The study evaluates the use of silage acid devil fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) as a protein supplement in finishing beef cattle, addressing the protein scarcity and high cost of traditional sources. Eighteen bulls were fed diets with varying levels of devil fish silage for 60 days, showing no significant differences in daily weight gain and feed efficiency among treatments. The results indicate that devil fish silage is a viable and eco-friendly alternative for enhancing cattle nutrition without negatively impacting animal health.

1. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A 1 (2011) 1280-1283
Earlier title: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, ISSN 1939-1250
Use of Silage Acid Devil Fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) as
Protein Supplement in Finishing Beef Cattle
S. Ornelas1, E. Gutiérrez1, A. Juárez1, R. Garcidueñas2, J. L. Espinoza3, M. Perea1, J. P. Flores1 and G. Salas1
1. Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales de la Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5
Carretera Morelia-Zinapécuaro 58880, Tarímbaro Michoacán, México
2. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia de la Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km 9.5 carretera
Morelia-Zinapécuaro 58880, Tarímbaro Michoacán, México
3. Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera al Sur Km 5.5 Apartado Postal 19-B 23080, La Paz Baja California Sur,
México
Received: August 18, 2011 / Published: December 20, 2011.
Abstract: Animal nutrition is one of the most important limiting factors in animal production, especially in ruminants, providing
proteins being the main constraint, due to the limited availability and high cost of protein sources (oilseed meals). Currently in the dam
““El Infiernillo”” in Michoacán México, has a large population of devil fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.), which is an economic and ecological
problem, because it is not consumed by humans and causes pollution to be discarded directly into the environment. For that reason the
objective of this study was to evaluate the use of silage acid devil fish (SADF) in fattening beef cattle as a protein supplement. SADF is
defined as a product semi-liquid or pasty mixed with formic acid, which leads to a decrease in pH to near 4.0. Used 18 young bulls (Bos
taurus × Bos indicus) for 60 days with a starting weight of 278.9 ± 51.2 kg, housed in individual pens with food and water ad libitum
were randomly assigned to three treatments with different levels of inclusion SADF (0%, 12% and 18%). They were weighed to the
beginning of the experiment and later every 30 days, previous fasting of 24 hours. To determine the food consumption, weigh every day
the offered food and the surplus. There were no significant differences (P < 0.05) among treatments with different levels of inclusion of
SADF with respect to daily weight gain, with values of 952 ± 324, 927 ± 322 and 854 ± 307 g/day, respectively. The dry matter intake
(DMI) was 8.9, 9.3 and 7.7 kg/day to 0%, 12% and 18% of SADF, respectively. In the same values for feed conversion were 9.34, 10.03
and 9.01 kg DMI/kg of weigh live, and carcass yield of 60.6%, 60.3% and 58.5%, respectively. It is concluded that fish silage acid devil
is an excellent alternative in feeding beef cattle as a protein supplement.
Key words: Fish silage acid, devil fish, finishing beef cattle.
1. Introduction (beef cattle, sheep, goats) is the provision of protein,
due to limited availability of sources of quality and
Due to the problems facing the international
high cost of traditional inputs (oilmeals and fish meal).
community and the uncertainty about food safety, the
Therefore, it is necessary to search for sources of
need to find new ways to feed for cattle, which are
quality protein for animal feed, especially of products
inexpensive, easy to adopt and preserve the
and by-products unfit for human consumption [1].
environment. Among the most important factors in
The devil fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) since its
animal production food stands, this represents
introduction in México in 2005, has grown alarmingly
between 50% and 80% of production costs. Similarly,
in a few years [2]. Has generated three major negative
one of the most limiting factors in breeding ruminants
effects: the first is transferred to becoming a dominant
Corresponding author: G. Salas, Ph.D., research fields: fish species from México, having no natural enemies
animal reproduction, rural technology, animal production in the food chain and South America (crocodiles), the
systems. E-mail: gsalas55@hotmail.com.

2. Use of Silage Acid Devil Fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) as Protein Supplement in Finishing Beef Cattle 1281
second arises because the food sucks background Table 1 Experimental diets fed to beef cattle with
different levels of inclusion of silage acid devil fish.
without selecting their food, and often ingests the
Ingredients (%) T1 T2 T3
other species lay eggs on the bottom of their habitat,
Silage acid devil fish (dry basis) - 12 18
thereby preventing the production of offspring, and Canola 21 7 -
finally the third problem is the result of the lack of Corn ground 38.8 26 19.5
sanitary measures for waste these fish. Currently it can Stubble ground 38.3 54 61.5
Magnofoscal 1 1 1
be considered as an available and inexpensive to be
Phosphate rock 0.9 - -
used as a protein source in animal feed. Research has
Isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets.
shown that fish was not eaten by man and fish waste
can serve as protein supplements in animal diets [3, 4]. surplus of each pen, a mechanical scale with
For this reason the present investigation was designed maximum clock rate of 10 kg and a sensitivity of 10 g.
to evaluate the use of silage acid devil fish protein For the determination of dry matter intake, weighed
supplement in feed for beef cattle, in terms of 100 g samples of leftover food in an electronic scale
voluntary intake, weight gain and feed conversion. with sensitivity of 0.1 g and then the samples were
And organoleptic caracteristics of meat from animals dehydrated using the methodology Waves of
fed with fish silage acid devil, specifically smell and radiofrequencies or also called Drying of fodders with
flavor. microwave [6]. For the determination of weight gain,
animals were weighed at the beginning of the
2. Materials and Methods
experiment and then every 30 days, fasted for 24
The experiment was conducted in a semi-tech hours. At the end of the experiment was determined
production in Santa Cruz, Tzintzuntzan municipality live weight (kg) and animals were slaughtered for the
of Michoacán State México. The climate is temperate carcass and the meat organoleptic caracteristics (smell
with summer rainfall, the annual average rainfall of and flavor).
989.8 mm and temperatures ranging from 7.9 °C to The information collected was processed using
23.4 °C (http://www.municipiosmich.gob.mx.) [5]. descriptive statistical techniques and analysis of
Used 18 young bulls (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) for 60 variance one way, according to the guidelines defined
days with a starting weight of 278.9 ± 51.2 kg, the by Steel and Torrie [7] for the general linear model:
animals were ear tagged and administered Yij = + i + ij. The comparison of means was
intramuscularly a mixture of vitamins A, D and E, performed using the Tukey test [8].
11-way bacterin and ivermectin 1%. The animals were
3. Results and Discussion
randomized into three treatments and were housed in
individual pens of 4.8 m2, which possessed a With the statistical analysis it was determined that
particular linear feeder, food and clean water ad there were no significant differences (P < 0.05) with
libitum. The treatments consisted of the inclusion of respect to dry matter intake and weight gain in the
three levels of silage acid devil fish (0%, 12% and assessment period (60 days) among the treatments with
18%) as shown in Table 1. The bulls were subjected to 0%, 12% and 18% including acid devil fish silage (Table
a period of adaptation to the diets of 15 days and later 2). In this regard several authors [1, 9-11] have shown
growing stage for 60 days. that ruminants can degrade the protein in fish silage after
During the experiment the food was offered ad a period initial adjustment. With regard to weight gain,
libitum, and individual food consumption was little information exists, however [12] conducted a study
assessed daily by difference between offered and the with 30 bulls for fattening (90 days), supplemented

3. 1282 Use of Silage Acid Devil Fish (Pterygoplichthys spp.) as Protein Supplement in Finishing Beef Cattle
Table 2 Means values for feed intake, weight gain and feed efficiency in beef cattle fed diets with different levels of silage
acid devil fish.
Variable T1 T2 T3
N° of animals 6 6 6
Initial weight (kg) 282.3 ± 36.0 281.3 ± 54.6 273.2 ± 67.7
Final weight (kg) 339.5 ± 10.6 a 337.0 ± 18.76 a 324.5 ± 5.65 a
Daily gain (g) 952 ± 324 a 927 ± 322 a 854 ± 307 a
CVMS (kg) 8.79 ± 1.26 a 8.43 ± 1.58 a 8.04 ± 2.24 a
Feed conversion 9.23 9.09 9.41
Performence of the carcass (%) 60.60 ± 1.87 60.30 ± 1.58 58.56 ± 3.09
ab
Different letters in the same line indicate differences (P < 0.05).
with 0, 100, 200 and 300 g of silage dry matter silage acid devil fish.
biological fish, reporting an increase in body weight
4. Conclusion
increased in animals supplemented with 100 g of
silage. Moreover, there is no information that allows The silage acid devil fish is an excellent alternative
us to compare the performance of silage acid devil to feeding cattle meat and protein supplement.
fish with other silage in feeding beef cattle. However, Variables average daily gain and voluntary intake
the results of this research can be comparable to fish of dry matter were not affected by the inclusion of
meal, why these have similar characteristics, and some acid devil fish silage in diets, possibly sobrepasantes
other unconventional sources of protein. In this regard effects and a better balance of protein/energy products
Obispo [13] conducted a study of cattle in order to absorbed.
evaluate the effect of supplementing the diet with The health of the animals was not affected, because
different protein sources as fish meal, brewery nepe the acid levels devil fish silage in diets did not cause
and cottonseed meal. Reporting daily gains (g/day) of any problem related to the physiological test animal.
fishmeal = 590; brewery nepe = 890 and cottonseed In terms of efficiency in weight gain and feed
meal = 690, and feed conversion: fishmeal = 11.05; conversion, with 12% dietary inclusion of silage acid
brewery nepe = 7.49 and cottonseed meal = 9.92 (kg devil fish was the most efficient level when compared
feed/kg gain). Thus can determine that the use of with 0% and 18% inclusion.
silage acid devil fish in fattening cattle is comparable
to other protein sources, obtain favorable results. As
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