Production and Associated Economics of Channel Catfish Fed Different Practical Diets in the Fingerling–Stocker Phase of Culture

Abstract

AbstractTwo practical diets that differed in cost based upon protein sources were evaluated as treatments relative to production and associated economics of the fingerling–stocker phase of culture for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. The commercially manufactured fingerling feeds contained approximately 35% crude protein and were fed to fingerling channel catfish (mean weight = 13.8 g; mean length = 12.2 cm, respectively) stocked into experimental earthen ponds (0.05 ha) at a density of 123,550 fish/ha. There were five replicates (ponds) per treatment. The fish were fed daily to satiation, unless some physical or biological factor warranted an abstention of one or more days. After 180 d, all ponds were harvested by seine and then completely drained. Mean individual harvest weight and length of fish fed the high‐cost practical diet were significantly greater than those of fish fed the low‐cost diet. Survival and feed conversion ratios were not significantly different between dietary treatment groups. The percentage of harvested fish exceeding 114 g, a size that escapes predation by cormorants Phalacrocorax spp., ranged from 47% to 56% for the low‐cost treatment and from 72% to 77% for the high‐cost treatment. Individual stocker production cost was US.217 for the low‐cost dietary treatment and .258 for the high‐cost treatment. Economic analyses were used to compare the three‐phase (modular) production scheme (which incorporated the two diet‐dependent fingerling–stocker management scenarios) with the traditional multiple‐batch system (partial harvest and topping off). Total production costs for the three‐phase system were .04–0.24 per kilogram less than those of the multiple‐batch production system. Total cost of food fish production in the three‐phase system ranged from $1.406 (low‐cost diet) to $1.417 (high‐cost diet) per kilogram. The fingerling–stocker phase offers a variety of management options to meet different production goals, and the three‐phase system appears to be a cost‐effective alternative management strategy for the farming of channel catfish.