Startmyfarm

  Record Keeping  This is keeping track of all your input and output to keep track of how much profit you are making and how much you are losing. This is a structure every businessman should have in their business, and it is not excluded from you like a catfish farmer.   It is key to keep track of how much fish you are started with, how much the fishes feed per day or weeks, how many died or how many are eventually going to be sold- how much profit you made. These are what will eventually determine your success rate as a catfish farmer. It will also help you learn from your mistakes, what works for the fishes and what doesn’t work, thus, helping you in the long run to reduce risk and hazard, and cost of production in subsequent times. By reviewing data, the farmer will know how to increase productivity and when to expand.  Keeping records enable the farmer to understand the economic viability of their fishes and even their facility- how much each facility takes to maintain. It helps yo

  Water Quality Management  Fish carry out all body functions in water; breathe, feed, grow, reproduce and excrete. Water quality is therefore critical in any fish venture. It affects fish growth health and performance. The quality for operation is therefore what the fish needs and not what the farmer wants or prefers  Signs of poor water quality  ∙ Fish gasp at the surface   ∙ Fish groups around fresh incoming water   ∙ The slow growth of fish   ∙ Changes in watercolour: Good ware is greenish while deteriorating water is brownish.  ∙ Change in turbidity  ∙ A build-up of nutrients such as ammonia-nitrogen  ∙ Phytoplankton blooms   ∙ Non-fish animals leave the water   ∙ Repeated health problems   ∙ Poor transparency   ∙ Excessive growth of weeds especially in earthen ponds. Causes of water quality deterioration   ∙ Use of poor quality feed  ∙ Overfeeding   ∙ Overstocking   ∙ Decomposition of vegetation   ∙ Increased water temperature.   Advantages of good water quality management.  ∙ Go

  Fish Sampling   Growth monitoring (sampling) in fish culture  Sampling is the temporary removal of fish from a culture system. The major reasons for sampling are to:   ∙ Monitor growth and general performance   ∙ Re-calculate feed requirements   ∙ Determine when fish are ready for market   ∙ Determine the reproductive stage of the fish   ∙ Assess the health of the fish   How Best to Sample   The sample taken should be random and truly representative of the total population. During sampling, fish become stressed because they are physically handled, suddenly confined into a small space and removed from the water. In order to reduce the levels of stress one must:   ∙ Reduce the time the fish is exposed. Execute the task at hand fast and efficiently.  ∙ Only sample a small part of your system   ∙ Keep the fish in water all the time or as much as possible. The only time they should be out of water is when the fish basket is lifted to the weighing scale  ∙ If fish are stressed during sampl

  Fish Farming Business The business of catfish farming  After rearing your fish, your next most important motive becomes sourcing for buyers for your fish. There are many places that you can sell your fish considering that fish farming is in high demand- market women, restaurants, eateries, and etcetera. Apart from selling your catfish directly, there are other businesses that are attached to catfish farming that you can use as a supplementary business. These other businesses can fetch you an extra source of income, and make you an authority in the field of catfish farming, but before that, it is very important that you must have known the onion of catfish farming. Below highlight that will guide you in marketing your catfish  1. Do not stock more than your financial capacity that you are forced to sell when it is not due.  2. Start looking for buyers immediately you notice that your fishes are beginning to get mature.  3. It is advisable to source for as many buyers as possible. At f

  What to do in case of mortality  When you observe that your fishes are dying, here is a list of steps to take to control it;  Identify the root cause of death through keen observation and laboratory test. You take a lab test through. Water sample, Dead fishes, Feed sample.  Analyze the result of your test to know what exactly you should do, as a cure for feed borne diseases, is not the same as waterborne disease. You may ask an experienced fish farmer for advice, and start applying the treatment recommended to reduce the mortality of fish, and also the disease.  Drain out the water and replace it with fresh unpolluted water. If the fishes are still very young, ensure to introduce the water gradually to avoid the fishes been stressed. If in case you don’t have enough water, you could use salt to sanitize your water as salt contains chlorine. Dissolution of industrial salt into your pond will release chlorine which will gradually treat the fish, however, it is not always effective. The

Health hazards to look out for in catfish farming  It is very important to look out for any little sign in your catfish to avoid large immortality of fish. There are symptoms to look out for, and immediately a symptom is noticed, the fish should be removed from the water and treated. There are many things that can disturb the fish like poor handling, poor water quality, bad feeding, poor feed quality, this can result to diseases for the fish which will decrease the activity in their immune system. Fingerlings and frys are most vulnerable as their immune system is yet to strengthen.  Fish diseases and some symptoms are:  Fish are static in a vertical position at the surface of the water or show a sluggish swimming position. White spots will be visible on the skin particularly, the mouth and fin. This is known as myxobacteria. In this case, antibiotics such as Chloramphencil, Terramycin or oxytetracycline is applied to the feeds per day for a period of 5- 15 days.   Saprolegnia is a catf

  The Farming Process Farming catfish is a profitable venture but to succeed, you must know the proper process of rearing catfish. They can be summarized in three activities of six basic stages.  Pre-cat fish farming.  Step 1  Under this stage, you have identified your interest in catfish farming. Your interest is what will make you have the desire to get the necessary and basic knowledge you should have about catfish farming. At this stage, it is also very important to decide if you will be running your farm yourself or may want to employ the services of a fish farm.  At this stage also, you draw up your budget, business plan and start contacting workmen- masons, breeders, etcetera. The basic knowledge of catfish farming is very important. It is also advisable that you learn from an experienced fish farmer. You also start to obtain the capital needed for your business. The amount needed depends on the scale you want to start with. It is advisable to start small and expand as time goes

  Feeding your catfishes appropriately.  i. Underfeeding/ overfeeding: There is no rule on how to feed your fishes but experts recommend that about 2.5% of the total body weight of the fish a day, depending on its age. Catfish feeding is a skill that every catfish farmer must master. Also, it is very important to understand certain factors that affect feed intake in fish.  ii. Water quality: research has shown that fish feed better in fresh and light green water.  iii. The depth of water: as fishes grow in size, it is very important that their depth is checked. A shallow depth may prevent them from positioning well.  iv. Change in taste: Researches have shown that fishes have a strong taste and can differentiate between feeds of a different taste. Catfish respond to a change of taste by either increasing or reducing their intake. It is also important to not keep feeds for a long period of time, so catfish may likely respond less to them. v. Catfish species: different catfish react diff

Fish Farming Requirements   Before thinking of how much profit you will make from starting your own Catfish farm, you must first think of the requirements. meaning what it will take to setup your own fish farming business. lets see a fee: Requirements for starting a fish farm  1. Land: construction of ponds, wells, overhead tank and storage is very necessary and requires land.   2. Water: water is very essential to fish farming. It is very important that you ensure that you have a system where you do not lack water. The water should be pure and void of any chemical that will be harmful to the fish. It is also very important that the water temperature is cold because fish is a cold-blooded animal.  3. Capital: your size of capital will require the scale of fish farming you will go into, but large profit, most times, requires large capital.  4. Management: a fish farm requires able management to be able to scale it successfully. Management means someone who has sufficient knowledge of fi

From time immemorial, fish has been a major part of man’s diet and business. The influence of fish as meat/snack cannot be underestimated, from the low budget earners who are only able to afford fish as meat, to those who use fish as a business. The human body demands a reasonable quantity of protein which fish constitute about 41% hence, there is a great demand for fish, by all class, age and status.  Fish is also able to be turned into varieties for business- dried fish, stockfish, fried fish, barbeque fish, grilled fish and etcetera. There are also various types of fish that can be used for various purposes, but the focus of this book is catfish farming- how you can rear catfish business purpose. Modern farm practice has made it possible to grow fish as long as you can find a good space.  If you are an existing farmer, this book will help you know more as well as earn more with the strategies written in this book. If you are thinking of starting catfish farming but don’t know how to