Have you ever wondered why the number of fish harvested is always less than what was stocked? Or do you notice a fish head (skull) at the bottom of your pond whenever you are changing the water? This is a major challenge in catfish farming because it has a negative impact on the estimated profits. Most farm owners have had to accuse their workers of theft due to the number variation from what was stocked. The culprit here is Cannibalism in catfish.
What is Cannibalism?
Cannibalism is an act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. In catfish farming, it is a term used to describe the act when the fish is been eaten by another fish which is a very common phenomenon in Catfish farming especially at the early stage (3-4 weeks old fry measuring 3-4 cm) and juveniles (an 8-week-old fish) production.
Catfish cannibalism increase so much when they are left for a long time in the pond without periodic sorting, overstocked pond, lack of feeding,
and low water levels and this will impact the outcome which will end up causing a shortage for the fish farmer because the number of fish they will sell at last will become very low compared to the number of fish stocked due to excess cannibalism among them.
Most often, one of the major reasons why some Catfish farmers fail is because of cannibalism and some farmers are not even aware that cannibalism exists among the fish, especially in the earthen pond where the water is not being changed regularly.
There are major factors that result in cannibalism and we will be highlighting the various ways to prevent cannibalism on your farm.
Causes of Cannibalism and Ways of Prevention
-
Pond Stocking Capacity:
Every pond has the number of fish it could take for the maximum result when the number is exceeded it’s termed to be overstocked resulting in friction and a struggle for space. As the struggle for space continues the fish tend to injure each other which will give rise to cannibalism, typically catfish are attracted to blood that why blood meal is an essential ingredient in most catfish feed formulations. The blood from the body of the injured fish attracts the other fish in the pond to feed on it. To prevent this from happening ensure you stock based on the stocking capacity of the pond. It is much better to understock the pond thereby giving much space to swim and grow than overstocking which has a whole lot of disadvantages.
-
Lack of Feeding:
There is a saying “A hungry man is an angry man” this also applies to the catfish when they’re hungry and are not well fed tend to help themselves out. You observe them fighting and eating each other for survival (survival of the fittest). To avoid the occurrence feeding should be done at the right time and they should be fed till satisfaction. Also, ensure during feeding that the fish are given the appropriate feed size and that the feed is palatable for them.
-
Lack of Periodic Sorting:
Catfish tend not to grow evenly, there will be instances where some sets will be very much bigger than others, and the bigger ones will then start preying on the smaller sizes. It also happens that smaller size fish can team up to eat up the bigger ones. To prevent this periodic sorting should be carried out to separate the fish based on their sizes into different ponds.
- Low Water Volume: The volume of water a pond hold is what tells the capacity that should be stocked. I have seen farms that have a very big pond but the water level in the ponds is very low. This means the space required for the fish to swim is very small and can result in cannibalism. Ensure to raise the water level based on the pond capacity and number of fish stocked. You can learn how to calculate the volume of water needed here.
Learn more about preventing of cannibalism on YouTube
Learn more about the catfish farm operation by downloading the Ebook on the guide to starting a successful catfish farm using this link. Get our Automated farm record sheet
How to prevent Cannibalism in Catfish Farm #CATFISHFARM #cannibalism
Tha for this writeup.