In shrimp farming, feed is a lever for growth, health, and profitability, and the better you understand what goes into quality shrimp feed, the better positioned you are to improve outcomes across the board. For farmers scaling up, for feed millers refining their blends, and for anyone distributing feed in India’s aquaculture industry, this isn’t a technical checklist; it’s a critical edge. At Valvin, we’ve spent years developing practical, performance-based feed solutions that work in the pond, not just on paper. Here's what goes into making shrimp feed that delivers.

Nutritional Requirements for Shrimp

Shrimp don’t have stomachs like fish or birds. They digest differently, and they grow quickly, which means feed must do more than simply fill them up. It has to deliver the right nutrients at the right time in the right form. A complete shrimp diet needs:
  • Protein – to build tissue and support moulting. Sources like fish meal and soybean meal are still go-tos. Krill and corn gluten help with palatability.
  • Fat (lipids) – for energy and vitamin absorption. Omega-3s and Omega-6s are essential, typically from fish oil or soybean oil.
  • Carbs – shrimp don’t rely heavily on carbs, but a little goes a long way as an energy buffer.
  • Vitamins and minerals – support immune function and overall metabolism.
  • Amino acids – especially lysine and methionine, which are key for proper protein utilisation.
Each nutrient plays a role, and the mix plays an important role.

Key Nutrients Found in a Cow Mineral Mixture

A high-quality animal feed supplement includes a broad spectrum of minerals. The key ones you’ll often see are:
  • Calcium & Phosphorus – For bone strength and milk production
  • Magnesium – Supports muscle function and prevents grass tetany
  • Sodium & Chloride – Help with digestion and fluid balance
  • Zinc, Copper, Manganese – Crucial for skin, immunity, and reproduction
  • Selenium & Vitamin E – Work as antioxidants and support fertility
  • Iodine – Regulates metabolism via thyroid function
At Valvin, our mixes are precisely calibrated so cows absorb what they need without overloading on any one mineral.

Ingredients Used in Shrimp Feed

Shrimp feed isn’t only about what's inside; it's about how well those ingredients hold up in water and inside the shrimp. At Valvin, we focus on quality sourcing and clean formulation. No shortcuts. We build our base around:
  • Proteins: fish meal, soy, corn gluten, krill
  • Carbs: wheat flour, rice bran, cassava starch
  • Fats: fish oil, soybean oil, lecithin
We support that with functional aqua feed supplements and animal feed additives:
  • Probiotics and prebiotics for gut health
  • Digestive enzymes for better nutrient absorption
  • Antioxidants and pigment enhancers
  • Mycotoxin binders to protect against spoilage
  • Mould inhibitors to extend shelf life
No filler ingredients here. Every part of the blend is there for a reason.

Feed Formulation Techniques

Water conditions, life stage, and stocking density all influence what the shrimp need and how they respond. So we approach formulation as a field-informed process. It starts with:
  • Nutrient targets based on species, growth phase, and local climate
  • Cost-performance balance to keep feed both effective and scalable
  • Precision use of additives, including immunity boosters and stabilisers
  • Testing for water durability, sink rate, and pellet hardness
Every blend is tested in actual farm conditions before it gets scaled.

Feeding Strategies and Schedules

You can have the best feed in the world, but without a smart feeding routine, it won’t deliver. Overfeeding wastes money and pollutes water. Underfeeding slows growth and weakens shrimp. Our recommendations are built from what works in the field:
  • Feed based on biomass, not guesswork
  • Split feed into 3–5 sessions per day, not one bulk drop
  • Use trays to track appetite and adjust as needed
  • Always align with water quality parameters, especially dissolved oxygen and temperature.
There’s no one-size-fits-all rule. Each pond, each cycle, needs adjustments.

Monitoring Growth and Health

Shrimp farming is always a little unpredictable: disease pressure, water shifts, weather swings. A well-formulated feed isn’t just about weight gain; it’s about helping shrimp bounce back when conditions get rough.

That’s where animal feed additives come in. It includes targeted supplements to reduce vulnerability to:

  • Vibrio
  • White Spot Virus
  • Gut inflammation
  • Stress during moulting or crowding
Monitoring FCRs, behaviour, and weight gain regularly helps you catch early signs of feed-related issues. When needed, we also support farms with histology and microbial analysis to fine-tune protocols.

Built for Indian Aquaculture, Not Just Lab Reports

Shrimp farming in India is tough. Temperature swings, salinity shifts, monsoon effects, and power cuts – it’s all real. Our feeds are made with this in mind. Valvin doesn’t rely on imported formulas designed for different conditions. We build blends that hold up here, where farmers need feed that’s reliable, not experimental.

Conclusion

What makes a good shrimp feed isn’t just what’s in it. It’s how well it performs across water quality challenges, disease risks, and feeding inconsistencies. That’s what we focus on: shrimp feed that doesn’t overpromise but quietly delivers. Feeding shrimp is part science, part discipline, part adaptability. The right formulation, supported by smart aqua feed supplements and applied with practical know-how, can change outcomes across the farm. At Valvin, we’re not in the business of generic blends. We build feeds that work for India, which are field-tested, affordable, and formulated for results.