Soft-shelled turtle males and  females take one year to reach maturity. One male or female adult is about 1 kg. One female can lay 10-20 eggs per batch and about 60-80eggs per year. The eggs hatch out into baby turtles
and each seedling weighs about 5g.

Spawner are selected from fast-growing and good quality 2 to 3 year old adults. They are stocked at sex-ratio of 1 : 3-4  (male : female). In  tropical countries, eggs are  laid all  year round with  a short  inter-nesting  pond. Spawning  normally  takes  place at night. Female  selects a nesting site; digs  a 15-20cm  diameter hole with a depth  of  8-12cm; and ten  lays  eggs  in  it before  covering it up. Number of eggs per  clutch is about 10-15, depending on spawner size.

Spawning  and  grower  pond area varies  at  200-1000m². Each  spawning  pond  has  an  egg-laying site,  a 1.5-2.5m² rectangular  platform that contains 15-25cm deep sand. Each site has wooden walkways extending into the water. The roof is made of galvanized iron sheets raised 1-1.2m above floor level.

Egg-laying  sites  are  checked every morning  for  signs, the  eggs  are  dug out. When  transferring  to  plastic containers, eggs  must be  handled  with care. Eggs are kep t in  wooden  boxes for 1-2 days  before fertilized eggs (those with small "white caps" )are selected.

Fertilized eggs are then transferred to sand beds in the hatchery for incubation. Eggs are arranged in rows with the "white cap" facing upward, spaced at a distance of 1-2cm apart, and buried under a 5cm layer of sand. 

Newly hatched turtles are removed daily from the basin in the incubation site and transferred to the nursery tank. One-hatchery  setup  uses concrete  tanks  with  fine sand  substrate and  good water quality; the  other  nurses hatchlings in covered net-cages suspended in a  small river or pond. Depth of water is adjusted according to the level desired.