Snails

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Cirion Spellbinder
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Snails

Post by Cirion Spellbinder »

For whatever reason, I've taken up caring for garden snails, with the ultimate goal of breeding larger snails through some selection. Excuse the snails' tendency to poop frequently, it's rather easy, enjoyable, and relaxing. What I'd like to discuss is wether or not it might be a good idea to serve them to nonvegans (given their negligible sentience) to displace the consumption of more sentient creatures. The issues are that (1) where I live, snails are considered dirty animals, not fit to it and (2) if I do locate some wit a taste for snails, I might only temporarily displace snail cpnsumption, instead of say, cow.

Tell me your thoughts.
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EquALLity
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Re: Snails

Post by EquALLity »

My first reaction was, "Aww, snail breeding! Baby snails!"
And then you said you were going to feed them to people. :lol:
How are you going to kill them?

Even if people will eat the snails, which seems unlikely, they probably won't eat them regularly to the point where they eat less animal products. There are probably more effective ways of activism, like making a vegan club or joining one that does activism.

Why snails? If you want to get people to eat less animal products, why not make vegan cookies or something?

PS I used to have zebra snails in my fish tank (no longer have) and they would constantly climb out and I'd find them outside of the tank on my nightable. What kind of snails do you have and how do you manage them?
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brimstoneSalad
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Re: Snails

Post by brimstoneSalad »

Larger snails take longer to grow, and there are structural problems on land (without bones, a mollusk can only get so big before being crushed by its own weight).

But the ultimate problem would be efficiency: you have to feed the snails.
That's the wonder of oysters; they're filter feeders, so the food is "free".
Cirion Spellbinder
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Re: Snails

Post by Cirion Spellbinder »

EquALLity wrote: Sat May 13, 2017 8:46 amHow are you going to kill them?
I would boil them to death. :oops:
Even if people will eat the snails, which seems unlikely, they probably won't eat them regularly to the point where they eat less animal products. There are probably more effective ways of activism, like making a vegan club or joining one that does activism.
I don't disagree.
Why snails? If you want to get people to eat less animal products, why not make vegan cookies or something?

I already do vegan baking for family, but that is besides the point. I am wondering about snails because I have decided to care for them and wouldn't mind some use for this hobby.
What kind of snails do you have and how do you manage them?
They're just common garden snails: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornu_aspersum

I have them in two tanks, both lined with moist paper towel on the bottom and with at least one pot in it for shade. I spray them with water and feed them daily: lettuce, strawberries, and egg shells for calcium (I've asked relatives for these), though not altogether, and not in any coherent order. I try to remove their excrement and the previous day's leftovers daily as well, but I'm not as consistent with this. And every few days I replace the paper towels, and I plan to bathe them and clean out the tanks every once in a while as well. They can't escape because I have a metal cage lid on the top of both tanks.
Last edited by Cirion Spellbinder on Sun May 14, 2017 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Cirion Spellbinder
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Re: Snails

Post by Cirion Spellbinder »

brimstoneSalad wrote: Sun May 14, 2017 12:37 am Larger snails take longer to grow, and there are structural problems on land (without bones, a mollusk can only get so big before being crushed by its own weight).
If I feed them a low calcium diet, it is my understanding, their shells will be weaker, and therefore weigh less as well.
But the ultimate problem would be efficiency: you have to feed the snails.
That's the wonder of oysters; they're filter feeders, so the food is "free".
I'm not suggesting this as an optimal mode of altruism; I was merely wondering if there might be any benefit to this hobby, and I plan to feed them either way.
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brimstoneSalad
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Re: Snails

Post by brimstoneSalad »

I suppose it's a relatively good pet to keep, since you're unlikely to cause them suffering from confinement.

I'm inclined to doubt it had practical applications, though.

Crabs would probably have more so. The pincers (where the most meat is) can be removed and eaten without killing the crab, and they will regrow.
Breeding crabs with very large pincers might have more practical application, and more people like crab meat.
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EquALLity
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Re: Snails

Post by EquALLity »

Cirion Spellbinder wrote:I would boil them to death. :oops:
O_O Wtf?! That's pretty unethical then.
I already do vegan baking for family, but that is besides the point. I am wondering about snails because I have decided to care for them and wouldn't mind some use for this hobby.
Then care for them. Don't boil them to death.

If you feel like there's no point to doing that, why are you breeding snails in the first place?
"I am not a Marxist." -Karl Marx
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