Preliminary Evaluation of Production Systems and Forages for Culture of Orconectes virilis , the Northern or Fantail Crayfish

Culture potential of Orconectes virilis , the northern or fantail crayfish, was evaluated in deep ponds and simulated shallow ponds during the summer and fall. Adult crayfish were stocked in the deep ponds in October and known numbers of juvenile crayfish were stocked in the shallow ponds in May. Triplicate groups of crayfish in each system were either not fed (negative control) or fed corn silage or wheat straw. Production in either system was not significantly different between treatments, but production in the shallow tanks (790 kg/ha) was almost double that observed in the deep ponds (401 kg/ha) and may have been due to different stocking strategies. Juvenile crayfish were generally of minimal marketable size at the end of one growing season. The shallow tanks were restocked in October and drained in March to evaluate overwinter survival in this type of system. Survival averaged 78.9% for both males and females, and most (97.1%) age 1 females were carrying eggs.