• Table 9. Mean of dressout and body composition data of channel catfish fed diets containing various concentrations of dietary protein at two feeding rates (Experiment 5).
• Table 10. Mean of performance data of channel catfish fed diets containing 28% or 32% protein at different feeding rates (Experiment 6).
• Table 11. Mean of dressout and body composition data of channel catfish fed diets containing 28% or 32% protein at different feeding rates (Experiment 6).
• Table 12. Means of performance and dressout data of channel catfish
  fed a 28% or a 32% protein diet (Experiment 7).¹

Table 9. Mean of dressout and body composition data of channel catfish fed diets containing various concentrations of dietary protein at two feeding rates (Experiment 5).

Fillet Composition

Dietary protein1

Feeding rate2

Dressout

Visceral fat

Protein

Fat

Moisture

Ash

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

24

Restricted

58.3

3.2

17.7

7.4

73.6

1.17

24

Satiation

58.9

2.9

17.6

7.3

73.8

1.17

28

Restricted

60.1

2.3

17.5

6.7

74.6

1.28

28

Satiation

59.7

2.4

17.9

5.9

75.1

1.19

32

Restricted

60.3

2.2

18.4

5.4

74.7

1.29

32

Satiation

59.3

2.4

17.6

6.2

74.8

1.17

24

58.6 b

3.1 a

17.6

7.4 a

73.7

1.17

28

59.9 a

2.4 b

17.7

6.3 b

74.8

1.23

32

59.8 a

2.3 b

18.0

5.9 b

74.8

1.23

Restricted

59.6

2.6

17.8

6.5

74.3

1.24

Satiation

59.3

2.6

17.7

6.5

74.6

1.17

Feeding rate

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

Dietary protein

S

S

NS

S

NS

NS

Interaction

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

¹Digestible energy to protein ratios: 24% protein diet, 11.7 kcal/g protein; 28%, 10.2 kcal/g; and 32%, 9 kcal/g.
²Restricted = not more than 120 pounds of feed per acre per day.
³Least significant difference (LSD) test was not conducted because the interaction was not significant.
⁴The LSD test was conducted only for variables with a significant main effect. Means pooled by dietary protein followed by different letters were different (P < 0.05, LSD test).
⁵S = significant (P < 0.05); NS = not significant (P > 0.05).

Table 10. Mean of performance data of channel catfish fed diets containing 28% or 32% protein at different feeding rates (Experiment 6).

Dietary protein¹

Feeding rate

Feed consumption

Weight gain²

FCR3

Survival

%

lb/A/day

lb/fish

lb/fish

%

Individual treatment means⁴

28

< 80

2.21

1.41

1.57

89.5

28

< 100

2.77

1.58

1.76

81.8

28

< 120

3.05

1.71

1.78

84.4

28

Satiation

3.07

1.84

1.68

89.9

32

< 80

2.43

1.40

1.74

84.3

32

< 100

2.67

1.52

1.76

87.4

32

< 120

3.04

1.76

1.73

84.7

32

Satiation

3.21

1.81

1.79

86.5

28

2.77

1.63

1.70

86.4

32

2.83

1.62

1.75

85.7

< 80

2.32 c

1.40 c

1.65

86.9

< 100

2.72 b

1.54 bc

1.76

84.6

< 120

3.05 a

1.73 ab

1.75

84.6

Satiation

3.14 a

1.82 a

1.73

88.2

Analysis of variance⁶

Dietary protein

NS

NS

NS

NS

Feeding rate

S

S

NS

NS

Interaction

NS

NS

NS

NS

1Digestible energy to protein ratios: 28% protein diet, 10.2 kcal/g protein; and 32%, 9 kcal/g.
2Mean initial weight was 58 pounds per 1,000 fish.
3Feed conversion ratio.
4Least significant difference (LSD) test was not conducted because the interaction was not significant.
5The LSD test was conducted only for variables with a significant main effect. Pooled means within a column followed by different letters were different (P < 0.05, LSD test).
6S = significant (P < 0.05); NS = not significant (P > 0.05).

Table 11. Mean of dressout and body composition data of channel catfish fed diets containing 28% or 32% protein at different feeding rates (Experiment 6).

Fillet composition

Dietary protein¹

Feeding rate

Dressout

Visceral fat

Protein

Fat

Moisture

Ash

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

Individual treatment means²

28

< 80

55.6

3.0

16.2

3.8

78.0

1.13

28

< 100

55.2

3.3

15.5

5.0

77.7

1.13

28

< 120

55.1

3.4

15.9

5.2

77.4

1.14

28

Satiation

55.9

4.4

15.5

5.3

77.7

1.11

32

< 80

56.4

2.5

15.8

3.6

78.9

1.16

32

< 100

55.6

2.9

16.2

4.1

78.1

1.12

32

< 120

56.6

3.6

16.0

5.0

77.5

1.13

32

Satiation

56.7

3.8

16.0

5.2

77.2

1.15

Pooled means³

28

55.4 y

3.5 x

15.8

4.8

77.7

1.13

32

56.3 x

3.2 y

15.8

4.5

77.9

1.14

< 80

56.0

2.7 d

16.0

3.7 b

78.4

1.15

< 100

55.4

3.1 c

15.8

4.5 a

77.9

1.12

< 120

55.8

3.5 b

15.7

5.1 a

77.4

1.13

Satiation

56.3

4.1 a

15.7

5.2 a

77.5

1.13

Analysis of variance⁴

Dietary protein

S

S

NS

NS

NS

NS

Feeding rate

NS

S

NS

S

NS

NS

Interaction

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

NS

¹Digestible energy to protein ratios: 28% protein diet, 10.2 kcal/g protein; and 32%, 9 kcal/g.
²Least significant difference (LSD) test was not conducted because the interaction was not significant.
³The LSD test was conducted only for variables with a significant main effect. Pooled means within a column followed by different letters were different (P < 0.05, LSD test).
⁴S = significant (P < 0.05); NS = not significant (P > 0.05).

Table 12. Means of performance and dressout data of channel catfish
fed a 28% or a 32% protein diet (Experiment 7).¹

Dietary protein

Feed consumption

Weight gain3

FCR⁴

Survival

Visceral fat

Dressout

Fillet

%

lb/fish

lb/fish

%

%

%

%

%

28

1.44

0.84

1.70 b

96.3

3.09

60.3

36.1

8.9

32

1.39

0.79

1.77 a

96.7

3.05

60.4

35.8

9.0

¹Means within a column followed by different letters were different (P < 0.05).
²Digestible energy to protein ratios: 28% protein diet, 10.2 kcal/g protein; and 32%, 9 kcal/g.
³Mean initial weight was 88 pounds per 1,000 fish. Stocking rate was 7,500 fish per acre. The fish were fed to satiation once daily.
⁴Feed conversion ratio.