ARS | Publication request: Growth of channel catfish and channel x blue hybrid catfish in ponds at restricted or satiate feeding rate

Submitted to: Catfish Farmers of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 15, 2008
Publication Date: March 5, 2009
Citation: Green, B.W. 2009. Growth of channel catfish and channel x blue hybrid catfish in ponds at restricted or satiate feeding rate [abstract]. Catfish Farmers of America Annual Meeting. p.15.

Technical Abstract: Growth and yield of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and channel x blue hybrid catfish I. punctatus x I. furcatus were evaluated in a completely randomized design study in 2 x 2 factorial arrangement that was conducted in 16 0.25-ac earthen ponds. Factor 1 was strain (channel or channel x blue hybrid catfish) and factor 2 was feeding rate (restricted or satiate). The channel and channel x blue hybrid catfish shared the same maternal line. Fish in the satiate feeding rate treatment were fed daily as much feed (32% protein) as they would consume in a 20-min period. The restricted feeding rate was calculated daily as 80% of the mean treatment satiate amount. Ponds were stocked for single-batch culture with 6,000 fish/acre in March-April and were harvested in November. The channel x blue hybrid consumed 32-51% more feed on a daily basis every month except April, when both strains consumed the same amount, and October and November, when channel catfish consumed 43% and 58% more feed daily, respectively. Overall, the channel x blue hybrid catfish consumed nearly 28% more feed than the channel catfish. Growth of channel and channel x blue hybrid catfish in the restricted feed treatment was about 85% and 94%, respectively, of that of the fish in the satiate feed treatment (Fig. 1). By late September, mean individual weight of the channel x blue hybrid catfish exceeded 1.5 lb/fish in both the restricted and satiate feed treatments, whereas the channel catfish averaged 1.2 and 1.4 lb/fish in the restricted and satiate feed treatments, respectively. At harvest, the channel x blue hybrid catfish averaged 1.9 and 1.8 lb/fish and the channel catfish averaged 1.7 and 1.4 lb/catfish in the satiate and restricted feed treatments, respectively. Sixty-eight percent and 49% of the channel catfish harvested from the satiate and restricted feed treatments, respectively, exceeded 1.5 lb/fish. Channel x blue hybrid catfish exceeding 1.5 lb/fish comprised 75% and 64% of the population at harvest in the satiate and restricted feed treatments, respectively.