Effect of stocking density on growth and survival of Thai frogs (Rana tigerina) reared under antibiotic-free protocol

Abstract

The study “Effect of stocking density on growth and survival of Thai frogs (Rana tigerina) reared under antibiotic-free protocol” was conducted over a period of 60 days. The objective of the study was to determine the appropriate stocking density of Rana tigerina to increase production per unit area without affecting growth, survival rate and feed efficiency of frogs. Frog with initial body weight of 8,0 g/frog were raised in a cement tank with an area of ​​2m² with 4 densities of 80, 100, 120 and 140 frog/m². Frog were fed twice a day at adlibitum rate with 30% protein pellet. No antibiotics were used during the experiment. Regularly supplement the biological product (Bacillus sp.) into the feed once a week to enhance the frogs' immunity, using a dosage of 3 g/kg of feed. During the experiment, any frog showing signs of illness will be isolated from the breeding tank. Research results showed that frogs raised using antibiotic-free processes at a stocking density of 100 frogs/m² gave the best results in terms of growth, survival rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and profitability. After 60 days of rearing, the average weight of the frogs was 155.6±6.42 g/frog, FCR was 1.14±0.02, the survival rate was 88.3±1.45% and the profit was 138,697 VND/m².