Evaluation of Porcine Meat and Bone Meal in Diets for Pond‐Raised Hybrid Catfish

Abstract

AbstractThe present study examined effects of various levels (0, 10, 15, 20, and 25%) of porcine meat and bone meal (PMBM) in diets on production and processing characteristics and body composition of pond‐raised hybrid catfish (female Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus). Large fingerlings (mean ± SD initial weight per fish = 58 ± 2.3 g) were stocked into 25 0.04‐ha earthen ponds at a stocking rate of 14,826 fish/ha. Fish were fed to apparent satiation once a day for 155 d. There were no significant differences in total feed fed, weight gain, or survival among dietary treatments, but fish fed diets containing 10% or more PMBM had significantly greater net yield and a lower feed conversion ratio than fish fed the control diet without PMBM. No significant differences were detected for carcass yield and fillet yield among dietary treatments by ANOVA, but carcass yield and fillet yield decreased and fillet fat levels increased linearly with increasing PMBM levels. Results from the present study demonstrate that 10% PMBM could be used in the diet for an entire growing season without marked impacts on growth, processing yield, or body composition of pond‐raised hybrid catfish. Higher PMBM levels up to 25% may be used for short‐term feeding when its price is favorable compared with soybean meal. However, cautions should be taken when using high levels of PMBM during the later part of the growth cycle because of the negative effects on processing yield and fillet fat levels.