Date: 04/11/2024

Proper nutrition is essential for the healthy development of tilapia, one of the most farmed species worldwide.

In this blog, we will explore the nutritional needs at each stage of tilapia growth and how BRF Ingredients works to develop high-performance ingredient solutions for aquaculture feed.

Topics:

What are tilapia and what sets them apart from other species?

Tilapia are widely farmed freshwater fish, known for their robustness and adaptability to different environmental conditions. Due to their resilience and adaptability, they have become a dominant choice in aquaculture, contributing significantly to fish production in the country.

Nutritional needs of tilapia by growth stage

Providing the right nutrients at each growth stage is essential to optimize feed conversion, improve digestibility, fillet conversion, and ensure maximum utilization of the ingredients provided.

Each stage of tilapia's life requires a specific nutrient composition to support its healthy development. Among these are essential amino acids, which are crucial for the formation and regeneration of tissues and specific fish proteins.

Additionally, minerals are vital for the formation of bones and teeth, while vitamins act as components or enzymatic catalysts in various metabolic processes.

Learn more about the stages below:

Initial stage (fry)

In the fry stage, where the animals reach about 1.0g, also known as the nursery phase, tilapia require feeds with high levels of protein and nutrients to promote rapid growth and strengthen the immune system.

Digestibility at this stage is critical to ensure nutrients are efficiently absorbed. Thus, the use of functional feeds can improve nutrient absorption, assisting in greater growth and increasing the survival rate of fry.

Growth stage

When the fry transform into juveniles, weighing an average of 20 to 50g, their nutritional needs begin to change. The focus at this stage is to maximize growth and maintain the overall health of the fish. This is achieved through a diet with the appropriate amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Additionally, it is important that the feed particles are of the right size and distributed uniformly, ensuring all fish have access to the feed.

Fattening stage

In the fattening stage, tilapia tend to reach a considerable size between 600g and 1.0kg, and the need for protein slightly decreases. At this stage, nutrition should focus on improving feed conversion, ensuring that the nutrients provided are efficiently transformed into biomass. The use of natural additives and highly digestible proteins, such as hydrolyzed chicken protein, is an excellent choice to enhance feed efficiency and fillet conversion in tilapia.

The importance of precision nutrition for tilapia

Considering a gradual and proper development, precision nutrition is essential to ensure that each fish receives the right amount of nutrients at each growth stage. This not only optimizes productive outcomes but also minimizes food waste and reduces environmental impact.

It is also worth noting that proper nutrition is directly linked to fish health, strengthening their immune system, increasing their resistance to diseases and survival in challenging environments, and consequently boosting productivity.

BioActio Line prepared to meet the metabolic needs of the species

BioActio Health & Performance is BRF Ingredients' Hydrolyzed Chicken Protein, a functional ingredient that stands out for being rich in bioactive peptides.

Developed exclusively for animal nutrition, it integrates perfectly with these species, offering various benefits that contribute to their health and performance.

Among the main benefits of BioActio, the following stand out:

● Increase in fillet yield: the use of Hydrolyzed Chicken Protein helps with fillet development, optimizing efficiency for producers.

● Weight gain and improved feed conversion: it promotes more efficient feed conversion, ensuring greater utilization of the feed by the animals.

● High attractiveness and digestibility: the inclusion of hydrolyzed chicken protein in the formulation significantly improves the palatability of the feed.

● Increased survival rate in the early stages: it helps increase the survival of fry, especially during the critical stages of development, contributing to an improvement in overall cultivation.

BioActio not only complements tilapia diets but also aligns with best practices in animal nutrition, promoting health and efficiency in aquaculture production.

We can see that feeding tilapia by growth stage is a determining factor in ensuring healthy growth, efficient reproduction, and the quality of the final product in aquaculture.

The use of high-performance, quality, and fresh ingredients, such as BRF Ingredients' BioActio line, significantly contributes to meeting the metabolic needs of this species, promoting better performance and yield.

With a focus on research and partnerships with universities, BRF Ingredients reinforces its commitment to developing functional products that meet nutritional needs and optimize feed management, resulting in healthier fish, higher survival rates, and increased profitability for businesses.

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