Redclaw Homestead Business

Red Claw!
Raising the Giant Australian Freshwater Crayfish
(ISBN 0-9631526-3-7)
The Red Claw crayfish is very similar to the native American crayfish, except that it grows to a HUGE size--almost to the size of a lobster!

This book provides much hard to find info... only $11.95 from Rampumps.com. Order below.

Raise giant Red Claw freshwater crayfish!

RED CLAW!
Raising the Giant Australian Freshwater Crayfish The Red Claw crayfish is a new and very promising aquaculture species. This book is one of the few sources for complete information on all aspects of the culture of this lobster-sized freshwater crayfish. Compiled from leading-edge research direct from Australia as well as individual findings all over the U.S., this book dispels the hype and furnishes the facts about this little known but highly prized aquaculture species. Fish farmers have managed to become major players in this bottomless market in only a couple of years. Small scale family run operations are harvesting short lobsters in less than a year and the start-up costs are low.
Why red claw crayfish? The redclaw crayfish species possess qualities which make it particularly well suited for intensive aquaculture. Redclaw reproduce rapidly and grow to market size in less than a year. The meat is arguably more healthy than traditional seafood products as it is low in fat, cholesterol and salt. The species is economical to produce, is lobster-like in appearance and compares favorably in both flavor and quality with other marine crustaceans. Redclaw are often described as having a similar flesh texture and flavor to that of a Lobster. Local demand for redclaw is strong with as little as 4% being exported. Significant export potential has been identified for future production expansion.

From Fish Farming International- "The production of freshwater crayfish native to Australia, especially in closed systems, makes for ideal local development projects in rural communities", says Dr. Theo Ratte, an expeienced international fisheries and aquaculture scientist.
"Closed systems, with all the benefits they offer, can be relatively easily and inexpensively established and managed. Some benefits include safety from predators, controlled feed intake, controlled environmental factors-(turbidity, temperature, waste management) all of which produce maximum growth rate, highly efficient reproduction rates, and the highest possible weight at harvest. Simple selective breeding can increase the size and disease resistance of successive generations, as in the now famous 'Super Shrimp' of Mexico".

Here is a young Red Claw breeder full of eggs.
Photo courtesy of Stick-Fins Fish Farm, Fla.
Click to go to the Stick-Fins featured Red Claw Farm page

Raise giant Red Claw freshwater crayfish!
Photo courtesy of Stick-Fins Fish Farm, Fla.
Click to go to the Stick-Fins featured Red Claw Farm page

Here is a young Red Claw breeder. You can see the color, size & large number of eggs. From Stick-Fins Fish Farm.

Giant Tasmanian Crayfish with eggs.

Here is a full grown Tasmanian Giant crayfish.

This Is Not A Red Claw!
This is a Tasmanian Giant Crayfish
(astacopsis gouldi)
It is NOT suitable for culture; it takes years to mature and requires stringent environmental conditions, found only in some Tasmanian rivers.
It is the largest freshwater crayfish in the world, and is a threatened species.
From Tasmania, a large island to the south of Australia.

BOOK REVIEW
From 'SMALL FARM TODAY' by Ron Macher, editor: "Both of these booklets ('Small Scale Crayfish Farming' and 'Red Claw! Raising the Giant Australian Freshwater Crayfish') offer inexpensive, detailed information on the possibilities of raising crayfish for food and profit on a small acreage. There are not many crayfish reference books, and these two small books pack all the information you will need into a tiny price."

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