Regardless of the environment, category (land or sea-based), or species an aquaculture farm grows, feed is traditionally one of the highest costs. NOAA estimates feed alone accounts for ~60% of all operational expenses, and for good reason. Quality feed is a mainstay for promoting healthy fish growth.
With feed playing such an important, yet expensive, role in farm operations, it’s important for sites to regularly analyze and evaluate their feed conversion ratio (FCR).
What is feed conversion ratio?
Feed conversion ratio, or FCR, refers to the amount of feed needed to grow your fish. To calculate FCR, divide the total feed given by the total weight gained.
Prioritizing economic FCR is an effective way to better identify and understand the financial impact of feed inefficiencies.
Discover the culprits behind high feeding costs
In our new ebook, How to Improve Your Feed Conversion Ratio, we explore the most common causes of feed waste and how to address them using today’s precision aquaculture technology.
- Operational challenges include overfeeding, underfeeding, and trying to feed a variable stock.
- Timing considerations that can make feedings less effective, or worse.
- Inventory mismanagement which can lead to increased transportation costs or feed spoiling before being used.
Technology’s role in improving FCR
While farms face numerous challenges that increase feed costs, they also have increasingly effective equipment to better identify and address these areas of feed waste.
The ebook also covers how technological breakthroughs have allowed operators to more effectively collect and analyze data – automating a once manual, labor-intensive process – to optimize operations through data-driven decisions.
Learn more about the following precision aquaculture technology and its respective role in addressing feed waste:
- Environmental sensors
- AI-powered cameras
- Automatic feeders
- Biomass cameras
- Aeration and oxygenation systems
- Farm management software
Download the Ebook
By knowing what to look for, farms can effectively spot and address feed waste in aquaculture to improve their FCR.
Take the first step today. Download How to Improve Your Feed Conversion Ratio.
