Experience and Technical Key Points for Raising Yellow Catfish in Paddy Fields
1. Paddy field selection. It requires convenient water intake and drainage, sufficient water source, good water quality, and strong water retention. The area is generally 8-10 mu per plot.
2. Field engineering. Dig "tian"-shaped or "jing"-shaped ditches, with a ditch width of 3-5 m and a depth of 0.8-1 m, build water intake and drainage canals well, seal the water intake and drainage outlets with fine-mesh nets, compact the base, and dig the ditch at the outer ring drainage outlet to a depth of 1.5 m.
3. Stocking fry and fingerlings. 7-10 days before stocking, use 50-100 kg of quicklime per mu, dissolved in water, to clear the pond and disinfect it. On the second day, add new water to 0.5-0.8 m. After pond clearing and about 7 days before releasing the fry and fingerlings, apply 300-500 kg of decomposed livestock and poultry manure per mu. In general, for the main culture method, stock 4000-5000 fry per mu, and for polyculture, stock 500-1000 per mu. Stock from May to July.
4. Feeding management. (1) Bait feeding. In the early stage, if there are large numbers of zooplankton in the water, appropriately supplement some minced fish, shrimp, and artificial compound feed; if there is not much zooplankton, feed at 5%-10% of fish body weight, and appropriately reduce the feeding ratio in the later stage. In July, August, and September, the feeding times are preferably 9-10 a.m. and 4-5 p.m. each day, and the morning and afternoon feeding amounts account for 40% and 60% of the whole day's feeding amount respectively. During continuous rainy weather, appropriately reduce the feeding amount. (2) Management. After the fry and fingerlings are released into the pond, the water depth is 0.5-0.8 m, then gradually add water. In July, August, and September, maintain the water depth above 1 m. Water quality management is the same as conventional practice. When rice diseases occur, use low-toxicity and high-efficiency pesticides, adopt the spray method, and promptly add new water after application.
5. Harvesting. From December of the same year to January of the following year, drain the pond and harvest. Yellow catfish that are too small in size are kept temporarily in another pond as large-size fingerlings for the next year.