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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #189884
Title: EFFECT OF PERIODIC FEED DEPRIVATION ON GROWTH, FEED EFFICIENCY, PROCESSING YIELD, AND BODY COMPOSITION OF CHANNEL CATFISH

Author
item LI, M - MISS. STATE UNIVERSITY
item ROBINSON, E - MISS. STATE UNIVERSITY
item Bosworth, Brian

Submitted to: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2005
Publication Date: 12/16/2005
Citation: Li, M.H., Robinson, E.H., Bosworth, B.G. 2005. Effect of periodic feed deprivation on growth, feed efficiency, processing yield, and body composition of channel catfish. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 36:444-453.

Interpretive Summary: Feed costs represent a major expense in production of farm-raised catfish. Catfish are typically fed daily to satiation, or until a maximum daily feed input is reached to prevent overfeeding and degradation of water quality. However, under certain economic conditions (low fish prices and high feed costs) it may be economically beneficial to reduce feeding frequency. Studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of number of days fed on important production traits of channel catfish. Fish were deprived of feed 0, 1, 2, or 3 consecutive d per wk, 1 d per 5-d period, or 3 consecutive d per 10-d period and fed to satiation on days fish were fed. In general the amount of feed fed, growth, net production, carcass yield, fillet fat, visceral fat, and feed conversion increased, and fillet moisture decreased as number of days fed increased. However, less severe feed restrictions had only minor impacts on production. Generally fish should be fed daily to apparent satiation. However, during periods of unfavorable economic conditions, channel catfish may be fed less frequently than daily to reduce production cost without major impacts on food fish production. Present studies indicated that feeding channel catfish to satiation 5 or 6 d per wk (not feeding on one or two weekend days) could provide some benefits in reducing production costs.

Technical Abstract: Pond and aquaria studies were conducted to evaluate effects of periodic feed deprivation on growth of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Fish were deprived of feed 0, 1, 2, or 3 consecutive d per wk, 1 d per 5-d period, or 3 consecutive d per 10-d period and fed to satiation on days fish were fed. In general the amount of feed fed, growth, net production, carcass yield, fillet fat, visceral fat, and feed conversion increased, and fillet moisture decreased as number of days fed increased. However, less severe feed restrictions had little impact on traits compared to controls. Under normal economic conditions, fish should be fed daily to apparent satiation without waste and without causing water quality problems. However, during periods of unfavorable economic conditions, channel catfish raised from advanced fingerlings to market size may be fed less frequently than daily to reduce production cost. Results from the present studies indicated that feeding channel catfish to satiation 5 or 6 d per wk (not feeding on one or two weekend days) could provide some benefits in reducing production cost through reduced feed and labor costs for food-sized channel catfish during periods of low fish prices and high feed prices.