Crawfish

Crawfish Production

        Crawfish are known by names like crayfish or stonecrab. Their culture dates back to the late 1700's. They vary in size. Their color varies from cream, red, blue, to black.
        In the 1930's, Percy Viosca recommended raising crawfish in Louisiana ponds. There are over 131,00 acres of crawfish ponds in the United States. Total harvest of crawfish exceeds 100 million pounds a year.
        Most crawfish consumed in the U.S. is in Louisiana. A demand for "Cajun" dishes that include crawfish is steadily growing. The market for crawfish in Europe is a big demand and the U.S. export is on the rise. The production for crawfish as food will probably double within the next ten years.
        Crawfish farming has become more commercialized with the technology of today such as the freezing of crawfish tails that are shipped all over the world.
        A little over 90% of crawfish raised in the U.S. are either white river or red swamp crawfish.
        The crawfish is a shellfish which means that it has a hard shell composed of chitin. The shell is shed from time to time in order to make room for its growth.
        The peak of its breeding season is May and June. The eggs of the female are attached to the underside it her tail for protection. Hatching usually takes around 14-21 days.
        Crawfish generally eat any plant material but fresh vegetation is preferred.    They are attracted to fresh meat and fish as well. They avoid decaying animal matter. They generally feed on the bottom except at night where the seem to feel safe from predators.
        Crawfish vary in its habits. They like areas such as rocks in streams to dense vegetation in lakes or ponds.
        Site selection is very important for crawfish production. The land must be generally flat with heavy black soil. It must also have enough water flow to fill the ponds with 18 inches of water in 72 hours. The pond should be treeless and free from brush or brush piles. Construction of these ponds can cost between $200 and $500 per acre depending on the soil.
        Double cropping is a common practice in the South with soybeans, rice, and duck hunting. This may reduce the cost of crawfish production operations.
        Stocking crawfish is a desired method with 40-60 pounds per acre, if the desired species is already present. If not, 100 pounds per acre is the desirable amount.
        Rice fields are ideal for crawfish production because of its vegetation the crawfish feed on. There are some commercial feeds for crawfish but all the nutrients may not be there needed by the crawfish. This would also drive up production cost.
        Water quality control is a must. Rice planted for feed will only have minimal effect on water quality. Plants that are normally dry land, planted in these ponds usually die and decay. The decaying vegetation will cause oxygen depletion and in turn will cause the crawfish to die, especially the younger ones.
        Harvesting crawfish is done with baited traps. Stand up traps are used in shallow ponds. The traps are checked once a day. Special boats were invented to accommodate this task. Some boats even have sack capabilities on them. The baits vary from fish, gizzards, beef melt, to chicken parts. The bait is changed everyday. In the South, harvesting takes place as early a October or November 'til June of the next year.
There are very few crawfish parasites or diseases. One constant problem is predators. Many birds, fish, and animals feed on crawfish. Poachers are also a problem in some areas and the laws are inadequate to protect producers of crawfish from them.
        Bait and food markets are two primary sale outlets for cultured crawfish. Most crawfish in the South are sold to larger processors. The tails are usually peeled and packed in 1 pound packages, frozen, then shipped to restaurants or supermarkets. Some producers have on-farm processing. This is usually done by hand and are sold fresh to local consumers. Many of these local producers depend on retail sales in their area. Crawfish are sold whole and live to supermarkets, restaurants, or seafood markets. Generally crawfish are sold by the sack weighing 10 to 50 pounds per sack. The preferred crawfish in the South weigh about 3/4 to 1 ounce. This is somewhere between 16 to 24 crawfish per pound.
        Direct sales from small producers are sold directly to the consumer. The advantage of this is the freshness and also the crawfish can be observed alive before they are purchased.
Harvesting cost will vary depending on harvesting practices. The cost of a harvest is usually from 8 to 28 cents per pound of crawfish.