21 July 2016 Sprinkling system at a farming park – is it necessary?

A sprinkling system providing water dispersed as very fine droplets is installed inside a park in order to maintain the appropriate humidity and moisture levels. Water must reach each and every corner of the park. The park is divided into sectors by paths we traverse during feeding. No plants should grow within the paths. The paths may be covered with gravel, pavement slabs, etc.

A good solution is to provide a few, 2-3 m wide parks of any length, which do not require the parks to be entered, and leaving ca. 80 cm wide paths covered e.g. with gravel in-between the parks.

Water is an important factor during breeding and fattening of snails at a farming park. It is a necessity during hot days. Both snails and plants growing within the park need water. Drying plants will not provide appropriate shading for snails, and what does it mean? Our farm may dearly suffer.

Water is required at the reproduction room and snails receive it during daily sprinkling and washing of reproduction tables. These operations are not performed at a farming park, thus water needs to be provided in a different form. I am thinking about hot summer days here.

If we cannot afford such a permanent, professional and automated sprinkler system during the first season, it is not the end of the world. We can simply walk around every day with a garden hose fitted with a head dispersing water and acting as a sprinkler. Such sprinkling is somewhat cumbersome, but prevents the snails and plants from draught.

NOTE: Droplet irrigation cannot be used in snail farming. Droplet irrigation is used in agriculture, as water droplets provided under plants reach the roots directly. In case of snail farming we should ensure that snails have drinking water available, thus an overhead irrigation system sprinkling the entire snail pen must be provided instead. 

Below is an example photo from our farm during sprinkling of the entire pen.