Research Projects
Kenya Project/AU

Subcontract No. RD010E-08

Staff

Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama

Chhorn Lim	US Principal Investigator
Karen L. Veverica	US Principal Investigator

Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya

David M. Liti	Host Country Principal Investigator
Mucai Muchiri	Host Country Principal Investigator
Leah Cherop	Graduate Student (Kenya; from October 2001)

Kenya Fisheries Department, Ministry of Natural Resources, Kenya

Nancy Gitonga

Host Country Principal Investigator

Work Plan Research

This subcontract was awarded funding to conduct the following Tenth Work Plan investigation:

• Development of economically feasible feeds for semi-intensive culture of tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, using locally available agricultural by-products/10FFR4. The report submitted for this investigation was an abstract.

Conferences

Africa Regional Expert Panel Meeting at Nairobi, Kenya, 8 July 2002. (Muchiri)
Aquaculture America 2002 at San Diego, California, 27Ð30 January 2002. (Lim, Liti)

Development of Economically Feasible Feeds for Semi-Intensive Culture of Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, Using Locally Available Agricultural By-Products

Tenth Work Plan, Feeds and Fertilizers Research 4 (10FFR4)
Abstract

David M. Liti
Zoology Department
Moi University
Eldoret, Kenya

Chhorn Lim and Karen L. Veverica
Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures
Auburn University, Alabama, USA

Mucai Muchiri
Department of Fisheries
Moi University
Eldoret, Kenya

Nancy Gitonga
Kenya Fisheries Department
Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate, under a semi-intensive culture system, the growth performance and economic feasibility of feeding Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with diets made up of locally available feedstuffs. Juvenile sex-reversed male tilapia (22 g average weight) were stocked in 16 earthen ponds (800 m²) at a density of 20,000 fish ha^-1 on 20 November 2001. Juvenile Clarias sp. were stocked into each pond at 1,000 fish ha^-1 to control snails. Two weeks prior to stocking, ponds were fertilized with inorganic fertilizers at 20 kg N ha^-1 and 5 kg P ha^-1. Four diets [two laboratory prepared diets (with and without 0.5% trout vitamin premix) containing about 25% crude protein and 6% crude fat; a pig finisher pellet; and wheat bran] were each fed to fish in one of four replicate ponds two times daily at a rate of 2% of tilapia biomass for approximately 8 months. The average final weight gains were similar for tilapia fed the two formulated diets (with or without vitamin premix), and these were significantly higher than those of the groups fed wheat bran and pig finisher. There were no significant differences between the weight gain of fish fed wheat bran and pig finisher diets. Net production followed the same trend as that of the weight gain. No significant differences were observed among the survival of fish fed different diets. Proximate analysis of the experimental fish data and economic assessment of the experimental diets are being evaluated.