Web Summary Feeding trays were originally developed to monitor shrimp feeding. For this reason, they are still referred to as check trays. As feed consumption of the shrimp varies with biological and environmental factors, there has to be a reliable method of adjusting feed ration based on expected feed consumption. Since shrimp are benthic feeders, an obvious solution was the use of feeding trays that could be lowered to the pond bottom for feeding and raised later to observe feed consumption. Based on feed consumption observed in the trays, the ration size was adjusted. This practice is still in use in most parts of the world. Most of the feed in this method is broadcast manually or mechanically. Use of feeding trays as a method to distribute all feed was developed in the Philippines and later adapted in Peru and Brazil. In Brazil, the practice has been widely accepted and refined. Brazilian shrimp farmers use one tray for every 10,000 shrimp stocked per hectare pond surface area. At the time of stocking, only 10-30 trays that are in the periphery of ponds are used for feed distribution. Until the shrimp reach 2.5-3 g, the feed rations are partially distributed in the trays and partially through broadcast along the pond periphery. The reason for this is that shrimp less than 3 g in size tend to stay closer to the pond edges. Once the shrimp reach 2.5-3 g, feed is distributed only through feeding trays. This article presents the most recent advances in the use of feeding trays in Brazilian shrimp farming. Full Paper
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
All rights reserved. © Feedware 2004 |
||||||||||||||||||||
Download the paper in 