Experiments conducted by a biologist at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) indicate that Jamaican small farmers could save on the cost of buying fertilisers and enjoy a steady income in the bargain, if they recycled manure from their chicken farm.
The manure would be used to feed fresh water fish, and the water from the same fish pond would then be used to irrigate vegetable crops.
However, according to Dr Vincent Wright, biology lecturer at the Mandeville-based university, some farmers are sceptical about using this farming technique, as they are a little put off about having their fish eat chicken dung.
The research finds that the growth rate of fish cultivated in ponds fertilised with chicken manure is significantly more than that of fish reared in commercial ponds. The fish used in Dr Wright's experiment grew by 35 kg per hectare per day with an average growth rate of 2.6 grams per day.
Wright also reports that the growth rate of broiler chickens fed with a special ration formulated from the offspring of fish in the pond was higher than the rate of growth of chickens fed on supplementary feed. In addition, he discloses that callaloo irrigated with water from the bottom of the fish pond also yielded favourable growth compared with figures produced by the Ministry of Agriculture.
"If small farmers utilise this system they will experience, among various benefits, a continuous cash flow because of the recycling process," advises the NCU faculty member. "There is no need (to purchase) inorganic fertiliser; it takes less provision to feed the fish and chickens and it is not labour intensive."
In addition to the potential financial gains to farmers, the biologist points to environmental benefits arising from the reusing of contaminating materials from the poultry and fish. "Proper recycling of waste will reduce pollution and play a tremendous role in raising the level of food production," he argues.
Wright's research was conducted several months ago in collaboration with the agriculture ministry, with the aim of increasing the income and upgrading the living standard of small-scale farmers. Integrated aquaculture, he explains, is a system in which fish, poultry and vegetables are incorporated to bring about great levels of ecological, social and economic benefits for small farmers. This system utilises the recycling and efficient use of farm waste. He notes that it is not new to the world, as countries successful in the fishery industry such as Taiwan, China and India have used this system for years.
The experiment is based on the concept that raw manure from broiler chickens can result in significant production of tilapia fish grown in ponds into which the chicken manure flows. Three ponds were fertilised with chicken manure seven days before stocking them with 200 kilograms per hectare of tilapia fish. The manure provided nutrients for plankton, which includes plant and animal life at the bottom of the ponds. Fresh chicken manure was then washed into the ponds daily at a rate of 1,000 chickens per hectare.
The fish then ate the undigested portion of chicken feed in the chicken manure along with the plankton that was produced. The fish offspring were then used to formulate a special ration or feed called silage for the broiler chickens. According to Dr Wright, this silage could also be fed to the fish because they tend to utilise their own protein best.
Despite the potential financial benefits that could accrue to farmers, the researcher says some have been sceptical about accepting the concept of an integrated aquaculture system, because they misunderstand the system to be one in which fish directly eats chicken dung. This, he says, is not accurate, noting that the fish consumes only "undigested portions" of chicken feed from the dung. "They do not directly eat the dung," explains the NCU academic.
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