Utilization of Feather Meal as a Protein Source in the Diet of Juvenile Japanese Flounder

Abstract

Feeding experiments were conducted at 20°C with diets containing 0, 12, 25, 37, and 50% of feather meal to examine the potential of feather meal as a substitute for fish meal in the diet of Japanese flounder. Juvenile fish, about 3 g in initial body weight, were fed on each diet to satiation twice a day for 6 days a week for 8 weeks. The weight gain offish fed on the diets containing 12 and 25% of feather meal did not differ from that of fish fed on the control diet containing 80% of white fish meal, however, fish fed on the 37 and 50% feather meal diets gained less weight. The feed conversion efficiency and protein efficiency ratio of fish fed on the 12% feather meal diet were almost the same as in the control group, however, these efficiencies decreased as the proportion of feather meal in the diet increased from 25, 37 to 50%. Supplements of crystalline amino acids to the feather meal diet improved its nutritive value slightly. There was little difference in the proximate composition of the whole body together with the hematological and hematochemical parameters among the dietary groups tested. The present study showed that 12 to 25% of feather meal is an appropriate substitute for fish meal in the diet of juvenile Japanese flounder. © 1994, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.