Raising Oysters

[jack1747]

http://www.oystergardener.org/ 
They grow faster than you think. 1st pic 08/06. 2nd 10/06.

[Islander]

Nice pics, can't wait to see the 12/6 pic! 

[jeff l]

Jack, do you grow them?

[jack1747]

Jack, do you grow them?

Yes, those guys are from my floats.

[jeff l]

thats neat, do you know if I could grow them in my crab shed tank during winter?

[tattoo]

neet looking.

[F.I.sherman]

sounds like something i wouldnt mind doing.
its kinda like making beer.
ha even better,if your making a very good microbrew you could raise oysters at the same very time and if you ferment the beer for a long time to get it very good flavour,then you can raise the oysters to where they will be done at the same time and you end up with food and a great beverage 

[DocSmith]

Jack -

Any problem with gulls/herons getting the oysters?  I noticed no top on the floats.

Doc

PS Visitor from this morning...

[masspi]

I have a close friend who lives in Maine and he raises oysters with a State lease in front of his home.  He buys seed and starts them out in bags in an upweller.  The oysters are them moved into plastic mesh grow-out flats for the growing season.  The flats similar as the one in the photo below have 4 soda bottles attached to the sides and along with a couple of thousand others are lashed together and floated on the surface. 

At the end of the season, the fully grown oysters are culled for sale and the smaller ones are placed in flats and then packed into a much larger cage (like a big lobster trap) and sunk to the bottom for the Winter.

The flat in the photo is just out of the cages in the Spring.  Once or twice a season they use a pressure washer to clean the oysters of marine growth and to remove any Mussel seed that has attached itself to the shell.

Here is the link to their site              http://www.gayislandoysters.com/pages/1/index.htm

And yes, thats me (first time posting a photo of myself on the site and my friends Wife Tara.

He does about a million a year for sale and ant anytime has between 4 and 8 million in growing stages.

[masspi]

Found a photo of the floating cages the Oysters grow out in on the surface.

The gray tote is loaded with Oysters......any neighbors can come up to the dock and take their oysters for dinner and leave some money in a can.........the honor system still works in some places.

[SHELLFISH]

Interesting stuff! How old is an Oyster thats about 8 inches? I find them diving in the Norwalk CT area. Next time I get a big one I'll get a photo of it! They are too big to eat raw for me. I steam them hard then dunk in butter. The muscle is one tough SOB on a big one!

What size is legal up there? I think it's 3.5 inches in CT. That's the size I like to eat raw or with a light steam to open!

[tattoo]

GREAT pictuers, good info.

[fisheyed]

The state of washington got it right.  The oysters there you have to leave the shell so it maintains spat.  They are HUGE and salty.  You just shuck into a bag.  In the same area you can also clam.  In one square yard I pulled out over 75 little necks. The water is crystal clear and cold.

[fisheyed]

more pics

[fisheyed]

last one

[tattoo]

nice, thanks.

[coanhead932]

I've been reading up on oyster gardening and here are some links for those interested.  Also, note that oysters filter the water and that is why the Save the Bay foundation is promoting raising oysters to create artificial oyster reefs.  Both Md and VA have programs that show you how to build cages and show you how to raise them.  They sell you the spats you, in turn, grow them and then return the oysters for implanting on artificial oyster reefs in Chesapeake Bay.

Virginia allows a person to get a permit for non commercial use.  One other item, you need to raise the oysters in water that has not been condemned by the VA Dept of health.

http://www.oystergardener.org/
http://www.mobilebaynep.com/oystergardening/Oyster%20Gardening.htm
http://www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=action_outdoors_oysters_va&JServSessionIdr011=l7t0wmfcu1.app23a

Good luck.

[jack1747]

Jack -

Any problem with gulls/herons getting the oysters?  I noticed no top on the floats.

Doc

PS Visitor from this morning...

Hi Doc, The Taylor Floats have tops.  You can barely see them leaning against the ropes..  Got to keep the blue crabs out tho.. They can really chow down on the baby oysters.

[jack1747]

  One other item, you need to raise the oysters in water that has not been condemned by the VA Dept of health.

You can raise them in any water but you can't eat them if they come from condemned water.   They tell us that the oysters can be taken to "clean" water for 15 days, then they are safe to eat. 

My are going to a protected reef after they breed once in our creek.  The idea is the high number of oysters close together will increase how many are hatched.   I have 3000 in 24sq/ft.  Oysters breed when they are 1 inch or larger.  Some of the gardeners are getting their oyster to grow 3 inches in a season..

[tattoo]

DO you ever find any pearls ?

[crabbygramps]

  Extremely interesting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Would love to try something like that..But, it would most likely turn out like my clamming venture.. Soon as they were big enough to eat... "GULP"

[tattoo]

 

[cw4340]

jack 3 in oysters sounds like oyster stew for lunch

[tattoo]

I'll take mine fried. 

[jack1747]

Took a new picture of the baby yosters but they really didnt grow any since last fall.  This winter while duck hunting I found 3 complete oyster shells back in the marsh.  Dead of course but they were 8 inches long.  I didnt no oysters got that big. The Bay most have been really something to see 100 years ago.