Mrigal - Supplemental feeds & feeding

Supplementing the naturally available food in a culture system is the most simplistic interpretation of supplementary feeds (De Silva, 1993). Fish production rates may be increased significantly by supplementing the natural food in fertilized ponds with commercial or farm-made feeds. All carp species, including mrigal, accept supplementary feed. A comprehensive review of the very diverse supplemental feeding practices and feed types used in carp culture in Bangladesh and India is provided in Zaher and Mazid (1993) and Nandeesha (1993), respectively. Most supplementary feeds are simple mixtures of agricultural byproducts, which are readily available at a relatively low cost. The most common of these are brans (rice and or wheat) that are often mixed with mustard, ground nut, soybean oilseed cakes or meals (Veerina et al., 1993). Due to the complex interactions between the natural food organisms and supplementary feeding practices, supplemental feeding should be carried out in accordance to the nutrient content of the various feed ingredients (Table 8). Supplementary feeds for carps are prepared either in a dry or a moist form. Industrially manufactured, pelleted feeds comprising of various proportions of rice bran/rice polish, ground nut oil cake/mustard oil cake, roasted soybean meal, fishmeal (5 to 10 percent) and vitamin and mineral premix are also used by some farmers. However, this is rarely practiced.