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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Aquatic Animal Health Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #255227
Title: Growth response and feed utilization of juvenile hybrid catfish fed diets containing distiller's dried grains with solubles to replace a combination of soybean meal and corn meal

Author
item ZHOU, PING - Auburn University
item ZHANG, WENBING - Changqing Key Laboratory
item DAVIS, D. ALLEN - Auburn University
item Lim, Chhorn

Submitted to: North American Journal of Aquaculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/2010
Publication Date: 3/1/2010
Citation: Zhou, P., Zhang, W., Davis, D., Lim, C.E. 2010. Growth response and feed utilization of juvenile hybrid catfish fed diets containing distiller's dried grains with solubles to replace a combination of soybean meal and corn meal. North American Journal of Aquaculture. 72(4):298-303.

Interpretive Summary: Earlier studies have shown, relative to various strains of channel catfish, hybrid catfish (female channel catfish x male blue catfish) exhibit many desirable characteristics such as faster growth, tolerance of low dissolved oxygen, increased resistance to many diseases, tolerance to crowded growth conditions in ponds, uniformity in size and shape, higher dress-out percentages, and increased harvestability by seining. However, published data on the nutrition of hybrid catfish are limited. Thus we evaluated the growth response and feed utilization of juvenile hybrid catfish fed diets containing 20% and 30% distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) with or without lysine supplementation as replacements for a combination of SBM and corn meal (CM) in the basal diet. Recent research has shown that DDGS is a promising, low-cost alternative feed ingredient for several fish species such as rainbow trout, channel catfish and tilapia. Hybrid catfish (1.20 g average weight) in five aquaria (30 fish/aquarium) were randomly fed each of the following five experimental diets. Diet 1 (the basal/control diet), contained 32% SBM and 20% CM (no DDGS and no lysine supplementation) and was based on a practical diet formulated for channel catfish. Diet 2 contained 20% DDGS and 0% lysine supplementation; diet 3 contained 20% DDGS and 0.10% lysine supplementation; diet 4 contained 30% DDGS and 0% lysine supplementation; and diet 5 contained 30% DDGS and 0.20% lysine supplementation. Fish were fed at 5% of body weight twice daily for 8 weeks. There were no significant differences in percent weight gain or final weight among fish fed the four diets containing DDGS (diets 2 to 4). However, weight gain and final weight of fish fed the control diet (without DDGS) were significantly poorer than those of fish fed diets 3–5. These diets also produced significantly better feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio than diet 1. Results of the present study indicate that 30% DDGS can be used as a replacement of SBM and CM combination without requiring lysine supplementation.

Technical Abstract: A feeding trial was conducted in aquaria with juveile hybrid catfish (channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus X blue catfish I. furcatus) to evaluate distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) as a replacement for a combination of soybean meal (SBM) and corn meal (CM). Twenty-five 75-L glass aquaria were each stocked with 30 juvenile hybrid catfish (initial weight = 1.16-1.25 g). Five replicates were randomly assigned to each of five dietary treatments. Diet 1, the basal diet, contained 32% SBM and 20% CM (no DDGS and no lysine supplementation) and was based on a practical diet formulatd for channel catfish. Diet 2 contained 20% DDGS and 0% lysine supplementation; diet 3 contained 20% DDGS and 0.10% lysine supplementation; diet 4 contained 30% DDGS and 0% lysine supplementation; and diet 5 contained 30% DDGS and 0.20% lysine supplementation. Fish were fed at a restricted rate equaling 5% of wet body weight twice daily for 8 weeks. There were no significant differences in percent weight gain or final weight among the four treatments with DDGS supplements. However, weight gain and final weights fo fish offered diet 1 were significantly poorer than those of fish offered diets 3-5. These diets also produced significantly lower feed conversion ratios and higher protein efficiency ratios than diet 1. Results of the present study indicate that the diets formulated with 30% DDGS using the reported combination of other protein sources were not deficient in lysine and supported good growth and feed utilization in juvenile hybrid catfish.