Testing of Demand Feeder for Carp Feeding in Outdoor Culture System

Abstract

Developing intensive production methods for a given species requires determining environmental preferences, including those pertaining to feeding. The analysis of feed requirements should include the daily feed ration as well as the chemical composition of feed (primarily protein and fat content), caloric content, size of pellets as well as their shape, color and texture. The effects of rearing fish under intensive conditions are determined not only by the quantity and quality of feed but also by the method employed to deliver it (manual or automated feeding) and by the feeding frequency. The demand fish feeder, tested in outdoor conditions. It was maintenance free and easy to operate. It was tested in pens of 200 m2 surface at the Fish Culture Research and Development Center Nucet (Nucet farm), for a period of 110 days to evaluate its efficiency against that of hand feeding the fish. Fish fed by the demand feeder gained an average of 10.6% more weight than hand-fed fish. During the experiment, the total of 280.5 and 299.0 kg of pellet feed were used to produce 270.4 and 255.38 kg of fish in the demand and hand-fed pens, respectfully. The hopper can hold 20 kg of feed, which can be fed to 500 kg of fish in a day, if provided 2-3% of their body weight. Characteristics of rearing water measured every day, 2 weeks, once a month and once a week.