Improving aquaculture efficiency with aquatic feed: analysis of key nutritional indicators and feeding strategies

In aquaculture, compound feed is one of the core factors affecting profitability. Choosing the right feed and using the right methods can directly reduce costs and increase yields, while the opposite may lead to losses in aquaculture. From the perspectives of "key nutritional indicators" and "scientific feeding strategies", we will break down how to improve breeding efficiency through the combination of feed.

1、 Choosing the right feed: Focus on three core nutritional indicators

The growth, disease resistance, and survival rate of aquatic animals are all supported by key nutrients in the formulated feed. When choosing feed, there is no need to blindly look at "high prices". Focus on the following three indicators to accurately match breeding needs:

1. Protein: the "core energy" that determines growth rate

Protein is the basis for the synthesis of muscles and organs in aquatic animals such as fish, shrimp, and crabs, which directly affects the growth cycle. Reasonable protein content can help animals grow faster and be slaughtered earlier, reducing water, electricity, and labor costs during the breeding cycle.

Different species have different requirements: for example, grass carp, silver carp and other herbivorous/filter feeding fish require a feed protein content of 25% -32%; However, carnivorous/omnivorous species such as California bass and shrimp require 38% -45%. If protein is insufficient, there may be a situation of "eating too much and growing slowly", wasting feed costs.

Pay attention to "protein quality": not only the content is not enough, but also the source of protein (such as fish meal, soybean meal, yeast protein, etc.). High quality protein has a high digestion and absorption rate, which can reduce fecal pollution and indirectly reduce water quality maintenance costs.

2. Fat: an "auxiliary energy" that saves energy and improves efficiency

Fat not only provides energy, but also helps aquatic animals absorb vitamins such as vitamin A and D, enhancing their disease resistance.

Reasonable addition to reduce costs: When the fat content in the feed is appropriate (generally 5% -12%, depending on the variety), it can partially replace protein to provide energy, reduce protein waste, and thus lower the overall cost of feed.

Avoiding excessive risk: Excessive fat can lead to fatty liver in animals. For example, if grass carp feed contains more than 10% fat, it may cause liver disease, increase mortality, and even lower benefits.

3. Vitamins and minerals: "invisible protection" to reduce diseases

Although vitamins (such as vitamin C and E) and minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, and selenium) are low in content, their key functions are: vitamin C can enhance the stress resistance of fish and shrimp (such as coping with changes in water temperature and transportation stimuli), and minerals can prevent bone deformities (such as shrimp softshell disease).

The consequences of lack are obvious: if the vitamin C in the feed is insufficient, grass carp are prone to "gill rot disease", and shrimp are prone to death during the molting period; Insufficient phosphorus can lead to slow growth and decreased survival rate of fish, and the cost of later remediation is much higher than the cost of adding it to feed.

2、 Using feed: 4 feeding strategies to reduce costs and improve efficiency

After selecting the right feed, the "how to feed" directly affects the feed utilization rate - improper feeding of the same feed may waste more than 30%, while scientific feeding can convert every penny of feed money into yield.

1. Adjust the feeding amount according to the "growth stage"

Aquatic animals at different growth stages have significant differences in food intake and nutritional requirements, and blindly "overfeeding" can actually lead to losses

Seedling stage: Mainly fed in small quantities multiple times a day (such as feeding shrimp seedlings 4-6 times a day), during which the animal digestive system is weak and excessive feeding can easily pollute water quality; The feed should be selected as "fine particles, high protein" to help seedlings grow quickly.

Adult stage: The feeding frequency can be reduced (such as 2-3 times a day for adult fish), and the feeding amount should be controlled at "80% full" (i.e. stop feeding when most animals stop competing for food), to avoid the feed that cannot be eaten sinking to the bottom and deteriorating, and to increase the cost of water purification.

Low temperature period (such as winter): When the water temperature is below 15 ℃, the metabolism of aquatic animals slows down, and it is necessary to reduce the feeding amount (such as reducing it to 50% of the normal amount), or even stop feeding, to avoid the fermentation of feed in the intestine and cause enteritis.

2. Flexibly adjust according to "water quality/weather"

Water quality and weather can affect the feeding desires of aquatic animals, and forced feeding will only waste feed:

When the water quality is poor (such as excessive ammonia nitrogen and nitrite), the appetite of animals decreases. At this time, the feeding amount should be reduced, and the water quality should be improved first (such as changing water or adding probiotics). After the water quality improves, normal feeding can be resumed to avoid feed pollution exacerbating water quality problems.

Before severe weather (such as rainstorm and typhoon): reduce feeding 1-2 days in advance to prevent animals from not taking food under stress, leading to waste of feed; Gradually increase the feeding amount after the weather improves.

3. Fixed feeding time and location to improve feed utilization efficiency

Aquatic animals have a "conditioned reflex", and a fixed feeding habit can help them concentrate on feeding and reduce the scattering of feed

Fixed time: For example, feeding from 8-9 am and 5-6 pm every day to avoid large fluctuations in morning and evening time, which may cause some animals to miss feeding.

Fixed location: Set up a "feeding area" in the breeding pond (such as using floating feed frames and fixing the position of the feeding machine) to concentrate the feed in a specific area, making it convenient for animals to grab food and reducing the waste of feed sinking to the bottom of the pond and being covered by silt.

4. Paired with "feeding monitoring" to optimize the plan in a timely manner

Regular observation is required during the breeding process, and feeding should be adjusted according to the animal's condition

Check the "feeding speed": If the feed is consumed within 30 minutes after feeding, it indicates that the feeding amount may be insufficient; If there is still residue after 1 hour, the next feeding amount should be reduced.

Check the "growth situation": Take samples and weigh them every month (such as randomly picking 10-20 fish/shrimp). If the growth rate is lower than expected, check whether the feed nutrition matches or whether there is an issue of insufficient feeding.

3、 Summary: The core logic of efficiency improvement

Improving the efficiency of aquaculture through the combination of feed is essentially "precise matching of demand" - when selecting feed, key indicators such as protein, fat, vitamins, etc. should be closely monitored according to the variety and growth stage to avoid "overnutrition" or "undernutrition"; When feeding feed, adjust the feeding amount, time, and location according to the animal's condition and environmental changes to reduce waste. As long as we grasp the two key points of "selecting the right feed and feeding the right method", we can achieve the highest breeding yield with the lowest feed cost, directly improving overall efficiency.