Daily feed input is an important aspect of shrimp farming. Shrimp cannot grow healthily and optimally without sufficient and high-quality feed. Meanwhile, feed occupies the largest operational costs, namely 50-60% of the total production costs per cycle.
Due to the high cost, farmers have to be careful in feed management. Proper management or feeding strategy has many advantages. The advantages include well-maintained shrimp growth, fewer issues with water quality, and a reduction in feed input that improves feed conversion ratio (FCR).
There are several things that need to be considered in feed management, such as shrimp growth target, the ability of the pond ecosystem to recycle nutrients, the shrimp's ability to eat, feed quality, and daily feeding patterns.
Daily feeding needs to be regulated as efficiently as possible to ensure that shrimp grow optimally while minimizing production costs. Dosage, form and number of feed, daily feeding frequency, shrimp age and shrimp weight are interrelated. For example, shrimp younger than 15 days old should be fed crumbled feed three times a day with a feed dose of 75-15% because they are still developing their ability to digest large amounts of food.
The importance of daily feed evaluation
If you have implemented feed management based on the factors above, there is one thing that is no less important, which is feeding evaluation. Evaluation will help farmers monitor shrimp growth performance and assess the effectiveness of the feeding strategies that have been implemented. Farmers can observe which aspects are successful and which are not.
Feeding evaluation or control can be conducted by checking the feeding tray periodically. By checking the feeding tray, farmers can monitor the size of the shrimp, the shrimp's appetite and the health condition of the shrimp from time to time.
When we feed our shrimp using a feeding tray, it is better to adjust the amount of feed with shrimp weight estimation. Even though there is no specific standard regarding feeding tray checking, the following information is widely used as a benchmark.
You may adjust the amount of feed based on the feeding tray checking result.
Cultivating without evaluating daily feed inputs
Implementing a feed program without evaluating it regularly through the feeding tray can have a negative impact on the cultivation process. Overfeeding may cause a domino effect in the pond. Even though it might hasten shrimp growth in the early days of cultivation, it also results in high FCR, accumulation of organic matter that lowers water quality, and ultimately leading to the risk of disease. Therefore, it is also necessary to evaluate water quality in the pond.
On the other hand, feeding too little or insufficiently (underfeeding) can slow down shrimp growth because the shrimp will not get enough nutrition. Underfeeding also causes FCR to increase.
This is where the feeding tray plays an important role because it is impossible for farmers to directly observe the condition of the shrimp in the pond. Feeding tray will help farmers analyze shrimp feed needs regularly.
However, it is not enough to simply observe the shrimp condition in the feeding tray. Farmers need to record the results regularly to ensure that they are well documented. If one simply relies on memory, there is a chance for errors or even forgetting the results, making it difficult for farmers to plan out future mitigation measures.
Proper feeding strategies, water quality control, and regular recording will support the implementation of sustainable and productive cultivation. In the end, this will ultimately benefit the farmer while reaping the results at the end of cultivation.
Record and monitor feed inputs in JALA App
The good news is, you can record and monitor shrimp feeding easily on JALA App by simply inputting the time and amount of feed (kg) given. What's more special is that the daily feed predictions are also automatically adjusted if there is an SR correction, giving farmers access to more accurate feed data.
Besides feed, JALA App also provides feeding tray recording feature. In this feature, you can simply input the feeding time, checking time, and any remark about shrimp condition. You will be able to monitor the result of feeding tray checking from time to time.
The Analysis Chart feature in JALA App also makes it easy for you to monitor feed, cumulative feed, FCR, and many other parameters. Not only evaluations, but you can also monitor the performance estimation.
It’s time to employ technology to help you cultivate effectively and efficiently. Download JALA App now. It’s free!
References
Cek Anco dan Sampling Feeds and Feeding | FAO Otak Atik Program Pakan Rethinking Feeding for Cultured Shrimp | Global Seafood Alliances The proper management of commercial shrimp feeds, part 1 | Global Seafood Alliances Van, T. P. T. H., dkk. (2017). Feed management for Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei under semi-intensive conditions in tanks and ponds. Aquaculture Research, 48(10), 1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/are.13348 in Ihsanario, A., Ridwan A. (2021). Optimal Feeding Frequency on the Growth Performance of Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during Grow-out Phase. Journal of Biological Science, Technology and Management, 3(1), 42-55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5614/3bio.2021.3.1.5
