By Fiona Gallagher · permaculture designer · food, animals and preservation on 12 acres in Tassie
“I lost my first twenty yabbies to a single pH crash, proving that no amount of off-grid grit replaces testing your water daily.”
— Fiona. If you can't eat it, it goes to the chooks.
ArticlesCalculatorsSite PlannerShopForget fancy aquaculture. Yabbies are your off-grid protein gold. They breed like rabbits, eat scraps, and thrive in muddy ponds. Here’s how to do it right.
Forget fancy aquaculture. Yabbies are your off-grid protein gold. They breed like rabbits, eat scraps, and thrive in muddy ponds. Here’s how to do it right.
Size: Minimum 2m x 2m x 0.5m deep. Bigger = more yabbies. No need for fancy liners. Just dig a hole, line with 0.5mm pond liner (or heavy-duty black plastic), and seal edges with soil.
Cost: $50-$100 for liner + digging. Skip the "aesthetic" rocks. Yabbies don’t care.
Water source: Rainwater tank or creek. No pumps needed. They’ll survive dry spells by burrowing into mud.
Test pH weekly with a $15 test kit (AquaTest or similar). Target: 6.5-8.5. If it’s below 6.5, add garden lime (100g per 10m²). Above 8.5? Dump in crushed eggshells.
Temperature: They’ll die if it drops below 5°C. Build your pond north-facing. In winter, cover with shade cloth (not plastic – traps heat).
NO aeration needed. They breathe through gills and can survive low oxygen. If you see dead yabbies, you’ve got a pollution problem (e.g., chicken manure runoff). Fix the source, not the pond.
Yabbies eat anything: vegetable scraps, fish pellets, even dead insects. No need for special feed. Dump 100g of kitchen waste per square metre weekly. Overfeeding = dirty water = dead yabbies.
Tip: If you’re raising them for sale, add 10% fish pellets (e.g., TropiFish) at $15/kg. Otherwise, skip it.
Yabbies mature in 6-8 months. Harvest when they’re 50-70mm long (about the size of your thumb). Don’t wait for them to get huge – they’ll start eating each other.
Method: Drain the pond slowly. Use a fine-mesh net (like a garden sieve). Don’t use chemicals or electricity. Just scoop and sort.
Rule: Never take more than 30% of the stock at once. Leave the rest to breed. If you take all, you’ll have to start over.
Yabby stock: Get 50-100 juvenile yabbies from Yabbies Australia (NSW). Price: $15-$25 for 50. Avoid "breeding stock" – they’re overpriced and often dead on arrival.
Pond liner: Bunnings (0.5mm PVC) – $35 for 10m². $3.50/m².
pH test kit: Amazon or Bunnings – $12-$18. $15.
Shade cloth: Bunnings (50% density) – $25 for 5m². $5/m².
Don’t overthink it. Build the pond. Add yabbies. Feed scraps. Harvest when they’re ready. That’s it. Your off-grid kitchen just got a lot easier.
Worth a watch: How To Build a Crayfish Tank (Cheaply) · T&L Farm
While many off-grid projects are achievable as DIY, certain situations require licensed professionals:
Always check local regulations and obtain necessary permits before commencing work.