Evaluation of Peanut Meal as an Alternative Dietary Protein Source for Channel Catfish

Abstract

AbstractUse of peanut meal as an alternative protein source in diets for Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus was evaluated in a 9‐week study under controlled laboratory conditions. Five practical diets (28% crude protein and 6% crude lipid) were formulated to contain 0, 10, 15, 20, and 25% peanut meal as a replacement for cottonseed meal and soybean meal in the control diet. The control diet was a plant‐based diet containing principally soybean meal (25%), cottonseed meal (20%), corn (20%), and corn germ meal (20%). All diets met or exceeded all known nutrient requirements of Channel Catfish. Twenty Channel Catfish fingerlings (mean initial weight: 12.8 g/fish) were stocked into 25 water flow‐through glass aquaria (110 L). The fish were fed once daily to apparent satiation. Among dietary treatments, there were no significant differences in feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and survival, and no differences in muscle protein, fat, or moisture levels. The results demonstrate up to 25% peanut meal can be used as a protein source alternative to cottonseed meal or soybean meal in Channel Catfish diets without adversely affecting growth, feed efficiency, and body composition.