CA-04-04-001
Feed trials in Canada

Since the late 1980's the Danish trout feed industry has been regulated as to the composition of the grower feeds that are allowed to be used by the farmers. The feed composition regulations relate to the maximum amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen and ash, minimum levels of energy and digestibility, and maximum feed conversion ratios. The establishment feed quotas has led to a major preoccupation with feed conversion ratios as this factor determines the overall productivity of a given farm (the lower the ratio, the lower the feed requirements to produce a unit of fish flesh). The Ontario portion of these trials will be performed in a lab setting to complement a companion study (lab and farm) in Quebec. These studies will permit the evaluation of the Danish diets and compare their performance directly against their Canadian counterparts, in terms of growth performance and effluent nutrient discharge. Results from the trials will be used to improve fish feed formulations in Canada from both the production and environmental perspectives.