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Aquaculture research verification programs are designed to demonstrate and test research‐based practices recommended by extension services on commercial‐scale operations. From 2010 to 2013, in western Alabama, three management protocols were followed over three crop cycles on a farm producing hybrid catfish (female Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus × male Blue Catfish I. furcatus) using high levels of aeration. The protocols were an owner‐defined, multiple‐batch treatment and single‐batch and multiple‐batch treatments defined by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES). Results from nine production cycles were analyzed to calculate yields, feed conversion ratios (FCRs), cost of production, and net returns. Over three production cycles the owner‐defined, multiple‐batch treatment outperformed the two ACES‐recommended treatments in terms of yield, survival, FCR, and net returns …