The simplest way to raise earthworms

Earthworms are any of the terrestrial annelids in the class Oligochaeta, especially the widely distributed earthworms, which are gradually segmented and hermaphroditic. At present, there are more than 2500 species of earthworms, which were called the most valuable animals on earth by biologist Darwin in 1837. Let's take a look at the simplest way to cultivate earthworms.

Breeding site selection

Artificial cultivation of earthworms has the advantages of simple equipment and convenient management. in general, medicinal earthworms can be cultivated by using front and back houses, courtyard open spaces, old wooden boxes, waste buckets, pots, bamboo baskets, brick ponds, nurseries and so on. Earthworms can also be cultured in vegetable fields, orchards and nurseries, which can be used for double utilization and benefit.

Breeding variety selection

According to different regions, different needs, different conditions, choose different varieties of earthworms, generally choose easy to raise, easy to breed, suitable for local soil and climatic conditions to select species. For example, green earthworm culture can be selected in areas with many vegetable gardens, orchards and nurseries, combined with field planting and double utilization, which can not only improve soil fertility, promote plant production, but also harvest earthworm animal protein feed. If there are many old houses, more wasteland, less land and urban residents can choose red earthworm breeding, the use of amateur or auxiliary labor, the use of organic waste for breeding.

Indoor culture of earthworms

1. Box culture: boxes, baskets, pots, cans, buckets, etc., suitable for raising earthworms of the genus Aisheng, such as red earthworms such as Aisheng earthworms, Daping II and Beixing II introduced from Japan. Earthworms like to live in rotten grass, compost, cow and horse dung, rotten branches and leaves, rotten vegetables, melons and fruits, as well as the waste of paper, fiber and food processing plants and domestic garbage. Of course, the above-mentioned organic matter, garbage or horse and cow dung must first be accumulated and fermented, and only when the temperature drops can it be used as the base material for raising earthworms. Put the base material into wooden boxes, bamboo baskets, porcelain pots or brick ponds, and then put human earthworms to breed. During the breeding period, water was often sprayed to maintain a humidity of 60-70%, and covered with straw mats, straw curtains and old sacks to cover the light. It can grow normally at a temperature of 13-28 ℃.

2. Pit culture method: all available places such as earth pits, brick ponds, old pig pens, eaves, walls and corners can be made of bricks and stones to form culture ponds. In addition to Aisheng earthworm, it is also suitable to raise green earthworms. The depth of the earth pit or brick pond is generally 50-60 cm, and the area is determined according to the needs. The fermented feed is added into the pit or pool layer by layer, and the base material of 15-20 cm thick is added to the bottom layer, and a layer of 10 cm soil is spread on it. Earthworm culture can be introduced. If there are more earthworms, you can add a layer of 10 cm feed to the soil and cover it with 10 cm of fertile soil. Green earthworms are required to maintain about 30% soil moisture. The old pigsty can also be changed into a breeding pond for stocking.

Earthworm stocking in the field

1. Mulberry breeding method: generally choose mulberry fields with flat terrain and irrigation and drainage, dig grooves 40 cm wide and 20 cm deep between rows of mulberry trees, and add preliminary mature organic fertilizers, such as horse and cow dung, straw, weeds, pig and sheep dung, withered leaves, rotten grass, etc., with organic materials of about 5000cm and 7500kg per mu, covered with soil of 10cm and 15cm, and put human worms for breeding, the number of which depends on the species and individual size of earthworms. Green manure or green fodder can be planted between rows, with a row of ditches every 5 rows. The water content is kept at about 30%.

2. Feed field culture: including planting aggregate grass, broad beans and other perennial green fodder land can be farmed. When breeding, flat fodder land should be selected, and irrigation and drainage ditches should be opened every 10 rows. In the aggregate grass row, open the groove of 15 cm wide and 20 cm deep, apply human organic feed in the groove, and cover the soil with about 10 cm, which can be put into green earthworms for breeding. Always pay attention to irrigation or drainage and keep the soil water content at about 30%.

3. Vegetable garden culture: sufficient water and fertilizer conditions and fine management are most beneficial to the growth and reproduction of earthworms. In the vegetable garden where earthworms are raised, 7500-10000 kg of high-quality organic fertilizer or rotten vegetables and garbage are applied per mu. After the vegetable seedlings are unearthed, the worms are planted for breeding. In vegetable garden culture, the application of chemical nitrogen fertilizer and some pesticides should be reduced. Adult worms can be harvested by stages combined with vegetable management.

4. Orchard culture: using the open space under fruit trees to cultivate earthworms, not only make full use of the land but also promote the production of fruit trees. For example, the method of raising green earthworms is similar to that of mulberry breeding. For example, breeding red earthworms (red earthworms), then accumulate mature cattle, horses and pig manure along the tree line with a width of 1.5 meters and a height of 0.4 meters under the fruit trees, which are used as earthworm breeding beds, leaving an aisle between each breeding bed and opening a row of ditches every two breeding beds. Cover the feed surface of the breeding bed with straw or wheat straw. Maintain a humidity of 60% to 70%. Cover it with plastic film on rainy days to prevent Rain Water from soaking.

5. Air-raid shelter culture: the urban air-raid shelter is the basement, which is warm in winter and cool in summer, and the surrounding humidity is high, so it is suitable for breeding red earthworms. A lamp can be lit at night, which can not only prevent escape, but also has a certain light source conducive to the growth of earthworms.

Factory scale breeding

1. Feed treatment field: the feed treatment field includes the stacking fermentation or sorting and crushing of feed, and the area depends on the scale.

2. Aquaculture workshop: brick and wood structure or plastic greenhouse can be used. The temperature is controlled at 18-28 ℃. The temperature control equipment can be insulated by the waste heat of boiler heating, solar water heater or other factories in winter, and can be cooled down by ventilation, spraying water and shrinking the breeding reactor in summer. The width of the breeding workshop is 4 to 5 meters, the width of the plastic greenhouse is about 7 meters, and the length depends on the needs, such as 30 meters, 60 meters or 100 meters, and 2 meters high.

3. The breeding bed should be 1.5 meters wide, with a low wall of 40 centimeters high on one side and a small ridge of 10 centimeters high on one side near the aisle. The bed is slightly inclined and slightly lower inside and outside is conducive to the discharge of excess water in the feed. The aquaculture bed is surrounded by a flume with a width of 25 cm and a depth of 25 cm for water supply and drainage and prevention of rodents and ants, leaving a 1.2-meter walkway between the two beds.

4. Feed fermentation pond: in the breeding workshop, a feed fermentation pool can be set up on the outside of the two beds, which can put fresh horse, cow and pig manure in winter, use fermentation heat to raise the temperature of the shed, and use it as a cocoon incubation bed in summer.

5. Culture density: the number of earthworms raised by cow manure should be controlled within 10, 000 per square meter, the production of earthworms should be 3 kg per square meter (2 ~ 31000), 30, 000 young worms per square meter in the early stage, and decreased to 20, 000 in the later stage.

6. timely feeding: usually earthworms can turn all pig manure into earthworm manure in about 20 days. When feeding, the new material can be covered on the basis of the original feed, and the amount of feed can be determined according to the food intake of earthworms. The feed should be laid evenly, coupled with rice straw, and often watered and moisturized.

7. Reasonable watering: in the process of cultivating earthworms, in order to ensure the normal growth of earthworms, especially in summer, water should be watered at least once a day, the water should not be polluted, and the water flow should not be too large, so that the upper and lower layers should be connected. It is best to choose a lower temperature in the morning or evening.