CITRIC-ACID-ENSILED POULTRY VISCERA AS PROTEIN-SUPPLEMENT FOR CATFISH(CLARIAS-GARIEPINUS)

Defatted poultry viscera was ensiled with 4.5% (v/w) citric acid+0.5% (v/w) propionic acid autolysed for 30 days, blended with soybean meal (85:15, w/w), and dried to produce poultry viscera silage meal (PVSM). PVSM was limiting in tryptophan. Three isoproteic and isocaloric diet s containing 0, 15 or 30% PVSM as replacement for commercial poultry b yproduct meal (PBM) were prepared and fed to triplicate groups of cat; fish (Clarias gariepinus, 14.4+/-1.6 g) at 4% body weight per day for 70 days. Weight gain, growth performance and feed utilization indices, carcass composition, and hepatosomatic index did not vary significant ly (P<0.05). Results indicate that PVSM can be included up to 30% of c atfish feed, to replace commercial PBM and possibly fish meal, without any effect on growth response, feed utilization or carcass quality of catfish. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.