Chicken manure, a common waste in agricultural production, actually contains rich organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and a variety of trace elements, which is an important part of farm fertilizer. However, in aquaculture, especially in fish farming, the value of chicken manure is much more than that. After scientific and rational treatment, chicken manure can be used as an economical and environmentally friendly source of feed supplementation to provide essential nutrients for fish.
First of all, we need to understand the risks of feeding chicken manure without treatment. Because chicken manure contains a large number of harmful substances such as pathogenic microorganisms, parasite eggs and antibiotic residues, direct feeding may cause fish diseases, destroy the ecological balance of water bodies, and have a serious impact on fish health and breeding efficiency. Therefore, it is important to adopt the method of fermentation.
Fermentation is the mixing of fresh chicken manure with a certain percentage of water (usually the ratio of chicken manure to water is about 1:1.)5 to 1:2), and add bran bran, wheat bran, corn flour and other carbon source substances as starter culture, these carbon sources can promote the reproduction and activity of beneficial microorganisms. The mixture is then sealed and fermented at a suitable temperature (25-35 °C), typically taking 7-10 days. In this process, microorganisms can not only effectively kill the pathogens in chicken manure and reduce their potential harm through metabolism, but also decompose the crude fiber and macromolecular organic matter in chicken manure, improve the bioavailability of nutrients in chicken manure, and transform it into a more digestible and absorbable form for fish.
Fermented chicken manure cannot be fed directly to the fish, but needs to be further diluted and mixed. It is usually recommended to mix fermented chicken manure with conventional fish feed or other plant-based feeds (such as tofu residue, rice bran, etc.) in a certain proportion (such as 5%-10% chicken manure addition) and put it into the fish pond to allow the fish to eat freely. This ensures that the fish receive adequate nutrition without overburdening the digestive system or deteriorating the water quality due to high levels of chicken manure.
In the feeding management, the principle of "small amount and multiple times" should be followed, and the fish should be fed in batches every day to ensure that the fish can fully digest and absorb and avoid water pollution caused by too much feeding at one time. When adding chicken manure fermentation material for the first time, farmers need to pay close attention to the feeding situation and activity status of the fish, and adjust the feeding plan in time once abnormal reactions are found.
In addition, chicken manure is rich in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which may lead to eutrophication of water bodies if fed in large quantities, which in turn can lead to environmental problems such as cyanobacteria outbreaks. Therefore, while using chicken manure to feed fish, it is necessary to strengthen water quality monitoring and regulation, and adjust water quality through regular testing of water quality indicators, timely water exchange, oxygenation, and planting aquatic plants to ensure the stability and health of the breeding environment.
In summary, although chicken manure is a low-cost feed resource, its application in fish farming must strictly follow scientific treatment methods and feeding strategies. Only in this way can we make full use of resources and reduce costs, while ensuring the healthy growth of fish and the sustainable development of the breeding environment.