Quality of Fish Feed as influenced by Formulation Ingredients Proportions

Abstract

Fish farming is a crucial part of Nigeria’s aquaculture industry. However, non-availability of quality and affordable feeds is one of the major challenges confronting the industry. This study was conducted to develop and characterize value-added feed from intestine meal, yellow corn bran, beni seed meal, wheat bran, groundnut meal, palm kernel cake, rice bran, blood meal, moringa leaf, limestone, and bone meal; using a constrained D-optimal mixture experimental design. Formulated feed samples were evaluated for quality properties. The quality properties of the feed evaluated were protein content, moisture content, carbohydrate, lipid content, crude fibre, ash content, nitrogen free extract, energy value, water solubility index, bulk density, zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. The effects of the ingredients proportions on the quality properties were investigated. Statistical analysis of the experimental data revealed that only the lipid, crude fibre, and energy value of the formulated feed were influenced by the formulation ingredients (L/Mixture p-value <0.05). Interaction effects of the ingredients on the quality properties of the feed were established. The ingredients interacted, at two levels, to significantly influence the crude fibre, zinc, and calcium contents of the formulated feed. Though zinc and calcium models were non-significant (model p-value > 0.05), analysis revealed that some of the ingredients combined together to statistically influence zinc and calcium (terms p-value < 0.05). Intestine meal/beni seed meal, intestine meal/wheat bran, beni seed meal/wheat bran, and beni seed meal/groundnut meal; interacted to significantly influence the zinc content of the formulated feed. Wheat bran interacted with lime stone to significantly influence the calcium content of the formulated feed (p-value = 0.0422). The mean value of phosphorus proved to be the true representation of phosphorus in the formulated feed.