How do I use the weight distribution information to make decisions in my production?
You can increase profit by up to 30% by leveraging the insights uniquely provided by xpertSea MAX. This primarily comes from faster growth, higher survival, lower FCR, and better distribution for a more profitable harvest. For more information on why distribution is important, check out the article on why distribution is important and how to manage it.
One of the most useful insights from xpertSea MAX is the distribution of weights. Read on to see how to use this to increase your profits.
Optimize Feed
When there is a distribution alert, it likely means the shrimp throughout the pond are not eating appropriately. However, the good news is that this can be resolved and the distribution can get back to a good state within 1-2 weeks.
Feed pellet mix
You wouldn’t feed a 4g shrimp the same way you feed a 10g shrimp, but that is exactly what happens when feeding only based on average body weight. To take an analogy, imagine going for a steak dinner with a family of four with two adults and two babies, and giving everyone the same plate.
Feeding based on distribution is a much better way to ensure the shrimp in the pond are being properly nourished. With xpertSea MAX, you can leverage the feed pellet calculator to determine the exact percentage of biomass that should be fed, as can be seen in the screenshot from the platform. Take the % of feed to be given for each pellet mix, and then translate that to bags to be given to the pond.
Important note: The timing of feeding is important when mixing pellets. Distribute the larger pellets first, (or use the larger pellets with autofeeders), wait 1-2 hours, then give smaller pellet sizes by manually feeding around the feeders and at the edges of the pond. This is to give larger shrimp the chance to feed first so they won’t eat the pellets intended for the smaller shrimp.
The plan can then be communicated through MAX using the feed planning and task functionalities.
Location of feeding
While shrimp do move to the areas where feed is being given (the feeding zones), there are times where some of the shrimp in the pond do not move enough and do not get enough feed. By supplementing the feed being given by autofeeders with manual feeding in locations far away from the feeders, this can help ensure the entire pond is being fed appropriately.
Alternatively, sometimes when feed has been given in the same location for a while, decomposed organic material can build up on the pond bottom which then leads to uneven feeding and therefore a larger distribution. To resolve this, you can simply move the feeders away from the pond bottom areas with the decomposed organic material. Additionally, applying probiotics or calcium, as well as exchanging the water in the pond can help wash away the organic material and cleanse the pond.
Selection of Hatchery to Source From
A common cause for high distribution can be the quality of PLs. When there is an issue at the hatchery, in transport, or possible in the nursery stage, it can lead to higher distribution of sizes at the growout phase. Though xpertSea MAX today only supports down to a 2g average weight, samples taken early in the cycle can still help identify which hatcheries are providing good PLs based on the distribution.
Harvest Planning
Partial Harvesting
The carrying capacity is the total amount of biomass a pond is able to hold. Many farms will stock intending to do a partial harvest partway through the cycle to increase their profits. They aim to harvest around when the pond reaches the carrying capacity, to maximize profitability. However, knowing when the pond has hit carrying capacity can be quite difficult. Distribution information can be used for this, as the distribution begins to increase when the pond is approaching its carrying capacity. This screenshot shows an example of a pond that was partially harvested after the distribution started to increase, which then clearly dropped post partial harvest as the shrimp had enough space to breathe and grow.
Final Harvest Planning
The shape of the distribution histogram shows if a population has more shrimp above or below the average weight. When the histogram is skewed to the left, it means that at processing time more shrimp will be classified in smaller commercial classes. Through the previously mentioned feeding strategies, skew can be corrected. In the example above, this brought in an additional 4.5 cents / pound at harvest time, without changing the average weight.
Additionally, when close to the desired harvest weight, the distribution can give a clear breakdown of what commercial classes will be harvested from the pond, and therefore a more ideal harvest date can be selected.
Identify Health Issues Earlier
High distribution early in the cycle can indicate a health problem in the pond, as shrimp that grow slowly may have health issues. The distribution alerts can be leveraged as a signal to investigate specific ponds more deeply, and determine if any additional testing should be considered.
To learn more about using MAX to make production decisions, reach out to your xpertSea representative or contact us at info@xpertsea.com to bring xpertSea MAX to your farm.
