matured sexually in the summer and autumn of the fourth year, and most of them have mated, and the female centipede has stored enough semen. However, according to our anatomy and tissue observation of more than 200 four-year-old female centipedes, no semen was found in the female centipedes during this period. Therefore, we think that the sexual maturity and mating season of centipedes should be in the fifth year after the sting in spring and summer, which is the best harvest time for commercial centipedes. At this time, it is best to carry out a comprehensive cleaning of the whole breeding pond, clean up all the centipedes and put them in several containers to select the centipedes that are enlarged, healthy and strong, with bright color on the body surface and strong vitality. The 1:4 ratio of male and female centipedes is selected as seed, and the rest of the centipedes can be harvested as commodities for primary processing.