Effect of Hydrolyzed Feather Meal as Substitute for Fish Meal in the Diet of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell 1822)

Clarias gariepinus is a globally popular aquaculture species and it’s distributed throughout Africa.  The study was aimed at examining the effects of hydrolysed feather meal as a substitute for fish meal in the diets of African catfish Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. Three months feeding trial was conducted to examine the partial replacement of fish meal (65% CP) with hydrolyzed feather meal (85% CP) in the diets of Clarias gariepinus. One hundred and eighty (180) fingerlings were selected with the mean weight of 9.5g. They were randomly grouped into six (6) treatments and three (3) replicates with ten (10) fish per 200L truncated conical aqua drum plastic tanks with the diameter at the top and bottom as (0.62 and 0.50m); the height and slant height as 0.8m and 0.82m. This experiment was designed with two control treatments T1, (a standard commercial diet, Coppens 2mm) and T2 (a diet with 0% FTM, 100% FM); the remaining treatment feeds had FTM inclusions at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% in substitution for fish meal which represented T3, T4, T5, and T6 respectively. The control feed in T1 (Coppens) turned out to be the best feed, mostly acceptable when considering the time of feed intake, growth performance and nutrient utilization, but was at a disadvantage when analyzing its cost hence, became the most expensive amongst the treatment feeds. The profit index ranged from 7.55 in T5 (75% inclusion of FTM) to 1.91 in control T1 (Coppens). The result indicates that T5 had the best growth performance and cost effectiveness. T5 also had the best survival rate which was a plus to its sales. therefor, feather meal can be substituted for fish meal up to 75% to obtain optimum yield, higher survival rate and at a lower cost in the diet of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings