| By David Stone
It is estimated that 1000 tonnes of formulated feeds are used to achieve the current level of production. Feed is considered as the major variable cost (up to 30%) associated with abalone production, so minor improvements in feeds or feed efficiency may result in large improvements in productivity.
There are currently four feed manufacturers supplying the abalone grow-out sector and each feed company typically offers one formulation of feed for the entire ~2.5 year production cycle of Greenlip or hybrid abalone. It is common practice in other sectors of the livestock industry to use a range of different diet formulations throughout the production cycle to satisfy the requirements of animals of different life stages. It is also well established that in the wild abalone have at least two distinct feeding strategies as they develop with young cryptic abalone grazing on epiphytic organisms whilst older animals feed on macroalgae.
This project aims to develop improvements in commercial feeds formulated for abalone, specifically for different life stages and/or water temperatures (seasonal/inter-annual/climate change), which are likely to deliver improvement in weight gain per unit cost across an entire grow out period.
Project Objectives
1. To detemine optimum protein and energy requirements for small Greenlip and hybrid abalone at different temperatures
2. To detemine optimum protein and energy requirements for larger Greenlip and hybrid abalone at different temperatures
3. To develop and test starter feeds and improved grow-out feeds for Greenlip and hybrid abalone in commercial settings
4. To develop an on-farm grow-out trial research protocol manual.
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Final Reports 
