The Aussie Pinball Arcade

Aussie Pinball Forums => General Chat - Non Pinball/coin-opp Discussion => Topic started by: JD on August 24, 2009, 09:07:30 PM

Title: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 24, 2009, 09:07:30 PM
Due to popular demand, I am starting on a crop of yabbies on the weekend! Have some new tanks to start the process and keen to get some going again now that the weather has warmed up.

RY has put his order in so I better get cracking!

J.D.

 #*#   #*# $#$   $#$
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on August 24, 2009, 09:12:42 PM
MMMMMMM yabbies  your starting a new crop are they from seeds  %.% %.% %.%
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 24, 2009, 09:20:58 PM
No DD toys they are from males and females. I put the males and females in separate tanks, turn up the heat (via an old water bed heater) extend the daylight hours via a kambrook timer switch and lights (so they think it is summer) and then put the boys and girls together and wammo! usually get 70-80% berried (that is with eggs) within a couple of weeks of that.

300-500 eggs each female so plenty of yabbies. Takes 3 months for bait size and then 6 months for good eating size.

Yum Yum
J.D. #*#   #*#

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on August 24, 2009, 09:42:05 PM
Thats awesome 6months till eating size might have to look into that saves sitting on a dam bank lol
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Extra Ball on August 24, 2009, 09:57:26 PM
Hey JD, RY said a meet at your place with all the yabbies we can eat laid-on.
 #*#

To be honest I have never eaten yabbie, so am lookin forward to it. That, and Aqua-culture has allways interested me.
 *%*
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 24, 2009, 10:03:33 PM
How good are these?

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 24, 2009, 10:10:38 PM
Top pic is my drainable yabby dam and below a yabby pizza!

First Class!

J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 24, 2009, 10:17:44 PM
Another one!

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: pinnies4me on August 24, 2009, 10:32:17 PM
Yabbies are real fine eating.

I tried to grow some a while back - but I got attached to them and couldn't kill 'em.

Then the lid came off the tank and a heap escaped into the house. Kept finding their shed skins around the place for a couple of years - reckon they managed to survive quite while! Never saw them though.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: illawarra_steelers on August 24, 2009, 11:22:13 PM
Yabbies are real fine eating.

I tried to grow some a while back - but I got attached to them and couldn't kill 'em.

Then the lid came off the tank and a heap escaped into the house. Kept finding their shed skins around the place for a couple of years - reckon they managed to survive quite while! Never saw them though.

Pinchy the Lobster!  :lol :lol :lol
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 25, 2009, 08:09:24 AM
Always a great story when yabbies are concered.


J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Extra Ball on August 25, 2009, 08:21:58 AM
Always a great story when yabbies are concered.


J.D.

So we can expect Yabbie pizzas at your meet as well JD.
 #*#
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ktm450 on August 25, 2009, 11:51:04 AM
MMMM You are making my mouth water.
Yabbies are sooooo much better than prawns  #.#
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Duckman on August 25, 2009, 02:27:30 PM
Yeah!! Yabbies rock!   Used to net the dams on my uncles property as a kid and we'd cook up hundreds in an old copper washer in the shed, pour them onto potato sacks and have the everyone from miles around (small country town) come over for beer and yabbies. One of my fave memories as a child. ^^^

Good luck with the latest crop.

P.S. over here in the U.S. all they have are shrimp, No where near as good as the Aussie Yabby!!!! $#$

Can't wait to get back home....
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 25, 2009, 02:43:53 PM
Yea! I met someone in the Louisiana who showed me how small they are over there.

I can grow these from 15g to 100g in 8 - 12 months.

I too believe in being humane. We put ours to sleep before they go into the boiling water and we do not smoke any here either!


J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: The pinballist formally known as Dean Morgan on August 25, 2009, 08:03:30 PM
Wow, brings back memories of when I was a kid in the 70s at the Hume Weir Caravan Park, there was two old guys that ran the Boat Shed there and they had some old baths full of old yabbies.  We used to buy them and they would always give them to you in an old metal ice cream container.  The big round ones that they scoop ice cream from and put in cones...

Nothin to do with your post, but good memories for me.  Also Hume Weir Milk Bar had some Pins and this is where I used to play KLONDIKE
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 25, 2009, 10:03:13 PM
Ok;

Duckman I think you are on to a winning combination here! Beer and Yabbies! You have discovered the best kept secret there has ever been. Pinball's are the only thing missing from this dream!

My gas BBQ is alongside my games room so there is potential for both!

I enjoy growing yabbies and silver / golden perch (yellow belly) what a wonderful fun thing to do in your backyard.

Extra Ball I studied aquaculture at Kurri Tafe and had a ball with it all. Some great legends in the Hunter and Port Stephens to learn from!

Yabbies are a little bland in comparison to King Prawns but a lot more Australian!

Garlick and sauces can certainly add to the end result!

What about catching them on a string on the side of the dam. Isn't that something all kids (and grown ups) should experience once at least in life?

Cheers!


J.D. <.>   <.>   <.>   <.>
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on August 25, 2009, 10:05:39 PM
I love shelling a heap of the little buggers and soaking them in a jar of vinegar mmm mmmm.     
My old man puts em in with vinegar garlic & chillies
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on August 25, 2009, 10:13:24 PM
DDToys, you reminded me of a cracker I saw once at home.

Had a big yabby night at home with the local cubs and scouts. (My son was a scout at the time), went through the usual discussions and competitions until we were cooking the nights competition winners catches and I was asked for help...

Turned around by the campfire and someone had  a yabbies head in their mouth and was asking what to do with the rest.

Turned me off for a while too!

PS He diddnt have any beers and said "it tasted great" with a straight face!

Must have been the aptmosphere!

Havent tried chillies but I will let you know how they taste! Garlick works well!


J.D.

 %$%
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on August 25, 2009, 10:15:37 PM
This thread has really got me craving Yabbies might head out the country and raid a few dams
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: studley67 on August 25, 2009, 10:24:32 PM
i throw mine straight onto the coals,and eat the little buggers cooked in their own juices.yum !*! !*!
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on August 25, 2009, 10:40:06 PM
i throw mine straight onto the coals,and eat the little buggers cooked in their own juices.yum !*! !*!

So you put the whole yabby on the hot coals and cook em that way?  Will have to try this next time we go camping  #*#
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Duckman on August 26, 2009, 01:36:48 AM
So, Next pinball meet. Who's bringing the yabbies?????

Now i wanna get home more than ever and catch yabbies with a lamb chop and a bit of string!!!!   &&
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on September 02, 2009, 10:17:23 PM
Tank 1 is ready, full of yabbies and going well.
Aerator worked well until tonight when I noticed a few yabbies trying to get out and on disassembly found the air pump diaphram broken. Will get another one tomorrow. Cleaning the second tank and getting the plumbing connected.

Changed the lighting and will add 1 hr of lighting after every 3 days up to 17hrs per day and turn the water bed heater temp up a little too. (When the aerator is fixed that is).

More shortly!

Once I have plenty of babies for the freshly prepared dam, I will have the parents for dinner!

They look delicious!

J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on September 02, 2009, 10:22:10 PM


Once I have plenty of babies for the freshly prepared dam, I will have the parents for dinner!

They look delicious!

J.D.

HAHAHAHAHA   priceless  %.% %.%
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on September 11, 2009, 08:49:38 PM
OK More progress...

Installed 3 pallecons in garage this week and all plumbed into dam.

Water filtration going well.

100% survival rate so far...

Cleaning out our back dam over the weekend and should have a bloody ball!
Heaps of eels to get rid of, fish to move and border nets to arrange.

Plenty of helpers here across the weekend and a big campfire tomorrow night!

Have a good weeknend all! I will be!!!

When we want a break, we will be playing the pinnies..

J.D.

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: ddstoys on September 11, 2009, 09:59:17 PM
Sounds like an awsome weekend wish i was there helping
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: illawarra_steelers on September 11, 2009, 11:19:30 PM
OK More progress...

Installed 3 pallecons in garage this week and all plumbed into dam.

Water filtration going well.

100% survival rate so far...

Cleaning out our back dam over the weekend and should have a bloody ball!
Heaps of eels to get rid of, fish to move and border nets to arrange.

Plenty of helpers here across the weekend and a big campfire tomorrow night!

Have a good weeknend all! I will be!!!

When we want a break, we will be playing the pinnies..

J.D.


Post some pix of the little critters  :lol
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on October 05, 2009, 11:10:43 PM
Put the 55 fish back tonight. what a blast!

3 real nice yellow bellies!
Tomorrow we will move the baby yabbies across and start growing them bigger for the dam.

Got Gorgar going again too!

Great weekend! All green here with the rain.


J.D.

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on December 12, 2009, 10:59:00 PM
Just separated thousands of baby yabbies today.

Never ceases to amaze me. No matter how many times I have done this.
Turned the aerators off so the mozzies will start to breed and the baby yabbies will get a feed!

EB, perhaps you should get one as a pet so you can see how big they get and how quick!



J.D.



 
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on December 12, 2009, 11:16:09 PM
OK More progress...

Installed 3 pallecons in garage this week and all plumbed into dam.

Water filtration going well.

100% survival rate so far...

Cleaning out our back dam over the weekend and should have a bloody ball!
Heaps of eels to get rid of, fish to move and border nets to arrange.

Plenty of helpers here across the weekend and a big campfire tomorrow night!

Have a good weekend all! I will be!!!

When we want a break, we will be playing the pinnies..

J.D.


Post some pix of the little critters  :lol


Tony, here is a little one, some are bigger but this was the one I caught.

Pic 2 is the nursery grow out until they go into the dams.

J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: illawarra_steelers on December 12, 2009, 11:36:16 PM
Thanks for that John,

So how old are those little critters?

My next meet is in 4 months - those little punks going to be ready for the pizzas at the meet?  :lol
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Extra Ball on December 12, 2009, 11:49:56 PM
That little fella cant imagine that his destiny lay in my belly.
 *%*
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: johnwartjr on December 13, 2009, 01:04:37 AM
I'm trying to decide if these are more like a shrimp or a crawdad over here in the states :)
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Extra Ball on December 13, 2009, 01:21:56 AM
I'm trying to decide if these are more like a shrimp or a crawdad over here in the states :)

shrimp mainly saltwater, crawdads are fresh I think, like yabbies
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: johnwartjr on December 13, 2009, 02:20:00 AM
OK, I hit up the wikipedia in the US and couldn't be sure. I like shrimp and lobster, never tried a crawdad, but I imagine it's similar to lobster, so I would probably like it :)
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on December 13, 2009, 07:47:56 AM
Tony, this one would be about 4 weeks old.
They grow a lot faster from here.

No not much left when the shell is removed at this point!

J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: pinnies4me on December 13, 2009, 08:08:59 AM
I'm trying to decide if these are more like a shrimp or a crawdad over here in the states :)

Definitely a "crawdad" John. Over here we often call lobsters "crayfish", although the word "crayfish" means the freshwater version of which yabbies and crawdads are the same family.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on December 13, 2009, 09:20:22 AM
I had tasted crawdada in Louisianna a few years ago and they were beautiful and fresh water grown. Similar.
They tend to be smaller than our yabbies which can grow to 120-150grams.

Our yabbies can cope with salinity but will not grow in salt water. ie Make excellent bait for faltheads as they will walk right into the flatheads waiting for a feed.

The name of our species is Cherax Destructor and we get around 70kg per annum from 1 megalitre of water. Using semi intensive aquaculture method. ie lots of structure / surface area in the dam.

Our starting point is 15grams as opposed to these tiny starters.

As I hadn't grown any now for a couple of years, I just wanted to start from zero and do it low cost no rush with my kids. On the way through I wanted a supply of bait next year also.


I have attached some more pics so you can see them clearer!


J.D.



Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on January 31, 2010, 09:16:00 PM
Well, few distractions of late including some interstate travel but was plesantly greeted by several eager yabbies upon my return.

The nursery (1) is now full so I assume around 5,000 juviniles.
Ready for second nursery.

here's a pic of one of the same (specs) in previous photo.

J.D.

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Extra Ball on January 31, 2010, 09:34:09 PM
Really looking fwd to your yabbie meet mate.
 *%*
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Caveoftreasures on February 01, 2010, 09:16:58 PM
hey JD, wher are the photos my man.

take a picture for us please.  ^^^

regards, Caveman

Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: JD on February 02, 2010, 08:02:38 PM
hey JD, wher are the photos my man.

take a picture for us please.  ^^^

regards, Caveman



picture is above Cavey. I will try to post some more on the weekend

J.D.
Title: Re: Time to grow some yabbies!
Post by: Caveoftreasures on February 03, 2010, 12:53:06 AM
excellent.

now put one under the wifes pillow and take a photo of her chasing you with a broomstick. lol  &&

anything which has claws or bites makes me jump. now i know why i was told to never swim in a dam, cause ya might get bitten on the balls by something ! ouchh.  @.@

the big ones look like they would go on the BBQ real well.  *%*

excellent job JD. !  ^^^ ^^^ ^^^