Astral Health

Koi Farming is a culling and sorting process, which separates the serious breeders from the recreational breeders. Breeding Koi are kept in dirt ponds until early spring. Then they take them out and separate the males from the females, inject the females with a special hormone that makes them fertile. The strip the eggs from the females and the sperm from the males and put them into an indoor hatchery. The fry are born in 4-7 weeks and after one more week they are put into a “grow out” pond to grow for another 6-8 weeks. Then the culling or sorting begins.

  

In the first cull they keep 25-50 % of the best quality Koi and sell the rest at reduced prices to other hatcheries. During the next 2 months they grow to between 4 -6 inches long. The best 10-40% is kept grown 2 more months to between 6-8 inches long. The final group of select thoroughbreds will be cultivated for another season until they reach 12-18 inches long and are ready for sale. Consequently, the larger the fish, the higher the quality. The truly expensive fish will be 12-18 inches long before being sold.

  

Peace Be Still, Sam