Hand Feeding Koi

 


A great thing about having a Koi pond is when your fish finally have the trust to start eating out of your hand. There is no better way to learn each fishes'unqiue personality and temperament than to have them nuzzling your fingers when they are hungry.

The key hand feeding koi is patience and conditioning. Like any other wild animal Koi have a natural distrust for anything that they think might hurt them.

If your goal is hand feeding koi then you need to start training them from the very first time that you feed a new fish though it's not too late to start training your existing fish, but it's definitely easier if you start out that way.

If you have been feeding your fish by simply throwing the food on top of the water then stop doing that straight away. Instead, bring your feed bag next to the pond and kneel down. Place a few pellets in your hand, submerge your hand, and then let the pellets slowly fall out.

Don't worry if your fish seem to not be paying attention. They know that your hand is in the water They also know that pellets just appeared out of nowhere.

Eventually a couple will swim up and eat. Once that happens, the rest of them will also follow. Continue slowly dropping pellets from your hand until you have fed your normal amount. Repeat the process for about a week.

The following week, set up as you did the previous week, but this time submerge your hand and hold the pellets in a slightly cupped palm. Hold your hand steady and don't make any sudden movements. Eventually at least one fish should come over and eat from your hand again. Remeber: it is essential that you do not make any quick movements while this is happening.

Remove your empty hand and repeat this process. If the fish will not approach your hand to feed again, then do not feed them that day. They won't starve to death, and they will be a little bit more likely to eat form your hand the next time.

Once you have them to the point that they will eat form your hand, it is time to teach them to take the food directly from out of your finger tips. Grasp a pellet, submerge your hand, and wait until the boldest fish approaches.

Once he eats the others will again follow. If they don't you know what do to. Just feed the ones that will eat from your hand and let the others miss a meal again. Hunger is a great motivator for Koi.

Once you hand feding koi you can alternate between normal feeding and hand feeding for those times when you might be in a rush.


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