Dr. E. G. Silas Small Grant Programme

Name of the Awardee : Mr. Sanjay Singh Rathore
Topic of the Study: “Effect of the replacement of dietary fish meal by poultry meal on growth   performance and feed utilization in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus ) fry”
Guide: Dr. S. I. Yusufzai
University: Junagadh Agricultural University

Highlights of the Study

Five isonitrogenous experimental diets consisting of a control diet with (100% fish meal) and four other diets in which fish meal replaced with poultry meal (25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of dietry protein) were prepared. The highest percentage length gain was found in treatment T2 ie. (39.58) followed by T3, T1, T4 and T5 having values of 38.56, 36.11. 19.87 and 16.64 respectively. The highest percentage weight gain was obtained in T1 ie, (212.38) followed by T2, T3, T4 and T5 having values of 203.44, 186.63, 78.17 and 75.39 respectively.

Based on the results obtained from the experiment conducted, it was found that higher FCR values were obtained by feeding the fish with the diet containing 100% poultry (3.66) and lowest FCR values were found in control diet (2.67) and diet containing 25% poultry meal (2.67).  PER values were found to be highest in control diet (0.95) and decreased comparatively in T4 (0.69) and T5 (0.69) diets respectively. The highest growth rate was found in control diet (0.82) and least growth rate was found in T5 diet (0.41).
During the experimental period, temperature was found to be in the range of 28.700C to 28.720C, dissolved oxygen (5.00 to 5.05 ppm), pH (7.33 to 7.37) alkalinity (124.37 to 127.34 mg/L), nitrate (0.03 to 0.04 mg/L) and nitrite (0.0030 to 0.0032 mg/L) respectively.

Thus, it can be concluded from the present study that poultry meal is a potential protein source and can be used to substitute fish meal in the diets of tilapia (O. niloticus) with an excellent growth performance.