Increasing the Yield of Channel Catfish Rearing Ponds by Periodic Division of the Stock

Stocking of small fingerling catfish into rearing ponds at a density to give the optimum number and weight for harvest at edible size gives a low gain per acre per day during the first half of the grow-out period. Use of a much heavier stocking rate initially, with periodic division or splitting of the stock shows promise of significantly increasing the gain per acre per day. Use of two divisions gave a gain per acre per day ofabout 25 pounds for the first phase and 10 pounds for the second. A hypothetical example is presented which should make a gain of 12 pounds per acre per day possible over a 360 day calendar year period under central Alabama conditions. Several possible ways the growing stock could be divided are listed.