Frogs!!Frogs!!

Dr. Craig Kasper HCC Aquaculture FAS 1012CDr. Craig Kasper HCC Aquaculture FAS 1012C

Introduction

• Culture of frogs is a limited global industry.

• Countries culturing frogs include Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, and Taiwan.

• U.S. frog culture may never be viable due to high labor costs, disease issues and volatile market.

Market: Legs

• Market-size frog = 185 grams.

• 500 g food needed to get there!!

• Big problem!!

• Frogs normally don’t accept prepared feeds.

• Must constantly be supplied live animals.

Other issues…

• Disease outbreaks common.

• Disinfect culture facility daily!!

• Cannibalism likely among adults.

• Need constant temperature to grow rapidly.

• Up to 21ft of shoreline needed for breeding males (territory).

If you take the plunge…

• Build a large enclosure (20’ x 20’)

• Fence it in.

• Stock 1 male:5 female frogs.

• Let ‘em go!!

• Be ready for 3,000-5,000 eggs.

Fry care

• Eggs hatch in 4-5 days @ 26ºC.

• Fry are stocked at 4,000-5,000 per meter square in shallow tanks.

• Fry are fed plankton (algae) and crushed feed.

• As fry grow they can be restocked at a density of 200 per cubic meter.

Market

• Over 2 million kg of frogs were imported annually in the ’80s (500,000 now).

• Average market price then $2.75-3.00/lb.

• Now it’s more like $7.00/lb.