Milkfish Production and Processing ... - WorldFish Center

fish would not eat and the formulated
feed will only go to waste.
k) Feeding guide at various body
weights, feeding frequency and ration
distribution for high density culture
is provided in Tables 6, 7 and 8. The
feeding schemes indicated should be
only used as a guide and should be
regularly evaluated and adjusted as
necessary. Actual feed consumption
vary depending on prevailing environmental
conditions particularly
dissolved oxygen, temperature, and
availability of natural food.
l) Feeding Method
There are currently feeding methods
that are being employed in semi-intensive
culture system:
• Hand feeding
- Food ration is broadcasted by
hand for 15- 0 minutes at fixed
areas of the pond.
- Feeds are usually given at 8 am,
1 noon and 4 pm.
- This method allows uniform feeding
and observation of appetite
and feed response but costly and
labor intensive.
• Feeding tray
- Designed for use with sinking
pellets.
- Feed ration is placed on a
1 x 1m or 1 x m fine meshed
net situated 15- 0 cm below
the water surface.
- Low cost and simple to use.
- Its use is being discouraged due
to feed losses resulting from
nutrient leaching and feed disintegration
caused by the low stability
of fish feeds.
• Demand Feeder
- Feed release mechanism triggered
by fish on demand.
- Cost and labor efficient; reflects
on appetite and condition of fish.
Milkfish Production and Processing Technologies in the Philippines
- Should be used strictly with a
maximum feeder: fish ratio to
ensure uniform feeding; cannot be
used for smaller than 0 g fish.
m) Install units paddlewheel aerators and
operate between am to 8 am when
biomass of the milkfish in the pond
wreached 800 to 1, 00 kg to maintain safe
dissolved level of not less than ppm in
the pond water.
n) Replace at least 50% of water volume once
a week on the last month of culture to
flush out toxic metabolites.
o) Start harvest when the target size of
00 g to 00 g is attained.
p) Harvest when fish are scarce in the market
to maximize profit. This is usually during
full moon nights when not many fish are
caught in the sea.
18.7 Intensive Method
The intensive milkfish culture method employs
high levels of inputs such as seed stocks,
formulated feeds, water, and energy in small
(0.1-1 hectare) but deeper (1- m) grow-out
ponds. It requires enormous capital investments,
large working capital, and technical proficiency.
This type of culture allows to crops a year
and produces a high yield of 8,000 to 1 ,000
kg/ha/yr but is considered a high-risk venture.
Mass mortality is a constant treat due to accumulations
of toxic metabolites such as ammonia
and sulfides, oxygen depletion, and diseases.
Procedures in pond preparation, maintaining
good water quality, feeding and care of stocks
are very similar with semi-intensive method but
with more material and technical inputs.
The procedure involved is as follows
a) Initially follow the water and fertilization
management as outlined in Section
16.1 for the Extensive Method.
b) Stocking rate is from 0,000 to 0,000
fingerlings per hectare with an initial
average weight of at least 5 grams
to obtain lower FCR.
c) The milkfish fingerlings to be stocked
in the grow-out module are either
reared in the farm or acquired from
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