Shellfish Breeding and Hatchery Management (2+1)

19.2.2 Common method for preparation of egg custard

Ingredients: Egg – 3 - 6 no.; Beef liver – 130g;Polycheate worm – 150g; Vitamin – 20 drop; Flesh of squid / prawn – 200g ; Milk powder – 75g.

Mix all ingredients

(except vitamin)

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Cook in cooker (1hr)

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Add vitamins

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Take required quantity and sieve it through screen (500 μ)

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Wash granules

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Apply to larvae.

Feeding rate : Feeding rates for egg custa rd are about 2-2.5 times as great as those recommended for commercial encapsulated larval diets because they are moist.

15g to 40g feed depending on stage.

PL8 – PL10 - 15g /feed x 2times

PL11 – PL15 - 25g /feed x 3times

PL16 - PL20 - 40g /feed x 5times

However feeding rate with egg custard done on demand and care should be taken to siphon out daily, the left over feed.In case of small hatcheries, simple egg custards are still popular.

Freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, larvae is carnivorous in habit, so the preparation of egg custard for freshwater prawn hatcheries varies.

* Egg custard are fed along with Artemia nauplii.