Chicken Viscera Meal as a Main Component in Diet for African Catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822) Reared in Earthen Ponds

Abstract

The effects of replacement of fishmeal (FM) with chicken viscera meal (CVM) on growth, body composition and production of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings (initial body weight 11.3 ± 0.1 g) was studied for 90 days. Three isonitrogenous (43 % crude protein) and isoenergetic (20 KJ/g) diets were formulated to containing 0% (diet CMV0), 30% (diet CVM30) and 50% (diet CVM50) of chicken viscera meal (CVM), as FM replace. Diet CVM0, without CVM, acted as a control whereas the commercial diet coppens developed for C. gariepinus was used to validate the experimental design. Feed intake value (247.17-262.0 g) was similar in fish fed Coppens, CMV0 and CMV50, and significantly higher in fish fed CMV30 (p<0.05). Weight gain (range: 1900.0-2008.2 %), specific growth rate (3.33-3.40 % day-1), protein efficiency ratio (1.95-2.09), yield (98.2-105.0 kg.are-1) and annual production (398.4-425.7 kg.are-1year-1) were similar in fish fed Coppens, CMV0 and CMV30 diets (p<0.05). Values obtained for these parameters in fish fed CMV50 diets were significantly lower (p>0.05). Food conversion ratio (1.11-1.19) was significantly higher in fish fed CMV50 diets (p<0.05). Body protein content was similar in all the treatments (p>0.05). Lipid content in fish fed with CVM-based-diets was significantly higher, whereas ash significantly decreased (p<0.05). The study demonstrated that up to 30 % of CVM could be incorporated in the diets of C. gariepinus without negative effects on growth and whole body composition. Therefore, we recommended that CVM could be used to partially replace the expensive and imported FM.