Feeding brood fish Techniques recommended for feeding advanced fingerlings are also applicable to brood fish. Brood fish are normally fed the same feed used for grow-out of advanced fingerlings, and it appears to meet the nutrient needs of the brood fish. Feed brood fish daily at a rate of 1 to 2 percent of body weight. They may be fed a sinking or floating feed. Nevertheless, some catfish producers prefer sinking feed for brood fish because the fish are often hesitant to feed at the surface.
Some producers provide forage fish for their brood fish.
Winterfeeding Feed consumption by catfish is directly related to water temperature. As the water temperature decreases, consumption declines. However, some form of winter feeding appears to be beneficial to prevent weight loss and to maintain health. Winter feeding of catfish is practiced by many producers, but the activity is restricted because pond levees are often impassable during wet weather. Several schedules for winterfeeding have been suggested.