Fish
When it comes to commercial catfish feed, there are several important considerations.
Let’s dive into the details:
Nutrient Requirements:
- Catfish require a nutritionally complete diet because they can only synthesize a small portion of the necessary nutrients.
- A digestible energy to crude protein (DE/P) ratio of 8.5-10 kcal/gram is adequate for commercial catfish feeds.
- Ratios above this range may lead to increased fat deposition, while too low an energy ratio can result in slow growth.
Feed Composition:
- Catfish feeds contain grain or grain by-products rich in starch.
- Starch serves as an inexpensive energy source and helps bind feed ingredients together.
- A typical catfish feed contains 25% or more digestible carbohydrates.
- Lipid levels rarely exceed 5-6%, with about 3-4% inherent in the ingredients and the remaining 1-2% sprayed onto pellets to reduce feed fines.
Protein Levels:
- Recent studies suggest that a protein level of 28% is adequate for growout when fish are fed to satiation.
- Dietary protein requirements vary based on life stages, ranging from about 25-50%.
Supplements:
- Catfish feeds are supplemented with vitamins, phosphorus, and trace minerals.
- Trace minerals may not be necessary in diets using animal proteins.