Making Floating Fish Feed in Kenya

The success of commercial fish farming in Kenya is due to the country’s many aquatic resources. These include a large portion of the Indian Ocean coastline, numerous rivers, swamps, and other water lands. It also has the largest freshwater lake, the Great Lakes of Africa. In recent years, the country’s fish production has increased rapidly due to its government fish farming program. Fish farmers are in dire need of fish feed due to this. Many aquafeeds used in Kenya are produced either on-farm, or by small-scale semicommercial feed producers. This is because their limited production cannot keep up with the high demand for fish farming. Fish feed production in Kenya is a profitable business!

Farmers have to make fish feed

Fish farming is dependent on fish feed. A high quality fish feed will improve the living conditions of fish and promote healthy growth.

The total aquaculture production costs include 40-50% for fish feeds. Aquaculture development is hampered by the high cost of feeds. Local farmers often find commercial feeds too costly. Locally available fish feed ingredients, including agro-industrial byproducts, is becoming more popular in Kenya. This helps to reduce feed costs. To increase production and profitability, it is important to use locally available and inexpensive feed stuffs.

Priority of Floating Fish Feed

Locally produced fish feeds are very limited in Kenya. This machine is used by many farmers to make fish feeds. Poor processing results in feed that is inconsistently produced and a poor quality. This fish feed has not shown an increase in the productivity of farmed fish. This type of feed can be seen in the following.

Extruded and pelleted fish feed are the main types for fish farming. We have discussed them in greater detail in the previous article. The extruded feed can be float in the water for up to 24 hours and retains a high level of integrity. It is stable and doesn’t break down. It’s much easier to determine if the fish are eating all of the feed, so there’s less chance of feed being wasted. These floating fish feeds contain a carefully chosen mix of ingredients that provide the necessary nutrients for fish growth. They are easy for fish to consume and digest.

How to make floating fish feed

The following steps are essential for floating fish feed production:

Material crushing-material mixing-extruding-process-pellets drying -oil spraying-pellets cooling-pellet packaging

• The hammer mill grinds the ingredients to make fish feed finer, making it easier to digest.
• Mixing powdered ingredients in a specific proportion is done by fish feed mixer.

Small fish require high levels of protein. Start at 40% and slowly reduce to 30%.

• Extrusion is the kernel stage of feed production. Extrusion can be done with either a dry or wet type fish feed machine. Because of its stable performance and price, dry type fish extruders are recommended for Kenyan feed production. We have many satisfied customers who have worked with us. The wet type fish feed machine is better suited for large-scale production and those who require high feed pellet performance. Extrusion allows ingredients to be cooked at a higher temperature, making the feed more digestible.

Notice: The pellet size should not exceed 25% of the gape in the mouth.

• Pellets made from pellet making machine must be lower in temperature and moisture. A fish feed dryer is required to dry pellets.
• Oil spraying machines are used to spray oil on fish feed pellets to improve their smell and taste. The oil spraying step can be skipped. You can ignore the oil spraying step if you don’t think pellets made from extrusion are acceptable.
• Hot pellets can be soft and easily broken which can lead to a high amount of fines. Cooling pellets can be made harder by placing them in bags for transport and storage.

We are the leading manufacturer of fish feed machines and can supply both single machines and complete floating fish feeds lines for freshwater species like Trout, Catfish, and Tilapia.

Situation in Kenya for Fish Feed Production

Commercial fish farming is a popular business and income source in Kenya. Many of these fish farmers grow fish for their families, while others are doing large-scale farming for greater profit. This contributes greatly to Kenya’s total economy and nutritional needs.

One of the greatest challenges facing Kenya’s fish farmers is that there are no farms available that can produce feeds for semi-intensive cultures. To increase their fish yields, farmers must rely on natural food from the pond system and some supplementary feeds. These supplements are often inexpensive and easily available. This type of fish feed does not provide rich nutrition. Extruded fish food is better for fish growth. High temperature and high pressure processes can kill salmonellosis and other bacterial infections. The pellets are also easier to absorb and digest. To increase their profits, fish farmers should use locally available feedstuffs from a fish feed machine to feed their fish.