Red Claw "Lobsters" Thrive In Freshwater Ponds

Red Claw "Lobsters" Thrive In Freshwater Ponds MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 28-1-4 Some people call them freshwater lobsters, but to Tim Miller and Ken Thompson, partners in Central Kentucky Aquatics, LLC, they're red claw crayfish. And they're the latest new "crop" in the fast-growing business of aquaculture. Red claw "lobsters" are native to northern Australia and southeastern Papua New Guinea. They are currently being widely raised commercially in Australia and, Thompson says, they're well-suited for commercial production in the U.S. Only a handful of commercial aquaculture producers in the U.S. have tried raising red claw, but Miller says they've reported prices of $6 to $10 per lb. when sold in live seafood markets. Larger animals usually bring more per pound. Male red claw fed a 22 percent protein diet can grow to five to the pound in a feeding period of just 120 days or so, while females average 7 to the pound Some red claws do grow to over a pound. Characteristics that make red claw production attractive include tolerance of a wide range of water temperatures, although 75 to 80 degrees F seems best, and the ability to withstand crowding, something freshwater prawns do not like. Red claws are not as territorial as other crustaceans, and seldom eat each other. They are less likely to burrow than other crawfish species and when they do, it's in deeper water, so they don't damage dams or levees. They are not subject to disease like some species, so Thompson says even a novice at aquaculture can produce them. And finally, they have no free-swimming larval stage, as do most commercially produced crustaceans. That means the producer can raise his own replacements, rather than having to buy larvae from a hatchery. In fact, you could produce 10,000 juveniles (enough to stock a 1-acre growing pond) with as few as 30 females. However, the hatchery technology still needs to be looked at more closely to evaluate the economics and feasibility. Thompson currently recommends a commercial shrimp pellet (35 percent crude protein) for indoor tank culture, since it is readily available to aquaculturists and contains all their nutritional requirements. Red claw grown in outdoor ponds can be fed a lower (22 percent protein) diet which is relatively inexpensive ($500 per ton) compared to other grow-out feeds. Thompson estimates that net income from red claw production could be as high as several thousand dollars per acre after costs for purchase of juveniles, feed, and electricity. These figures could vary greatly and assume that the farmer already has a 1-acre pond, 1-hp electric aerator, and their own labor. A farmer's profits can substantially increase if he or she can produce their own seedstock during the winter months. Red claw production requires about 30 minutes per day (two separate feedings) to feed a one-acre pond. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ken Thompson or Tim Miller, Central Kentucky Aquatics, LLC, 1024 Northwood Loop, Lawrenceburg, Ky. 40342 (ph 502 320-6073).

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