Raising Crawdads For Food

David Trammel's picture

Anyone here have experience raising (or just eating) crawdads. They are fresh water cousins of shrimp and lobster. Apparently from this thread on Permies.com they are pretty easy to establish in a pond on your property.

Info on raising crawdads?

I've eaten them in the past, and as a kid even went fishing for them (use a bare hook and wiggle it in front of them until they grab it with a claw, then lift them gently out of the water). Seems like they are bottom feeders (eating most anything plant like or animal by products). That they borrow into the mud to hibernate and lay eggs would make aqua-culturing them difficult but if you have a pond or slow running stream on your property, they might be a useful cheap addition to your live stock.

No experience raising, but lots of experience eating. Boil them with red potatoes, corn on the cob, and plenty of spices and they are quite tasty. You can use the leftover stock in other cooking.

Even if you couldn't raise them, foraging/fishing is a good idea!