Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #273813

Title: Database of nutrient digestibility’s of traditional and novel feed ingredients for trout and hybrid striped bass

Author
item Barrows, Frederic
item GAYLORD, T - Us Fish And Wildlife Service
item SEALEY, W - Us Fish And Wildlife Service
item Rawles, Steven - Steve

Submitted to: USDA-ARS Technology Showcase
Publication Type: Government Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2011
Publication Date: 9/23/2011
Citation: Barrows, F., Gaylord, T.G., Sealey, W.M., Rawles, S.D. 2011. Database of nutrient digestibility’s of traditional and novel feed ingredients for trout and hybrid striped bass. USDA-ARS Technology Showcase. Mini-CD distributed to stakeholders by mail and at conferences.

Interpretive Summary: Fish nutrition researchers, fish producers, and feed mills need to know how much of a nutrient (i.e. protein) in a particular ingredient the fish can actually digest. Some ingredients have high digestibility and others are very low. Knowledge of nutrient digestibility allows for the most cost-effective production of feed and fish. This is the first data set of its kind that used the same procedures, at the same laboratory for so many different ingredients with trout and hybrid striped bass. This information is available as a mini-cd and is posted at http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=21905 . The website will be updated as more information becomes available.

Technical Abstract: The determination of nutrient digestibility’s in specific ingredients and diets for fish has been an area of active research for decades. The Apparent Digestibility Coefficients (ADC), the percentage of nutrients in an ingredient that are available to the fish, is information needed by researchers, producers, and feed mills to accurately formulate feeds and thus meet the needs of the animal without excess. ADC’s are also necessary for determining the nutritional and economic value of alternative ingredients. Data developed from many different laboratories have been compiled in publications such as the NRC (1993), and often show extreme variability. This is not unexpected since there are many factors that can affect the ADC of an ingredient, including basal diet formulation, method of feed manufacturing (cooking versus cold formation), fecal collection method, etc. Different laboratories often use a mixture of methods specific to that laboratory. A project was initiated in 2005 to determine ADC’s for macronutrients, amino acids and minerals for traditional and novel ingredients in rainbow trout and hybrid striped bass, using standardized conditions as much as possible. On this spread sheet, the content of macro-nutrients amino acids and minerals of each ingredient is provided on worksheet labeled Nutrient Composition. The ADC’s for each ingredient for specific nutrients are found on the worksheets labeled “ADC, Trout” or alternatively, “ADC, HSB” for hybrid striped bass. The anti-nutrient composition of selected ingredients is found on worksheet labeled Anti-nutrients. The database will be updated as additional ingredients are evaluated. The intention of this project was not to be all inclusive of every nutrient for all ingredients, but to make an attempt at standardizing procedures for as many ingredients as possible.