Use of Meat and Bone Meal in Diets fed to Hybrid Striped Bass

Title: Use of Meat and Bone Meal in Diets fed to Hybrid Striped Bass

Principle Investigator: P. B. Brown

Year: 2000

Objective: Evaluate meat and bone meal in diets fed to hybrid striped bass by incorporating the ingredient in graded levels into a practical diet.

Lay Summary/Industry Summary: Mean consumption of diets containing meat and bone meal was higher than consumption of the control diet containing no meat and bone meal and weight gain was also higher in all treatments containing meat and bone meal compared to the control.

Feed conversion ratio was lower in all but one treatment fed meat and bone meal and protein efficiency ratios were higher in all but one treatment. Meat and bone meal exerted no significant effects on lipid accumulation in the body cavity or liver.

Additionally, fillet composition was not affected by meat and bone meal in the diet. Apparent crude protein digestibility and apparent phosphorus and amino acid availabilities were lower in fish fed the highest level of meat and bone meal (45% of diet) compared to fish fed all other diets, but there were no differences in nutrient availability in fish fed 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 or 40% of the diet as meat and bone meal compared to fish fed the control diet. These data clearly indicate that meat and bone meal can be used as the primary source of crude protein and essential amino acids in diets fed to hybrid striped bass. Using the highest level of incorporation, changes in dietary formulation could reduce feed prices by 20% if feed manufacturers used meat and bone meal.

Scientific Abstract: We fed juvenile hybrid striped bass one of eight diets to evaluate meat and bone meal as a source of crude protein and essential amino acids. Diets contained either 0, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45% meat and bone meal substituted for an isonitrogenous amount of soybean meal and fish meal. All diets were fed for a seven week growth trial which was followed by a 2-week digestibility trial. Mean consumption, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were not significantly affected by addition of meat and bone meal into diets. Intraperitoneal and liver lipid concentrations were not significantly affected by meat and bone meal. Fillet proximate composition was not significantly different among treatments. Apparent crude protein, phosphorus and amino acid availabilities were generally lower in fish fed the highest level of meat and bone meal, but those values were not significantly different in other dietary treatments. Based on these data, it appears meat and bone meal can be used as the primary source of crude protein and essential amino acids in practical growout diets for hybrid striped bass.

Publications: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society