What stocking density is suitable for yellow catfish farming?

I think many people enjoy eating yellow catfish, and the nutritional value of yellow catfish is also very good. In particular, the soup made from yellow catfish has a very high protein content, so eating fish regularly is very beneficial to the human body. Therefore, the current market prospects for yellow catfish are quite good.

Stocking density for yellow catfish farming

When many friends communicated with me, almost all of them mentioned the issue of yellow catfish stocking density. Because of differences in natural conditions, market preferences, and each person's technical level, economic strength, and business model across different regions, it is very difficult to give a very standard answer. Everyone is an expert, so this reasoning is not hard to understand. However, to determine a specific stocking density, there is a most basic method, which has also been introduced in various textbooks. Namely:

Stocking density G (fish) = M*1000/[(M2-M1)*N]

Explanation: M——designed net yield per mu, in kilograms. This parameter depends on conditions in each region; for the first time, you can refer to the net yield of blunt snout bream under the same conditions. Afterward, adjust according to actual conditions.

M1——average size of fingerlings at stocking, in grams per fish.

M2——average size at harvest, generally the size preferred by the market. The unit is grams per fish. Conditions differ from place to place and should be treated separately.

N——survival rate (%), which varies with local conditions, size at stocking, and management level. For fry stocked at 2-3 cm, the survival rate is generally 70-90%.

Precautions for farming yellow catfish

Pay attention to reasonable stocking. A reasonable stocking density can improve feed utilization; suitable companion species can make full use of feed, benefit each other through symbiosis, achieve harmony in the water body, and improve feed use efficiency. To achieve a high survival rate in yellow catfish farming and reduce feed waste, stocking density and companion fish species must be well controlled.  

The food of yellow catfish in natural waters mainly consists of small shrimp, fish and fish eggs, and some aquatic insects, aquatic plants, etc. Therefore, artificial farming can use fresh live animal bait such as small fish and shrimp, livestock and poultry processing scraps, etc., and can also feed soybean cake, peanut cake, bran, etc.  

In addition, because the yellow catfish has a relatively large mouth opening, the feed particle size should be correspondingly increased. Pellet feed with a particle size of 2 mm can be used as the opening feed, and the particle size of adult fish feed can reach more than 5 mm. When using sinking hard pellet bait, the pellets are required to remain stable in water for 15 minutes; using floating bait will better improve feed utilization.

Farming techniques for yellow catfish  

1. Pond preparation is very simple: it requires sufficient water source, fresh and pollution-free water quality, and convenient drainage and irrigation. The area should be 3-10 mu, and it is best not to choose aged ponds with thick silt. Every pond must have controllable water inlet and outlet. The water depth should be below 2 m, which is favorable for yellow catfish feeding. Before stocking fish, disinfect the pond with lime or bleaching powder. On the 2nd day after pond disinfection, add water to 0.8-1.0 m; on the 3rd-4th day, add an appropriate weight of fermented and decomposed organic fertilizer to propagate natural bait. After the toxicity has completely disappeared, put in the fingerlings and fill the pond with water.  

2. Fingerling stocking. Whether the seedlings are captured from natural waters or artificially bred, they are required to be disease-free and injury-free, robust, and basically uniform in size, generally about 15 grams per fish. The stocking period is between March and April, with 1000-1500 fish stocked per mu. Companion species should not use omnivorous bottom-dwelling fish such as carp, crucian carp, and tilapia, whose living habits are roughly similar to those of yellow catfish, so as not to affect the growth of yellow catfish.  

3. Daily management. Persist in patrolling the pond three times a day in the morning, noon, and evening, carefully observe fish activity, feeding, and growth, and deal with problems promptly when found. Frequently inject new water to prevent water quality deterioration, and also to prevent fish disease and surface gasping. It is best to inject new water 20-30 cm every 10 days, and turn on the aerator on rainy days. Long-term feeding will make the pond water weakly acidic, which is not conducive to the growth of yellow catfish. Generally, quicklime is used to adjust the pH of the pond water.  

4. During transportation, stocking, and harvesting of fingerlings, care should be taken in handling to avoid injury to fish from collisions. When using medication, strictly control the dosage. Yellow catfish are relatively sensitive to drugs such as copper sulfate and trichlorfon, and especially should be used with caution.

Management measures for rearing yellow catfish fry  

1. Do a good job of dividing fry into separate ponds for stocking. During the fry rearing stage, the fry grow continuously and individuals differ in growth. In the later stage, the pond fry appear in a high-density state, growth sizes are also inconsistent, and the ability to compete for food differs even more. Therefore, dividing and stocking according to different sizes is an effective measure to improve the survival rate of farming and promote fry growth.  

2. Strengthen water quality management. During the fry farming period, fertilization, feed feeding, and the large amount of excretion by fish cause fundamental changes in water quality, such as rising ammonia nitrogen index and decreased water transparency, affecting the normal growth of fry. Therefore, regularly inject new water or use microbial preparations to regulate water quality, so that the water quality reaches being fertile, lively, and refreshing.  

3. Do a good job in feed feeding management. The current season has already entered plum rain weather, with little sunlight, high temperature, low air pressure, and insufficient dissolved oxygen in the water body. Feed feeding should follow the principles of three observations and four fixed points, namely observing the weather, observing the water quality, and observing the fish's feeding situation, and fixing the time, quantity, quality, and location, flexibly controlling the amount of bait fed.

I think many people are very familiar with yellow catfish and may often eat it in daily life. But they may not know much about yellow catfish farming. Through the above introduction by the editor, I hope it can help you understand some common knowledge about farming.