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Growth performance and nutrient utilization of post fingerlings Clarias gariepinus fed varied levels of biscuit waste

Abstract

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of biscuit waste meal on the growth performance and utilization of Clarias gariepinus juveniles. A total of 300 juveniles of average weight 8.85g were randomly divided into 5 Treatments, each with three replicates. Twenty juveniles were distributed into fifteen happas (0.7m3) and each happa was suspended to 3/4 of its volume using kuralon ropes carefully tied round the bamboo poles across the concrete tanks. Five diets containing 40% crude protein were formulated in which maize was replaced with biscuit waste meal at Treatment diet 1 (TD1) 0%, 25% (TD2), 50% (TD3), 75% (TD4), 100% (TD5) levels.The juveniles were fed at 3% body weight per day for 10 weeks. It was recorded at the end of the experiment that biscuit waste was most suitable as an energy supplement when incorporated at 25% replacement (TD2) with maize. TD1 had the highest weight gain followed by TD2, TD3, TD4 and TD5 respectively. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the growth response in TD1 (0%), T0D (25%) and TD3 (50%). It is therefore concluded that biscuit waste meal is a cheap source of non conventional energy source which can be used favorably to replace maize (25% inclusion level) as an energy source in the diets of Clarias gariepinus

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