Abstract
An experiment was performed to evaluate different methods for preserving shrimp by-products and to determine their chemical composition. In the first experiment three ratios of shrimp by-product (SBP) to molasses (6:1, 4:1 and 3:1, wet weight), and to cassava root meal (3:1, 2:1 and 1:1, wet weight of shrimp by-product and air-dry weight of cassava root meal) were investigated. The pH of the SBP ensiled with molasses at a ratio of 3:1, and with cassava root meal at a ratio of 1:1, decreased during the first week to below 4.5 and remained low up to day 56 of ensiling, whereas the pH of the mixtures with higher ratios of SBP remained above 7.0, and the material deteriorated rapidly. The dry matter decreased initially in all treatments but then increased slightly from day 28 in the treatment where shrimp by-product was ensiled with cassava root meal at a ratio of 1:1. The crude protein (CP) and ammonia-N $(NH_3-N)$ contents of the preserved shrimp by-product material ensiled with molasses at a ratio of 3:1 increased significantly one week after ensiling. The CP content then remained constant, while the $NH_3-N$ concentration continued to increase up to 56 days after ensiling. When SBP was ensiled with cassava root meal at a ratio of 1:1 the CP content of the silage increased significantly up to 21 days after ensiling and then decreased back to the original level after 56 days, whereas $NH_3-N$ increased markedly up to 14 days and then remained fairly constant up to 56 days. However, the $NH_3-N$ content was significantly higher when SBP was ensiled with cassava root meal than with molasses. A balance experiment was carried out, arranged as a double Latin-square and including 6 F1 (Large White ${\times}$ Mong Cai) castrates fed randomly one of three diets based on cassava root meal, rice bran, and fish meal (FM) or shrimp by-product ensiled with molasses (SBEMO) or with cassava root meal (SBECA) as the main protein source. Apparent organic matter and CP digestibilities were significantly (p<0.001) higher for the fish meal diet than for the two shrimp by-product diets, although CP digestibility in SBEMO and SBECA was similar (p>0.05). N-retention was significantly higher for the fish meal diet than for the SBEMO diet, which in turn was significantly higher than for the SBECA diet (p<0.01). It can be concluded that shrimp by-product can be preserved by ensiling with molasses at a ratio of 3:1 or with cassava root meal at a ratio of 1:1. Nutrient digestibility and N-retention of diets based on these shrimp by-product silages were lower than for similar diets based on fish meal, probably due to their high chitin content and inferior amino acid balance.