Crab meal

Description: 

Crab shells are high in chitin, which is a nitrogen containing compound that has a structure similar to cellulose, but is not digested by cellulase. The chitin is crab shell was found to be more digestible than the practical chemical grade of chitin (12)(CAB N234638) (Ayangbile, 1988). Considerable variation exists between crab meals (1)(CAB 721402642) (Abou-Raya, 1971). Crab meal contains carotenoid pigments, which when will produce the characteristic salmon color associated with fish, such as salmon and trout (2) (CAB 761449714) (Patton, 1975).

Caution: 

The lipids associated with crab are highly unsaturated and if consumed by monogastric animals, these lipids can transferred to the tissues and may cause off-flavors to occur. The level of lipids contained in the crab meal will be related to the build-up of these lipids in the tissues, which may cause off flavors to build-up in the tissues of monogastric animals. Further processing (smoking, curing, etc.) of meats containing these unsaturated lipids can exhaurate these off-flavors.

Source:  

Shell portion of the crab after the edible meat portion has been removed is then dried and ground and the resultant product is referred to as crab meal. Feeding Experiments: Only limited research has been conducted evaluating the feeding of crab meals in monogastric animals. Increasing levels of crab meal caused a decrease in gains in growing swine (5)(CAB 801400304) (Husby, 1980). When up to 20 % of crab meal was fed to calves no differences in gain, feed intake or feed efficiency were observed (3)(CAB 751431770) (Patton, 1975). In ruminant animals crab meal was tested in both growing and lactating cattle. Concentrate mixtures containing up to 30% of crab meal that was fed to both steers and heifers didn. t depress performance (11)(CAB N926041) (Brundage, 1986). Decreased intake and growth was observed when crab meal was fed at 15 and 35 % levels to beef replacement heifers and calves (10)(CAB N199140) (Laflamme, 1988). Crab meal was found to be somewhat unpalatable and as the level (12, 24, 36 %) in the diet of growing beef steers increased feed consumption declined (14)(CAB 961405682) (Nicholson, 1996). Only slight differences were observed when crab meal replaced soybean oil meal in lactating dairy cattle (6)(CAB 790451656) (Brundage, 1979). As crab meal was used to replace soybean meal in the diets of dairy cattle, milk production declined (4)(CAB 810467026) (Brundage, 1981). Crab meal when fed to dairy cattle (0, 7.5, 15, 22.5, 30%), decreased intake, with some cows completely rejecting concentrates that contained 22.5 and 30 % crab meal (8)(CAB D950712) (Brundage, 1984). No off flavors in milk were observed when crab meal was fed to dairy cattle (7) (CAB 831444613) (Brundage, 1983); (9) (CAB D872444) (Brundage, 1983). Crab meal was found to have some buffering effect (13) (CAB 961405679) (Nicholson, 1996). Crude protein fraction of crab meal was found to be highly resistant to rumen degradability, with only 18 % of CP disappearing from nylon bag when placed in rumen for 24 hours (13)(CAB 961405679) (Nicholson, 1996). 

Feeding and Handling Characteristics:  

When crab meal was sieved and fed to swine, it was found that when the smaller crab meal particles that performance was increased as compared to feeding the larger particles (5)(CAB 801400304) (Husby, 1980).

Nutrient Characteristics: 

Rumen Digestible Dry Matter = 34.3 % , DCP = 69.6 % (13)(CAB 961405679) (Nicholson, 1996)