Extra growth and better feed conversion in Australian Abalone

Summary

• All abalone on a Polygain diet were larger than the control.

• The optimal inclusion rate was 0.8%, with Abalone also improving feed conversion.

Background

Abalone holds significance in many East Asian food cultures. It achieves a premium price, especially during the lunar new year.

There are two production methods for farmed Abalone, open ocean cages or shallow ponds. Abalone farmed in ocean cages predominantly feed seaweed diets in a labour-intensive production system. Shallow ponds provide Abalone with a pellet diet and rely on a constant source of fresh saltwater to move across the system.

Trial Design

Abalone was fed a standard commercial diet with Polygain included at 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.6%. This trial was representative of the shallow pond production method that is most common in Australia.

Results

Both weight gain and feed conversion improved in Abalone fed Polygain. 0.8% was the best-performing inclusion rate.

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