Fish Farming
There
is no reason why you shouldn’t make money while you
are at home nursing your new baby, or being gainfully employed. The
state of the Nigerian economy demands that a
proactive approach to family income generation. As a housewife, husband,
newly married couple or a single individual, there are many
ideas you can engage to earn revenue for yourself and the family upkeep.
If you
have always desired a work-at-home opportunity, these ideas can make
your
dreams come true.
There are a lot of
people/families, who are searching for answers on how to solve their financial
challenges. Whether they are finding themselves suddenly without a job, dealing
with huge medical bills, or just having a hard time making ends meet. Fish
farming is one of the many steps they can take to help them recover from these
challenges.
Mans
resolve to break into new grounds in the art of domesticating animals have
taken him further into many more areas like, poultry, ostrich farming, bee
farming, fish farming, cattle rearing amongst others. Within the aspect of fish
farming, there are various types of fish farms; we have Cat fish, Croaker,
Sardine and Titus fish farms.
Cat
fish is a common name for about 2,200 species of fishes, of which some 1,200
are South American. The name cat fish is
derived from the fish feelers, or barbells, that extend from each side of the
upper jaws of the fish, suggestive of the whiskers of a cat. About 1,800
species are found in fresh water. Cat fish are mostly nocturnal scavengers,
living near the bottom in shallow waters, using their whiskers as food finders.
In
cat fish farming, after acquiring a good and suitable site with easy access to
fresh water source like, a flowing stream or borehole. A fish pond can then be
constructed. There are basically 2 types of ponds; the earthen pond, which is
made from dug out earth is quite cheap and easy to construct and provides an
environment that is similar to the natural habitat of the fish. This type of
pond however, makes harvesting difficult and tedious because, cat fish tends to
hide inside holes they bore on the floor of the pond. Furthermore, during dry
season the water in the pond dries off quickly, leading to the risk of losing
your complete stock in a high drought season.
The
concrete or intensive culture pond on the other hand is made from concrete
blocks and cement. This type of pond is very expensive to construct and is
labour intensive to maintain. Pollution is also a major challenge in concrete
ponds due to the pond design. There is also the plastic pond or other
artificial ponds. These, ponds environment are however not natural to the fish
hence, making them dependent entirely on intensive care from the farmer. It
however, comes with greater advantages as a small scale farm, with its easier
and closer monitoring. Hence, though, the earthen pond is cheaper to construct,
the concrete/plastic pond with its intensive care nature is better for a small
scale farmer like the full time house wife, who is constrained by the time she
can dedicate, to a more stressful earthen pond.
To have
a successful fish business, a good knowledge of the best techniques should
first be sourced from books as well as already established farmers and if
possible, a veterinary. The required knowledge should cover areas such as;
a.
The cost
of possible venture.
b. Size of venture.
c.
The best
location or site for the farm.
d. Types of feed.
e.
How to
feed the stock.
f.
A good
knowledge of fish farm management techniques.
g. Possible markets for fish disposal.
h. Likely challenges such as medication, nutrition, sales and care.
In addition, cat fish
farming today requires much more than just being able to produce a harvest.
Successful farmers must have a sound understanding of the economics of their
operation; keep good records and work to find the best markets for their
product. Therefore, a full time house wife who wishes to venture into cat fish
farming should carryout various investigation and enquiries before committing
their time and resource.
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