TY  - JOUR
T1  - Possible Improvement in Income with Vitamin C Fortified Diets in Practical Farming of <I>Heterobranchus longifilis </I>Fingerlings
AU - , L.M.O. Ibiyo AU - , J.O. Atteh AU - , J.S. Omotosho AU - , C.T. Madu AU - , A.N. Okaeme 
JO  - Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances
VL  - 6
IS  - 4
SP  - 479
EP  - 484
PY  - 2007
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1680-5593
DO  - javaa.2007.479.484
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=javaa.2007.479.484
KW  - Vitamin C
KW  -profitability
KW  -practical farming
KW  -Heterobranchus longifilis
AB  - A completely randomised design with three replicates was used for an experiment conducted to study the profitability of vitamin C inclusion into the ration formulation of <I>Heterobranchus longifilis</I>. Graded levels (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250) mg vitamin C kg <SUP>1</SUP> diet as ascorbate polyphosphate was included in a 42.5% crude protein basal diet and fed to triplicate groups of twenty fingerlings. The groups fed diets with vitamin C had statistically significant (p< 0.05) higher final weight than the group fed the control diet without vitamin C at the end of twenty weeks study. Feed consumed was significantly (p< 0.05) lower in the group fed diet without vitamin C. There was a significant difference (p< 0.05) between the groups fed 0 and 50 mg vitamin C kg <SUP>1</SUP> diets but no significant difference (p>0.05) between the groups fed diets with 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg vitamin C kg <SUP>1</SUP> diet on this parameter. Mortality was significantly (p< 0.05) higher in the groups fed diet devoid of vitamin C while there was no significant difference (p >0.05) between the fish fed the diets with the graded levels of vitamin C. The Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substance (TBARS) of the liver and whole body of fish was significantly (p< 0.05) higher in fish fed diet devoid of vitamin C. Cost per kilogram of fish base on feed input was significantly (p< 0.05) higher in the group fed diet without vitamin C than those enriched with vitamin C. However within the groups enriched with vitamin C cost per kg of fish was significantly (p< 0.05) decreasing in the following order: diet 2>diet 6>diets 4, 5 and 3. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) between fish fed diets with 100, 150 and 200 mg vitamin C kg <SUP>1</SUP> with respect to cost per kilogram of fish. The results of this study suggest that there is no alternative to the use of a complete diet with vitamin C in a sustainable intensive practical farming of <I>H. longifilis</I>.
ER  -