TECHNICAL AND ECONOMICAL FEASIBILITY OF ON-FARM FISH FEED PRODUCTION USING FISH-MEAL ANALOGS

Ten experimental diets and one control diet were fed to 720 tilapia (2 0 fish x 12 cages x three replicates) in a recirculating aquaculture s ystem to determine the economic significance of replacing fishmeal wit h fishmeal analogs if the fishmeal analogs were processed on-site by t he producer All experimental diets were produced at Illinois State Uni versity using an Insta-Pro Model 600 Jr. extruder plus grinding, weigh ing and mixing equipment commonly found on commercial livestock operat ions. Primary diet protein sources included corn gluten meal, corn glu ten feed and distillers dried grains. All diets were balanced for amin o acid requirements of the fish, and both 32 and 36% crude protein die ts were fed. There was no significant difference in feed conversion ra tio (FCR) between diets with fishmeal and diets without fishmeal. Ther e was no significant difference in FCR between 32 and 36% crude protei n diets. An economic engineering model which included all equipment ne cessary for extruding and handling pelleted feed on-site was developed . Annualized investment and operating costs were estimated to determin e the total cost of processing each of the 10 experimental diets. Ther e was a significant difference in cost of gain among the 10 experiment al diets and the control diet. Cost of production was highly sensitive to volume of feed extruded.