Abstract: Understanding the costs associated with the use of different first feeds is very essential in making choice of the appropriate larval feed to use post-endogenous feeding. A study was conducted to determine and compare the cost of sanitation labour for different larval first feeds: yeast-fed rotifer, algae-fed rotifer, whole-chicken egg and shell-free Artemia. The daily sanitation time was recorded in each case and the cost of sanitation labour was determined. A cost-benefit analysis was also carried out based on the collected data. The results indicated that the first feed chosen affected the time spent in sanitation and allied cost of labour. Mean daily sanitation time recorded was 1043±34.37, 1204.8±24.20, 1022±31.95 and 2348±49.65 seconds for yeast-fed rotifer, algae-fed rotifer, whole-chicken egg and Artemia respectively. One-way analysis of variance on these showed there was a significant difference (P<0.05). The sanitation labour cost for the control treatment (shell-free Artemia) was slightly more than twice (N2607.20, $6.34) the cost of Yeast-fed rotifer (N1158.08, $2.81) and whole-chicken egg (N1134.88, $2.76) and almost twice that of algae-fed rotifer (N1336.96, $3.25). Whole-chicken egg was 56.47% less than the control while yeast-fed and algae-fed rotifer treatments were 55.59% and 48.72% less respectively, showing that the control treatment recorded higher costs than all the treatments. Cost-Benefit analysis indicated that there was loss in all the treatments: N 673.08 ($1.64), N361.96 ($0.88), N 1054.88 ($2.56) and N1737.2 ($4.22) for yeast-fed rotifer, algae-fed rotifer, whole-chicken egg and shell-free Artemia respectively. The study shows that sanitation labour for the control (shell-free Artemia) treatment costs more than yeast-fed rotifer, algae-fed rotifer, whole-chicken egg. It is recommended that more studies be conducted for field trial and optimization of algae-fed rotifer on Clarias gariepinus hatchlings.
Keywords: Sanitation, Labour cost, Clarias gariepinus, First feed, nursery.
Title: Comparative analysis of the sanitation labour costs and benefits associated with the use of different first feeds in Clarias gariepinus nursery
Author: Okeke Patrick A, Evulobi Onyedikachi O.C., Amuneke Kennedy E
International Journal of Life Sciences Research
ISSN 2348-313X (Print), ISSN 2348-3148 (online)
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