Total Replacement of Fish Meal With processed Poultry Offal Meal (P-POM) Enhances the Growth Performance and Feed Utilization in Snakehead, Channa Striata (Bloch, 1793) Juveniles

This study was conducted to evaluate the replacement of fishmeal (FM) with processed poultry offal meal (P-POM) on growth performance and diet digestibility in snakehead, Channa striata juveniles. Fish (mean initial weight (13.23±0.06) were reared in 15 black 500l-fiberglass tanks and fed with five isonitrogenous (40% crude protein) and isocaloric (18.90kJ/g gross energy) diets, respectively, in triplicates. The control diet (D1) was formulated to contain 40% FM protein and the remaining diets replaced FM protein with P-POM in increasing order, 25% (D2), 50% (D3), 75% (D4) and 100% (D5). Fish were fed the assigned diet twice daily until apparent satiation for 12 weeks. Fish fed D4 (75% replacement) resulted in significantly higher growth performance and feed utilization. The HSI values increased significantly from 50% to 100% replacement levels while VSI value was significantly highest at 75% replacement level. Lipase activities were significantly highest for the 25% up to 75% replacement levels but only 75% replacement level resulted in significantly highest protease activity. The apparent dry matter digestibility increased significantly with increasing levels of P-POM up to 75% replacement levels while no significant differences was observed in the apparent protein digestibility between treatments accept the fish fed 100% replacement level. Both apparent dry matter and protein digestibilities were significantly lower at 100% replacement levels. The results from this feeding trial indicate that the P-POM protein can replace up to 75% FM protein diets for snakehead fingerlings without affecting the survival, growth performance and feed utilization.