SRAC Verification Study Results: Pond Culture of
Channel Catfish and Channel x Blue Hybrids
Gregory N. Whitis

Four different farms were used in the West Alabama verification study.  All four farms are located in the prairie belt region where the majority of the state's production occurs.  The experience level of the producers ranged from novice to over ten years of catfish production.  Working relationships developed by the extension aquaculturist over the course of the study proved invaluable.

This extensionist was fortunate to work with four producers who appreciated the worthiness of the project.   Two producers received hybrid catfish fingerlings from Auburn University and two others received channel catfish fingerlings from commercial sources.  It was learned through the course of the project that hybrid catfish can be stocked in a multiple batch production system provided under-stocked fish are not in the three-quarter pound range at the time of a partial harvest.  Three-quarter pound hybrids will hang up in a 1.75-inch mesh net.   Also, seine crews need to realize that hybrids are not as willing to swim through the throat of a sock during the socking phase.  Hybrid catfish are more likely than channel catfish to school together and go over the float line if given the chance.

All of the producers in the West Alabama project were introduced to the Fishy software developed by Mississippi State University.  They now realize the importance of sampling food size at harvest and entering accurate average weights to better approximate head inventories and to reduce overstocking.  One producer who normally stocked ponds in the 12,000 to 15,000 fish per acre range has reduced his stocking rates because of the production data in his verification pond.

The ponds were either stocked with blue x channel hybrids or channel catfish.  Annual marketable yield and net returns (the bottom line) for the hybrids was in a range of 10,203 to 7,546 pounds and $3,777 to $1,999 per acre per year.   The range for hybrid production probably reflected on how well the producer took advantage of voracious feeding by hybrids.

The channel catfish ponds had an annual marketable yield and net annual return in the range of 7,423 to 8,849 pounds and $1,598 to $2,704 per acre, respectively.  This large variation in bottom line probably reflects mainly on how well the fish were fed.

The biggest impact the project had on this extensionist was the realization that the average size fish sold was 2 pounds and not 1.25 pounds as previously assumed.   The routine use of a 1.75-inch mesh net leaves large numbers of fish slightly smaller than 1.25 pounds.  Overall, the project has demonstrated critical production aspects of commercial aquaculture.  Even though this study did not contrast different production schemes, we now know that current extension guidelines will result in profitable production.  But we still do not know how to maximize return in terms of stocking, aeration, and feeding rates.  This will be addressed in another verification trial.  This new trial will involve eight ponds: four stocked at 6,500 and fed a maximum of 125 pounds per acre and the other four stocked at 8,000 and fed a maximum of 175 pounds per acre. The study will last three years.