PERFORMANCE OF AFRICAN MUD CATFISH (CLARIAS GARIEPINUS BURCHELL,1822) HATCHLINGS FED BAKER’S YEAST, EGG YOLK AND MILK POWDER AS STARTER DIETS

Abstract

Feeding trials involving the use of four different starter diets; shell-free Artemia which served as the control (T₀), baker’s yeast (T₁), chicken egg yolk (T₂) and milk powder (T₃) were carried out. For the feeding of Clarias gariepinus hatchlings, was carried out at the hatchery room of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, Katsina, Diets were fed to hatchlings (n = 1,200, 0.28±0.0g) for 28 days in twelve hatchery tanks (n = 100). Hatchlings were fed at a fixed feeding rate of 10% body weight six times daily between the hours of 07:00 and 23:00 at regular interval. Data obtained were analyzed using One - way ANOVA at P = 0.05. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the mean weight gain, daily growth rate, specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio of hatchlings fed T₀, T₂, and T₃, except for the hatchlings fed T₁. The higher survival rate values recorded from both the hatchlings fed T₀ and T₂ indicated that these diets were well utilized by the hatchlings and does not have any negative effect on the water quality parameters, while the lower survival rate values recorded from both the hatchlings fed T₁ and T₃ was due to nutrient leach in the baker’s yeast and the milk powder which quickly dissolve in water, thereby causing pollution, which have negative effects on the survival rate of the hatchlings. Findings from this study indicated that use of boiled chicken egg yolk is encouraged in the culture of C. gariepinus hatchlings as alternative to shell-free Artemia as starter diets.