United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Veterinary Services 

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health August 2011 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Feeding Protocols for U.S. 

Catfish Operations, 2002–09 

Proper feeding of catfish follows general guidelines 

but is often termed as much an art as a science 

(Tucker and Robinson, 1991). Feeding costs are 

usually the largest component of the total cost of 

raising catfish. These costs can be at least partially 

controlled by careful feed selection, tailoring 

feeding practices to catfish production type, and 

monitoring feed consumption. Feeding practices 

can be tailored not only to stage of production but 

also to farm infrastructure such as pond type (e.g., 

levee or watershed ponds), mechanization level, 

and staffing. 

Background 

Floating feed pellets, which allow producers to 

monitor feed consumption, are usually used to feed 

broodfish, foodsize fish, and larger fingerlings. Fry 

often get meal, while older fry and small fingerlings 

are fed “crumbles.” Feeding rates depend on many 

factors, including pond fish density and water 

temperature. Feeding activity declines during cold 

periods and peak during the warm summer months. 

 The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring 

System (NAHMS) conducted its third national study 

of the U.S. catfish industry, Catfish 2010. There 

were 424 participating producers in Catfish 2010. 

The study focused on four States, which were 

divided into two regions. The East region was 

defined as Alabama and Eastern Mississippi; the 

West region was defined as Arkansas, Louisiana, 

and western Mississippi. Results from Catfish 2010 

related to feeding practices are presented here. In 

addition, Catfish 2010 results are compared with 

results from the NAHMS Catfish 2003 study. 

Breeding operations 

 

Feeding protocols for foodfish (adult breeding 

stock) are based on three seasons which represent 

reproductive phases (prespawning or spring/early 

summer, spawning or midsummer/fall, 

postspawning or winter). In 2009, most breeding 

operations fed broodfish at least every third day 

from spring to fall and then switched to lessfrequent feedings in the winter (table 1). Feeding 

frequencies from 2002 to 2009 were similar in the 

midsummer, fall, and winter, with the exception of 

the “other” category, which included feeding as 

weather permitted in 2002 and no feeding at all in 

2009.

Table 1. Percentage of breeding operations by 

how often broodfish were usually fed during the 

following seasons, and by study 

Percent Operations 

Season 

Spring/early 

summer 

Midsummer/ 

fall Winter 

Fed . . . 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Daily 23.5 35.2 28.9 29.8 4.3 2.7 

Every 

other day 35.7 35.1 28.9 32.4 3.4 8.1 

Every 

third day 33.1 18.9 29.7 27.0 5.6 10.8 

Less 

often than 

every third 

day 

6.2 5.4 8.5 8.1 44.7 43.3 

Other 1.5 5.4 4.0 2.7 42.0 35.1 

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

On nearly 7 of 10 breeding operations in 2009 

(69.4 percent), broodfish were primarily fed feed 

consisting of 32 percent protein, an increase from 

59.3 percent of operations in 2002. In contrast, the 

percentage of operations that fed 35 percent 

protein feed declined from 13.3 percent of 

operations in 2009 to 5.6 percent of operations in 

2009. The percentage of breeding operations that 

stocked forage fish in broodfish ponds as a 

supplemental food source for broodfish also 

increased from 32.5 percent in 2002 to 48.7 

percent in 2009. Tilapia was stocked by the highest 

percentage of breeding operations in 2009 

(27.0 percent) [data not shown]. 

Hatcheries and fry/fingerling operations 

 Fry that have absorbed their yolk sacs require 

frequent feedings. Most hatcheries in 2009 

(46.2 percent) fed fry in fry troughs seven or more 

times per day. Feeding frequency of fry in fry 

troughs was unchanged from 2002 to 2009. In 

2009, catfish starter or salmon/trout starter was the 

primary feed fed to fry (51.7 and 35.4 percent of 

hatcheries, respectively). In 2002, however, a 

higher percentage of hatcheries primarily fed fry 

catfish starter (68.3 percent), and a smaller 

percentage fed salmon/trout starter (11.1 percent). 

 Feeding protocols for fry and fingerlings in 

ponds are reflective of temperature ranges that 

match those in the four seasons. A higher 

percentage of fry/fingerling operations fed 

fry/fingerlings at least twice daily in spring and fall 

in 2009 compared with 2002 (table 2). A lower 

percentage of fry/fingerling operations fed 

fry/fingerlings at least twice daily in summer in 2009 

compared with 2002. In both study years, a majority 

of fry/fingerling operations fed at least once a day in 

all seasons but winter. In winter, most operations 

adopted an “other” feeding frequency. In 2009, 

most operations using the “other” feeding frequency 

in winter fed irregularly, as needed, or did not feed, 

while about one-third fed between one time per 

week and one time per month. Similar to feeding of 

broodfish, “other” included when weather and pond 

levee conditions permitted in 2002. 

Table 2. Percentage of fingerling operations by 

how often fry/fingerlings were usually fed 

during the following seasons, and by study year

Percent Operations 

Season 

Spring Summer Fall Winter 

Fed . . . 

Catfish 

2003

Catfish 

2010

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Catfish 

2003

Catfish 

2010

Catfish 

2003

Catfish 

2010

At least 

twice 

daily 

37.3 46.2 33.6 26.9 9.9 15.4 2.3 1.9

Once a 

day 40.8 38.4 60.7 57.7 49.1 53.9 4.3 5.8

Every 

other 

day 

12.5 9.6 3.3 9.6 20.4 25.0 5.8 11.5

Every 

third 

day* 

4.0 NA 1.3 NA 16.7 NA 13.6 NA

Other 5.4 5.8 1.1 5.8 3.9 5.7 74.0 80.8

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

*Not asked in Catfish 2010. 

 Protein is a key component to the growth of 

fingerlings and is the most expensive component of 

any feed. In 2009, nearly one-half of fry/fingerling 

operations (49.1 percent) primarily fed feed 

consisting of 32 percent protein. This is a shift from 

2002, in which the highest percentage of 

fry/fingerling operations (41.3 percent) primarily fed 

feed consisting of 35 percent protein. Only 17.6 

percent of fry/fingerling operations fed feed with 35 

percent protein in 2009. The decrease in the 

percentage of fry/fingerling operations that fed 35-

percent protein feed might reflect producers’ efforts 

to reduce costs. 

Foodsize-fish operations 

Protein requirements for foodsize fish differ 

from those for fry/fingerlings. In 2009, a majority of 

foodsize fish operations (57.3 percent) primarily fed 

foodsize fish feed consisting of 28 percent protein, 

while 40.4 percent of operations primarily fed feed 

consisting of 32 percent protein. However, in 2002 

most foodsize fish operations (62.3 percent) 

primarily fed a 32-percent protein feed, while 35.2 

percent of foodsize fish operations primarily fed a 

28-percent protein feed. Although a protein level of 

32 percent was considered standard for foodsize 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

fish in the past, a level of 28 percent has been 

shown to be adequate. In 2009, price (which is 

related to protein level) and past performance were 

the most important reasons for choosing which feed 

to purchase by the highest percentage of foodsizefish operations (41.3 and 23.1 percent, 

respectively). 

 The feeding regimen for foodsize fish generally 

followed a seasonal pattern. In 2009, the highest 

percentage of foodsize fish (48.1 percent) were fed 

to satiation on alternate days in spring, every day to 

satiation in summer (46.1 percent of operations), 

and alternate days in fall (58.9 percent of 

operations for satiation and maximum feeding limit 

combined) [table 3]. In spring, fewer operations in 

2009 fed every day (to satiation or with a maximum 

feeding limit) compared with operations in 2002. In 

summer, a higher percentage of foodsize fish 

operations fed every day to satiation in 2009 than in 

2002 (46.1 and 39.9 percent, respectively). In both 

study years in the fall, a similar percentage of 

operations used alternate-day feeding. 

Table 3. Percentage of foodsize-fish operations 

by how often foodsize fish were usually fed 

during the following seasons, and by study 

Percent Operations 

Season* 

Spring Summer Fall 

Fed . . . 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

Every day to 

satiation 12.5 7.9 39.9 46.1 17.1 18.8

Every day 

but with a 

maximum 

feeding limit 

13.7 8.9 31.4 25.0 18.5 12.1

Alternate 

days to 

satiation 

37.8 48.1 16.5 16.2 35.0 38.1

Alternate 

days with a 

maximum 

feeding limit 

22.8 19.5 9.2 8.2 19.0 20.8

Other 13.2 15.6 3.0 4.5 10.4 10.2

Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

*Originally in questionnaire listed as: March–April, May–August and 

September–October. 

 

For operations that kept foodsize fish, there 

was a shift in winter feeding frequency from 2002 to 

2009. In 2009, the majority of foodsize fish 

operations averaged fewer than four feedings per 

week, while in 2002 the majority of foodsize fish 

operations averaged four or more feedings per 

week (table 4). 

Table 4. Percentage of foodsize-fish operations 

by average number of days per week foodsize 

fish were fed from December through February, 

and by study 

Percent Operations 

Average number 

days per week 

Catfish 

2003 

Catfish 

2010 

0 30.1 56.8 

1 to 3 9.7 37.3 

4 or more 53.1 0.8 

No foodfish on 

hand in winter 7.1 5.1 

Total 100.0 100.0 

 

 The greatest amount of feed is fed during 

summer, when the feeding activity of the fish 

increases. In 2009, during the peak feeding month 

for each operation, foodsize fish operations 

averaged 120 pounds of feed/acre/day for all 

growout ponds while the average highest daily rate 

for any single growout pond was 161.1 pounds of 

feed fed/acre. During the peak month of feeding, all 

operations averaged 11.6 pounds of feed 

fed/acre/day more in 2009 than in 2002. The 

average highest daily rate between operations was 

17.1 pounds of feed fed/acre more in 2009 than in 

2002. 

 Fish other than catfish are stocked in ponds to 

supplement feed but also to consume undesirable 

vegetation, zooplankton, phytoplankton, or other 

underutilized pond resources. Some of the fish 

stocked, such as threadfin shad and fathead 

minnows, are intended to become food for catfish. 

In 2009, 29.6 and 7.8 percent of foodsize fish 

operations stocked threadfin shad and fathead 

minnows, respectively. Only 13.1 percent of 

foodsize fish operations stocked threadfin shad in 

2002, whereas 10.9 percent of operations stocked 

fathead minnows. 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Conclusions 

 

Breeding, fry/fingerling and foodsize-fish 

operations appear to be shifting to lower protein 

feeds. In contrast, a higher percentage of 

broodstock operations used higher protein feed in 

2009 compared with 2002. The feeding frequency 

of fry/fingerlings by season has remained nearly 

unchanged. Since 2002, a lower percentage of 

producers fed foodsize fish every day in spring, 

perhaps adopting a fall-like frequency of feeding to 

lower feed costs. However, the frequency of 

feeding in winter has increased, perhaps in 

response to evidence that catfish will consume food 

at lower temperatures and that winter feeding better 

prepares fish for the spring. In summer months, 

more feed was fed on a per-acre basis to foodsize 

fish in 2009 compared with 2002, and supplemental 

food sources in the form of other species of fish 

also increased in those years. 

Reference 

Tucker CS, Robinson EH. 1951. Channel Catfish 

Farming Handbook, Chapman & Hall, New York, 

NY. 

_______________________________ 

For more information, contact: 

USDA–APHIS–VS–CEAH 

NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7 

2150 Centre Avenue 

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117 

970.494.7000 

Email: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov 

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov

#628.0711 

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