Effects of Feeding Rate and Frequency on Production Characteristics of Pond-Raised Hybrid Catfish

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of various daily feeding rates and feeding every other day on the growth, net yield, feed conversion ratio, and size distribution of hybrid catfish (female channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male blue catfish I. furcatus) in production ponds. Hybrid catfish fingerlings (average size, 45 g) were stocked into 0.04-ha ponds at a density of 14,826 fish/ha. Initially, all fish were fed to apparent satiation until feed consumption reached predetermined levels. Thereafter, the daily feeding rates for fish in the restricted feeding group were no more than 112, 135, or 168 kg·ha⁻¹·d⁻¹. Fish in the every-other-day feeding group were fed to apparent satiation daily until they reached about 0.23 kg and every other day to satiation thereafter. The results from the present study show that feeding every other day significantly reduces the weight gain and net yield of hybrid catfish but improves the feed conversion ratio. Partial budget analysis indicates that feeding hybrid catfish every other day is not economical at recent feed and fish prices. There were no significant differences in net yield, weight gain, and percentage of market-size fish among fish fed daily at various rates. Fish fed daily at no more than 112 and 135 kg/ha had significantly lower feed conversion ratios than fish fed daily to satiation. Simple regression analysis indicates that the weight gain, net yield, feed conversion ratio, and percentage of market-size fish increased linearly as the total amount of feed fed increased in fish fed daily. The results also show that the feed restriction used in the present study does not affect the size distribution of hybrid catfish.

Received May 31, 2011; accepted August 18, 2011

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Billy Rutland, Lee McIntire, and staff at the NWAC for assistance in routine pond management. Special thanks to Dennis Rowe of Mississippi State University for providing statistical analysis of fish size distribution data. This manuscript is approved for publication as Journal Article No. J-11977 of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES), Mississippi State University. The project was supported under MAFES Project MIS-371390 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.