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Feed Cost (feed + cost)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Earth and Environmental Science	76%
Life Sciences	23%

Selected Abstracts

Evaluation of Reduced Fish Meal Diets for Second Year Growout of the Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 6 2009
Nathan J. Cochran
Development of efficient cost-effective diets is a critical component in the refinement of production technologies for the largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (LMB). One of the first steps in reducing feed costs can be to decrease the amount of fish meal in the diet. The objective of this study was to evaluate reduced levels of fish meal, and a least-cost formulation diet, for second year growout of LMB under practical pond conditions. Twelve 0.04-ha ponds were stocked with juvenile LMB (210.1±3.3 g) at a stocking density of 8650 fish/ha (350 fish/pond). Each pond was randomly assigned one of the four dietary treatments with three replicate ponds per treatment. The three experimental diets contained varying levels of fish meal. Diets FM-45, FM-24, and FM-8 contained 45, 23.5, and 8% fish meal, respectively. In diets FM-24 and FM-8, fish meal was replaced by varying levels of poultry by-product meal, soybean meal, and blood meal. The fourth diet was a commercial salmonid diet widely used as a LMB growout feed (Nelson and Sons, Inc., SilvercupTM, Steelhead, Murray, UT, USA). This diet served as a commercial control (CC) and contained 46% crude protein. The experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric with the CC diet and were fed once daily to apparent satiation for 180 d. At harvest, there were no significant differences between treatments (P > 0.05) in terms of survival, which averaged 95% overall. Mean weights of fish fed the three experimental diets FM-45, FM-24 and FM-8 were not significantly different (P > 0.05) and averaged 518, 546, and 529 g, respectively, but were all significantly greater (P, 0.05) than those fed the CC (488 g). Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of fish fed the FM-45 and FM-8 diets (1.43 and 1.46, respectively) was significantly greater (P, 0.05) than those fed the FM-24 diet (1.34). The FCR of fish fed the CC diet (1.39) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from fish fed other diets. Feed cost per unit of weight gain ($US/kg) was significantly lower (P, 0.05) in fish fed the FM-24 and FM-8 diets ($0.73 and $0.72/kg, respectively) than in fish fed other diets. Feed cost per unit gain of fish fed the FM-45 diet ($0.83/kg) was significantly lower (P, 0.05) than those fed the CC diet ($1.04/kg). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in dress-out percentages or proximate composition among fish fed the four diets. This study indicates that fish meal levels in feeds used for the second year growout of LMB can be reduced to,8% of the formulation without reducing survival or growth and without negatively impacting body composition. [source]

Metabolic and productive response to ruminal protein degradability in early lactation cows fed untreated or xylose-treated soybean meal-based diets

JOURNAL OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY AND NUTRITION, Issue 6 2009
M. Jahani-Moghadam
Summary Effects of different dietary rumen undegradable (RUP) to degradable (RDP) protein ratios on ruminal nutrient degradation, feed intake, blood metabolites and milk production were determined in early lactation cows. Four multiparous (43 ± 5 days in milk) and four primiparous (40 ± 6 days in milk) tie-stall-housed Holstein cows were used in a duplicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with four 21-day periods. Each period had 14-day of adaptation and 7-day of sampling. Diets contained on a dry matter (DM) basis, 23.3% alfalfa hay, 20% corn silage and 56.7% concentrate. Cows were first offered alfalfa hay at 7:00, 15:00 and 23:00 hours, and 30 min after each alfalfa hay delivery were offered a mixture of corn silage and concentrate. Treatments were diets with RUP:RDP ratios of (i) 5.2:11.6 (control), (ii) 6.1:10.6, (iii) 7.1:9.5 and (iv) 8.1:8.5, on a dietary DM% basis. Different RUP:RDP ratios were obtained by partial and total replacement of untreated soybean meal (SBM) with xylose-treated SBM (XSBM). In situ study using three rumen-cannulated non-lactating cows showed that DM and crude protein (CP) of SBM had greater rapidly degradable fractions. The potentially degradable fractions were degraded more slowly in XSBM. Treatment cows produced greater milk, protein, lactose, solids-non-fat and total solids than control cows. Increasing RUP:RDP reduced blood urea linearly. Feed costs dropped at RUP:RDP ratios of 6.1:10.6 and 7.1:9.5, but not at 8.1:8.5, compared with the 5.2:11.6 ratio. Intake of DM and CP, rumen pH, blood glucose, albumin and total protein, faecal and urine pH, changes in body weight and body condition score, and milk lactose and solids-non-fat percentages did not differ among treatments. Results provide evidence that increasing dietary RUP:RDP ratio from 5.2:11.6 to 7.1:9.5 optimizes nitrogen metabolism and milk production and reduces feed costs in early lactation cows. Reduced blood urea suggests reprodutive benefits. [source]

Weaning Chinese perch Siniperca chuatsi (Basilewsky) onto artificial diets based upon its specific sensory modality in feeding

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 2001
X F Liang
Abstract Chinese perch are one of the most valuable food fish in China, but the sole source of feed for intensive culture is live prey fish. Our previous studies on systematic sensory physiology revealed that this species have a mechanism for this peculiar feeding habit. In the present study, a specific training procedure was designed, and both experimental (initial body weight 171.0 g; 120 days) and commercial (initial body weight 52.4 g; 240 days) net-cage cultures were conducted to investigate the training success, growth performance and survival of the trained yearlings fed with nonlive or Oregon-type moist diet. The training successes of minced prey fish and the Oregon moist diet were 100 and 89.9%, respectively, in experimental culture, and 92.2 and 83.5% in commercial culture. In an experimental trial, the fish fed minced prey fish or the Oregon moist diet attained final body weights of 472.7 g or 344.7 g, although the specific growth rates of these groups were significantly lower than that of the fish fed live prey fish (final body weight 560.0 g). Mortality was not significantly related to dietary treatment. In commercial culture, the final body weights were as follows: 750 g on live prey fish, 705 g on minced prey fish and 651 g on the Oregon moist diet. Feed costs to produce 1 kg fish were estimated to be US$6.59 for live prey fish, US$1.76 for minced prey fish and US$2.07 for the Oregon moist diet. The results of the present study confirmed that sensory modality and associative learning appear to be critical factors in determining food discrimination of Chinese perch, indicating that both minced trash fish and Oregon-type moist diet can be substituted for live prey fish in intensive commercial production. [source]

Substitution of plant protein for fish meal in the diet of laying ducks

ANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007
Narin THONGWITTAYA
ABSTRACT Fish meal is a good source of protein feed that can be used to get a high production yield even though it has a comparatively higher price. Plant protein has been found to substitute for fish meal without any adverse effect on production as well as helping to reduce feed cost. Moreover, it is not necessary for a level more than 5% fish meal in the diet of laying ducks. One type of plant protein is soybean meal, considered one of the most valuable sources of vegetable protein and whose amino acid composition is comparable to that of milk protein. In a soybean meal, the first limiting amino acid is methionine. Soybean meal can substitute for fish meal in laying ducks' diet but supplementation of methionine and lysine is recommended. Since sesame meal is rich in methionine and agrinine, 50% of soybean meal can be replaced by sesame meal without adverse effects. Leucaena leaf meal is also a valuable source of protein (26%) and carotenoids but it also has a toxic amino acid (mimosine). However, soaking leucaena leaf meal in water can remove the toxic amino acid and can be used, together with added methionine and lysine, as 10% of the diet for laying ducks. [source]

Assessing the use of a dietary probiotic/prebiotic as an enhancer of spinefoot rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus survival and growth

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 6 2007
A.Y. EL-DAKAR
Abstract The use of prebiotics and probiotics as feed supplements that improve efficiency of intestinal bacteria is becoming de rigueur in animal husbandry in many regions worldwide. We tested the effects of a commercial probiotic (Biogen®) containing allicin, high unit hydrolytic enzyme, Bacillus subtilis spores and ginseng extracts on survival, growth, carcass composition and feed cost/benefit in rabbitfish Siganus rivulatus. Fifteen net cages (100 × 100 × 40 cm; L × W × H) were stocked with 10 juvenile rabbitfish (10.3 g per fish) each and placed in a large rectangular tank and offered feed at 4% body weight daily. Cages were offered one of five isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets containing 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 g kg,1 probiotic at three replicates per treatment for 98 days. Fish in all cages were weighed at 2-week intervals and feed regimen was adjusted accordingly. Rabbitfish offered the control diet exhibited lower growth and feed utilization than all experimental treatments. There was no effect of probiotic inclusion level on survival but growth was better at all inclusion levels than in the control. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in growth were observed among fish groups fed various levels of the probiotic. Carcass composition was not affected by dietary probiotic inclusion. Ultimately, when all variables are considered, Biogen® inclusion to diets appears to reduce feed cost per unit growth of rabbitfish. [source]

Dietary protein level and natural food management in the culture of blue (Litopenaeus stylirostris) and white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in microcosms

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION, Issue 3 2003
L.R. Martinez-Cordova
Abstract The effect of dietary protein level and natural food management on the production parameters of blue and white shrimp, as well as on water quality, was evaluated in a microcosms system (plastic pools simulating aquaculture ponds). Two experimental trials were carried out in the facilities of DICTUS, University of Sonora, Northwest México. Treatment with low protein diet (LP) consisted of a low protein input (diet with 250 g kg,1 crude protein) through the culture period; treatment with high protein diet (HP) consisted of a high protein input (diet with 400 g kg,1 crude protein) through the trial, and finally treatment VP consisted of an adjustment of protein input (diets with 250, 350 or 400 g kg,1 crude protein), depending on the abundance of biota (zooplankton and benthos) in the system. Each species responded differently to the treatments. For blue shrimp, low protein input resulted in the lowest final body weight (12.9 ± 0.6 g) and biomass (696.0 g pool,1). Survival and feed conversion ratio were similar in the three treatments. For white shrimp, the best growth, biomass and food conversion ratio were obtained in the low protein input treatment. Water quality parameters such as nitrate, ammonia and organic matter during the two trials, were better for LP and VP treatments. White shrimp seems to have lower protein requirements than blue shrimp. For the blue shrimp culture, adjusting protein input according to natural food abundance (zooplankton and benthos) in the system, seems to be advantageous because of the possibility of getting a production similar to that obtained with a high protein input through the farming period, but at lower feed cost, and with a lower environmental impact. It is concluded that a high protein input through the whole farming period is not the best feeding strategy for any of the two species. [source]

Weaning requirements of larval mulloway, Argyrosomus japonicus

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 10 2010
Debra A Ballagh
Abstract Mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) is an emerging aquaculture species in Australia, but there is a need to improve the production technology and lower costs, including those associated with larval rearing and live feeds. Three experiments were conducted to determine appropriate weaning strategies from live feeds, rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) and Artemia, to cheaper formulated pellet diets. Experiment 1 examined the effects of feeding Artemia at different levels [0%, 50% or 100% ration of Artemia fed from 18 days after hatching (dah); based on current hatchery protocols] and a pellet diet from two larval ages (14 or 23 dah). In addition, rotifers were supplied to larvae in all treatments for the duration of the experiment (14,29 dah), at which time all larvae were successfully weaned onto the pellet diet. No significant (P>0.05) differences existed between the growth of fish fed a 50% and 100% ration of Artemia; however, fish fed a 0% ration of Artemia had significantly (P<0.05) reduced growth. The time of pellet introduction had no significant (P>0.05) effects on the growth of larvae. Experiments 2 and 3 were designed to determine the size [total length (TL), mm] at which mulloway larvae selected Artemia equally or in preference to rotifers, and pellet (400 ,m) equally or in preference to Artemia respectively. Each day, larvae were transferred from a holding tank to experimental vessels and provided with rotifers (2 mL,1), Artemia (2 mL,1) or a combination of rotifers (1 mL,1) and Artemia (1 mL,1) (Experiment 2), and Artemia (2 mL,1), a pellet diet or a combination of Artemia (1 mL,1) and a pellet diet that was broadcast every 15 min (Experiment 3). After 1 h, a sub-sample of larvae was randomly selected from each replicate vessel (n=5) and the gut contents were examined under a light microscope. Mulloway larvae began selecting Artemia equally to rotifers at 5.2 ± 0.5 mm TL and selected pellets equally to Artemia at 10.6 ± 1.8 mm TL. Our results have led to the establishment of weaning protocols for larval mulloway, which optimize larval growth while reducing feed cost by minimizing the amount of Artemia used during production. [source]

Diurnal feeding pattern and gut content of milkfish Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775) cultured semi-intensively during the wet and dry season in brackish ponds in the Philippines

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008
Kai-Jens Kühlmann
Abstract To improve feeding management and reduce feed cost in semi-intensive grow-out culture of milkfish (Chanos chanos, Forsskål 1775) in brackish ponds, the relative shares of natural food (NF) and supplemental feed (SF) ingested by the fish were microscopically quantified from their completely dissected digestive tracts sampled during 24-h cycles in wet (June,September) and dry (December,April) seasons. Particles from rice husk, indigestible to milkfish, were used as internal markers to quantify supplemental feed. Significantly (P<0.05) more NF than SF (1.4±0.2 vs. 0.4±0.1 g kg,0.8) and SF than NF (1.4±0.8 vs. 0.6±0.3 g kg,0.8) were found during the first month of the wet and the first 3 months of the dry season respectively. Diurnal feeding patterns on SF were significantly higher at morning hours during the dry compared with the wet season. The feeding pattern of milkfish is likely to be affected by the different weather and pond conditions in both seasons. Developing a season-specific pond fertilization management to enhance NF availability in semi-intensive milkfish culture can help to improve the economical and ecological performance of milkfish culture. [source]

Metabolic and productive response to ruminal protein degradability in early lactation cows fed untreated or xylose-treated soybean meal-based diets

Evaluation of Reduced Fish Meal Diets for Second Year Growout of the Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides

Replacement of Fish Meal with Poultry By-product Meal as a Protein Source in Pond-raised Sunshine Bass, Morone chrysops , × M. saxatlis ,, Diets

JOURNAL OF THE WORLD AQUACULTURE SOCIETY, Issue 5 2008
Harvey J. Pine
Replacement of fish meal (FM) as a protein source with alternative sources of protein in aquaculture diets has been widely explored in aquaculture. The goal of replacement of FM in production diets is to maintain growth, lower production costs, and increase sustainability. Evaluation of the replacement of FM with poultry by-product meal (PBM) in phase II sunshine bass diets, Morone chrysops × M. saxatilis, was conducted in ponds over 246 d. Four diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous (37%) and isocaloric (4 kcal/g) with different levels of FM replacement with PBM (0, 33, 67, and 100%, Diets 1,4, respectively). Twelve ponds were stocked with 400 phase II sunshine bass (mean weight 5.6 g) and randomly assigned one of the four diets. Fish were fed below satiation based on predicted growth and feed conversion, initially once daily (1700 h) and then twice daily (0700 and 1700 h) as water temperatures and feeding activity increased. Diets were evaluated based on production and performance indicators, body composition, and economic analysis. Production results revealed no significant differences in mean final individual fish weight (511 ± 21 g), net production (4257 ± 247 kg/ha), and survival (85 ± 2%). No significant differences occurred between the performance indicators: mean feed conversion ratio (2.47 ± 0.11), specific growth rate (1.84 ± 0.02), and protein conversion efficiency (23 ± 1.3%). Body composition was statistically similar for mean percent fillet weight (49 ± 0.6%) and percent intraperitoneal fat (9.8 ± 1.0%); however, the hepatosomatic index was significantly different between Diets 3 (3.7 ± 0.1%) and 4 (3.2 ± 0.1%). Mean proximate analysis of whole fish (dry weight basis) was not significantly different among treatments yielding the following: percent protein (46 ± 0.4%), lipid (47 ± 1.3%), and ash (8 ± 0.7%). Mean fillet composition (dry weight basis) also revealed no significant differences: percent protein (72 ± 0.8%), percent lipid (30 ± 1.6%), and percent ash (5 ± 0.2%). Proximate analysis was also performed on the diets and revealed a significantly lower protein content in Diet 3 (34.3 ± 0.5%) compared to the other diets (37.1 ± 0.4%). Amino acid analysis of the diets indicated a possible deficiency in methionine in Diets 3 and 4. Based on production, performance, and body composition, the results indicate that complete replacement of FM with PBM in sunshine bass diets is feasible; however, economic analysis suggests that the replacement of FM with PBM may result in reduced revenue over feed costs. [source]

Modelling selective breeding in protandrous, batch-reared Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer, Bloch) using walkback selection

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 10 2010
Nicholas Andrew Robinson
Abstract A bioeconomic simulation model for Lates calcarifer predicted that a strategy involving crossing current generation males with previous generation females would be a practical, effective and profitable way of dealing with protandry when batch rearing for selective breeding to improve the growth rate. The strategy allowed earlier initialization and more frequent ongoing rounds of selection, and resulted in a 16,19% higher overall response, than an alternative where each generation's males were crossed with the same generation's females. The strategy also yielded the highest short-term benefit,cost ratio (13:1 versus 7:1 after 8 years of selective breeding) and the highest short- and long-term value for participants in a breeding cooperative (a net present value of AU$28 million and an internal rate of return of 144% over 10 years), due to higher yields per fixed costs of production per unit area and due to savings in feed costs per kilogram of production. Breeding facilities of scale producing 50 full-sibling families per generation were found to be more profitable than those producing 100 families. [source]

Effect of mixed feeding schedules with varying dietary protein levels on the growth of sutchi catfish, Pangasius hypophthalmus (Sauvage) with silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes) in ponds

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 7 2005
Md Zulfikar Ali
Abstract A 6-month feeding trial was conducted in field condition using 10 farm ponds (400,600 m2) to investigate the effect of mixed feeding schedules on the growth of sutchi catfish, Pangasius hypophthalmus with silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix. Fish were stocked at a ratio of 80:20 (sutchi catfish, 4.9±0.5 g: silver carp, 12.0±0.8 g) at the total rate of 25 000 ha,1. Two diets of high protein (30%, HP) and low protein (16%, LP) were prepared using locally available feed ingredients. Five different feeding schedules of high-protein diet continuously (HP), low-protein diet continuously (LP), 1-day low,protein/1-day high-protein diet (1LP/1HP), 7 days low,protein/7 days high-protein diet (7LP/7HP) and 14 days low,protein/14 days high-protein diet (14LP/14HP) were tested. The fish were fed twice daily at the rate of 15%, 10%, 8% and 5% of their body weight for first, second, third month and rest of experimental period respectively. Feeding rate was calculated only on the basis of sutchi catfish weight only and was adjusted every 2 weeks according to weight gain. Fish fed LP and HP on alternate day (1LP/1HP) resulted in significantly (P<0.05) higher growth rate, feed utilization and production among the treatments. However, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the growth rates and production of fish fed HP regularly and fish fed 7 days LP followed by 7 days HP (7LP/7HP). Fish maintained on LP grew the least. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) values for sutchi catfish ranged between 2.04 and 2.79 with feeding schedule 1LP/1HP showing the best FCR. The total production of fish (including silver carp) ranged between 8310 and 12 422 kg ha,1 6 months,1 with 1LP/1HP feeding schedule resulting in the highest production and net profit. The study demonstrated that feeding fish continuously with HP is less economical. Thus, for profitable sutchi catfish culture with silver carp, farmers can use the mixed feeding schedule of alternate day feeding of LP and HP as a means of reducing feed costs. [source]