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Effects of Maintenance Feeding Regimens on Weight Gain, Feed Efficiency, and Body Condition of Pond‐Raised Channel Catfish
Author(s) -
Li Menghe H.,
Manning Bruce B.,
Oberle Daniel F.,
Robinson Edwin H.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
north american journal of aquaculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.432
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1548-8454
pISSN - 1522-2055
DOI - 10.1577/a04-045.1
Subject(s) - catfish , ictalurus , biology , zoology , fish <actinopterygii> , body weight , fishery , fish farming , aquaculture , endocrinology
This study evaluated the effects of initial fish size and weekly feeding frequency during the growing season on production characteristics and body condition of pond‐raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus . Two sizes of channel catfish (averaging 39 or 249 g/fish) were stocked into eighteen 0.04‐ha ponds at a density of 14,820 fish/ha. On days fed fish were fed to apparent satiation with a commercial 28% protein diet for 15 weeks. Fish fed once weekly to satiation gained 92% or 39% of initial weight for small and large fish, respectively. Maintenance feeding frequency (satiation) for these sizes of fish stocked at 14,820 fish/ha would be less frequent than once weekly. The condition factor improved as weekly feeding frequency increased. Larger fish had a better survival than smaller fish. However, fish survival was not affected by weekly feeding frequency. Based on results from the present study, it appears that feeding once weekly to satiation can maintain the body weight of advanced fingerling and larger sized channel catfish stocked at the density used in the present study. However, if economic conditions permit, fish should be fed more frequently to maintain a better body condition. This is especially true for smaller fish raised using a multiple‐batch cropping system.