Key Points of Daily Feeding Management in Crocodile Farming

(1) Fish  Various marine and freshwater fish can serve as the main feed for crocodiles. Fish contain a relatively high amount of protein, and also contain more minerals and vitamins, making them a relatively nutrient-rich feed ingredient. However, the gills and internal organs of many fish, especially freshwater fish, contain thiaminase, which can destroy vitamin B1 in the feed and in the crocodile's body. If such fish are fed raw over a long period, it can easily lead to vitamin B1 deficiency in crocodiles, so extra vitamin B1 supplementation must be given attention.

Commonly used fish include loach, blue-scaled fish, yellow crucian carp, gourd-seed fish, fin fish, and fresh mixed sea fish. Because blue-scaled fish, yellow crucian carp, and gourd-seed fish contain more fat and have poor palatability, their usage should not be excessive, and such fish should not be used during the crocodile's breeding period. The feeding amount for crocodiles should also not be too much; it is best to mix them with other animal-based feeds. Mixed sea fish can be fed raw, and the feeding effect is also relatively good.

In breeding practice, fish can be used as the main feed for crocodiles. Currently, the breeding industry advocates feeding crocodiles fresh live fish. This is because live fish are relatively complete in nutrition, can also stimulate the crocodile's appetite, and increase its activity level in the water. If there are no live fish, fresh dead fish can be fed, but the crocodiles must first be acclimated to adapt to this type of food. At the same time, dead fish must be fresh, and poisonous fish are forbidden to be fed to crocodiles. It is also forbidden to feed spoiled fish to crocodiles, because spoiled fish produce histamine in their bodies, which is a product of protein decomposition in fish. A large amount of histamine entering the crocodile's body will accumulate, and when it reaches a certain level, it can cause poisoning in crocodiles. In addition, fish body tissues contain a large amount of unsaturated fatty acids, and unsaturated fatty acids are prone to oxidative deterioration. Therefore, during the transportation and storage of fish, attention should be paid to preventing the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. If crocodiles consume oxidatively rancid unsaturated fatty acids over a long period, it can cause fat disease, so attention must be paid when using them.

(2) Other Small Animals  In the wild, crocodiles often prey on small animals such as chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and small sheep as feed sources; under artificial rearing conditions, they can be trained to eat some dehaired small animals and the carcasses of fur-bearing animals after skinning. In addition, some animal slaughter by-products can also be used. When using this type of feed, attention should be paid to hygiene and quarantine, and it is forbidden to use small animals carrying infectious diseases to feed crocodiles. Furthermore, when using animal slaughter by-products, the glandular parts of animals contain more hormones, and it is forbidden to feed them to crocodiles during the breeding period, so as not to affect their reproductive performance. Because crocodiles are fierce carnivores, they relatively like to eat live animals, and generally healthy live animals can be directly thrown to them.

(3) Large Animal Meat  Commonly used types include pork, beef, mutton, and so on. Fresh animal meat has a relatively high protein content, about 17%-21%, with relatively complete amino acids, especially a balanced ratio of essential amino acids, so its biological value is relatively high, and the crocodile's digestibility of them is also relatively high. It can be used as a component of the crocodile's protein feed.