GCP/RLA/075/ITA
Field Document 7/E

THE NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF FARMED FISH AND SHRIMP - A TRAINING MANUAL
3. FEEDING METHODS

G O V E R N M E N T C O O P E R A T I V E P R O G R A M M E

F A O - I T A L Y

THE NUTRITION AND FEEDING OF FARMED FISH AND SHRIMP - A TRAINING MANUAL

3. FEEDING METHODS

Albert G. J. Tacon

A report prepared for the FAO Trust Fund GCP/RLA/075/ITA Project
Support to the Regional Aquaculture Activities for
Latin America and the Caribbean

This report was prepared during the course of the project identified on the title page. The conclusions and recommendations given in the report are those considered appropriate at the time of its preparation. They may be modified in the light of further knowledge gained at subsequent stages of the project.

The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations or the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers.

Postal address: Project GCP/RLA/075/ITA, c/o FAO R, C.P.07-1058, CEP 70330, Brasilia D.F., Brazil.

PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

This document is based on the original lecture texts presented by Dr. A.G.J. Tacon to the trainees of the Fourth Senior Aquaculturists Training Course in Pirassununga, Brazil, from 23 June to 9 July 1986 (based at the Centro de Pesquisa e Treinamento em Aquicultura, CEPTA), and has been revised and updated as a training manual to form the basis of an intensive five week subregional training course on the nutrition and feeding of farmed fish and shrimp to be implemented by the FAO Trust Fund GCP/RLA/075/ITA Project within the Latin America and Caribbean Region. The aim of this training course is to create a core of senior instructors and researchers within the Region who inturn will be able to conduct their own national training programmes, and advise farmers and researchers alike on all aspects of practical aquaculture feed technology.

Although numerous training manuals exist on the nutrition and feeding of farmed fish and shrimp, these have tended to deal almost exclusively with intensive or complete diet feeding, with little or no mention of semi-intensive feeding methods. Since the majority of finfish and shrimp aquaculture production is currently realised within semi-intensive farming systems, clearly emphasis must also be given to semi-intensive feeding methods such as fertilization, composting and supplementary diet feeding. All too often it is believed that the only economic way of feeding fish or shrimp is by using a high quality ‘complete’ pelleted diet; it is not, and farmers and researchers alike should not be misguided to believe so. The training manual is presented in three parts; part 1 deals with the essential nutrients, part 2 deals with nutrient sources, and part 3 deals with feeding methods.

ABSTRACT

The feeding methods employed for the production of farmed fish and shrimp are presented. Complete diet feeding methods are described, including formulation procedures, feed manufacture and storage, larval feeding, dietary feeding allowances, and feed economics. In addition, information is presented concerning fertilization and supplementary diet feeding methods, including pond preparation techniques, chemical fertilization, manure fertilization through direct application, livestock integration, composting and fermentation, and supplementary diet formulation and feeding practices.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Brasilia, Brazil
June 1988

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

This electronic document has been scanned using optical character recognition (OCR) software. FAO declines all responsibility for any discrepancies that may exist between the present document and its original printed version.

1. FEEDING OPTIONS
1.1 Existing aquaculture feeding strategies
1.1.1 No fertilizer or feed input
1.1.2 Fertilization
1.1.3 Supplementary diet feeding
1.1.4 Complete diet feeding
1.2 Choice of feeding strategy
1.2.1 Subsistence/home consumption farming activity
1.2.2 Commercial cash-income farming activity

2. FEEDING METHODS - COMPLETE DIET FEEDING
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Formulation of complete diets
2.2.1 Considerations
2.2.2 Procedure
2.2.3 Example formulations
2.3 Manufacture and storage of complete pelleted diets
2.3.1 Background
2.3.2 Grinding
2.3.3 Pelleting
2.3.4 Storage
2.4 Feeding practices
2.4.1 Feeding of marine fish and shrimp larvae
2.4.2 Dietary feeding regimes and allowances
2.5 Economics of complete diet feeding and choice of strategy
2.5.1 Objectives and cost of compound feed manufacture
2.5.2 Economic considerations
2.5.3 Choice of complete diet feeding strategy

3. FEEDING METHODS - FERTILIZATION AND SUPPLEMENTARY DIET FEEDING
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Pond fertilization
3.2.1 The pond ecosystem and primary nutrient cycles
3.2.2 Preparation of the pond bottom prior to fertilization
3.2.2.1 Pond drying
3.2.2.2 Liming
3.2.3 Chemical fertilization of aquaculture ponds
3.2.3.1 Effect on pond productivity and fish/shrimp production
3.2.3.2 Fertilizer application rates
3.2.3.3 Factors influencing the action of chemical fertilizers
3.2.4 Organic fertilization of aquaculture ponds
3.2.4.1 Effect on pond productivity and fish/shrimp production
3.2.4.2 Manure fertilization through straight application
3.2.4.3 Manure fertilization through livestock integration
3.2.4.4 Manure fertilization through composting and fermentation
3.3 Supplementary diet feeding
3.3.1 Selection of supplementary feeds for use by rural or subsistence farmers
3.3.2 Feed formulation and natural productivity
3.3.3 Feed preparation and presentation
3.3.4 Feeding level and frequency
3.3.5 Economics of supplementary feeding and pond fertilization

4. REFERENCES

LIST OF TABLES

Table

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure

PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

ABSTRACT

CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES