Sand disinfection method for hatching turtles and soft-shelled turtles

In recent years, with the rise of artificial soft-shelled turtle, how to improve the shell emergence rate of egg juvenile turtle has become an urgent task. Because some turtle and soft-shelled turtle farms follow the traditional old method, using unsterilized sand as a carrier for hatching eggs, they do not realize that unsterilized sand contains a large number of bacteria and pests, which often pollute and scrap hatching eggs, and some farmers fail as a result.

In the practice of raising turtles and soft-shelled turtles for 21 years, I have found out the method of disinfecting sand and improved the hatching rate. Here are several practical disinfection methods:

1. Exposure method

The sand is laid flat on the cement floor, the thickness is 2 cm ~ 3 cm, and the sand is exposed to the sun for 5 ~ 6 days. It is necessary to turn the sand body several times a day to let the sun's ultraviolet rays shine evenly, because the sun's ultraviolet rays have no penetration ability and can only kill bacteria on the surface, so turning more is beneficial to sterilization.

Second, bleach disinfection

Soak the sand with a clarification solution of 10,000 times bleach solution and do it at sunset in the evening to avoid the failure of available chlorine caused by sunlight. It is appropriate to soak the sand for 1 ~ 2 hours, then remove the sand, drain the water, and leave the ventilated place for a few days to be used as hatching sand. Note that bleach can only be dissolved in cold water, not hot water, so as not to lose its germicidal efficacy.

III. Potassium permanganate disinfection

First put the sand in the basket or in a leaky cloth bag, then sprinkle the sand with 5000 times potassium permanganate solution, drench it thoroughly, and dry it for a few days and then use it as hatching sand. Note that potassium permanganate must first be dissolved in warm water, and then the required multiple of cold water. Because it is not easy to dissolve with cold water drugs directly, and boiling water will reduce the germicidal efficacy of the drugs.

4. Boiling method

Put the sand in the pot and boil it with water for 15 minutes, cool it and remove it, but avoid getting greasy, so as not to choke the unshelled juvenile turtles to death.

In addition, the sand used for hatching should be screened once in advance to remove too large or too small sand, then rinse and filter with water to remove sludge, dirt and perishable fermentation, and then disinfect it.