Another approximately 500 culled.



If you are not willing to cull, you should not breed koi.

Better than pet shop quality but I don't want to flush the market with low quality koi.

Was that all ur kois?

Culling is very inportant , and i am sure it is not easy to do . But it is the write thing to do.

Hi Quinten

Of all the koi I breed, I only keep about 5%, especially now that the koi market is fairly dead and people who still keep koi, only buy good quality.

I rather create a better growing environment for the good quality koi by maintaining low stocking densities.

In the past, I tried to raise too many, and then they just don't grow and they are more susceptible to diseases.

I freeze the culls and feed my chickens with them.

Jip, culling is key, out of both Sanke ponds we culled yesterday and today we were left with about 5% and I'm pretty much sure after the season we will be left with around 1% to 2% good Sanke for the market. We will bring down the numbers during the season from a estimated 200 000 fry for both spawnings together, to 600 fish for both spawnings together, IF WE ARE LUCKY Still then nobody say they will be good enough for the professional koi keeper. Like you said Paul, a lot of Pet shop owners would have had a heart attack today but every low quality fish sold by a pet shop takes the space of a good fish in a pond, sometimes at a higher price to. Its ridiculous what pet shops ask for cat and chicken food.

One thing I need to add. Please guys, if you breed koi, please don't put your unwanted koi in rivers, dams or streams. If you do that, you close the doors for us breeders, dealers and fellow hobbyists. In short, IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE HEART TO CULL THEN DON'T BREED.

I agree completely. I am a hobbyist breeder and only have a 1500 gallon fry pond. There is limited amount of space to grow out, so culling is very important.

Thank you for posting the picture. I always wondered if I was correct in my choices and have gotten more comfortable every year with the process (i have breed four years in a row now).

Your cull look pretty much the same and what I do. But it took years to get there. As they do change sometimes, but the plain, deformed and ugly(dirty and splattered looking) ones, usually stay that way.

I use my culls and fertizer for my plants, they love it. Or should I say the earth loves it, which ends up feeding the plants.

Thank you for sharing.

Gigi

Hi Guys
Here is a photo of today's culling of Doitsu Showa and Doitsu Kohaku. This is about half of the culling that went to the compost heap. 60 % Are still better than pet shop fish.



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Won't it make sense to dry them, grind them, and make your own koi food in view of the fish meal prices?

Hi Paul
We were thinking of that but what baffle us is how to make the pellets. I have a composition of fish food in my head that I really need to try out.

No need to make pellets if you are not going to re sell. I am thinking of making a paste food with the fish meal, wheatgerm, garlic as main ingredient.

Paul sound like a plan. Will also look into it. Should be nice to see ones own breeding grow on you own food. I see that there are lots of koi farms in Japan that only use their own food and all of them get stunning results. But on the other hand like my uncle say- this is not Japan so don"t expect miracles.