Hand Feeding your Koi

One of the most rewarding and entertaining things about having aKoi pond is when your fish finally start eating out of your hand.There is no better way to learn each fishes' personality andtemprament than to have them nuzzle your fingers when they arehungry.

The key to training your Koi to eat from your hand is patienceand conditioning. Like any wild animal Koi have a naturaldistrust for anything that they think can hurth them, and you'replenty big enough to do that as far as they are concerned.

If your goal is hand feeding then you need to start training fromthe very first time that you feed a new fish. Of course, it's nottoo late to start training your existing fish, but it's easier ifyou start out that way.

If you have been feeding your fish by simply broadcasting thefood on top of the water then stop doing that immediately.Instead, bring your feed bag next to the pond and kneel down.Then, place a few pellets in your hand, submerge your hand, andlet the pellets slowly fall out. Don't worry if your fish seem tonot be paying attention. They know that your hand is in the waterand they know that pellets just appeared out of nowhere.

Eventually one or two will swim up and eat. When that happens,the rest of them will follow. Continue slowly dropping pelletsfrom your hand until you have fed your normal amount. Repeat thatprocess for about a week.

The following week, set up as you did last week, but this timesubmerge your hand and hold the pellets in your slightly cuppedpalm. Hold your hand steady and don't make any movements.Eventually at least one fish should come over and eat from yourhand. It is essential that you do not make any quick movementswhile this is happening. Remove your empty hand and repeat theprocess. If the fish will not approach your hand to feed, then donot fedd them that day. They won't starve to death, believe me,and they will be a little bit more likely to eat form your handthe next time that you offer them food.

Once you have them to the point that they will eat form yourpalm, it is time to teach them to take the food directly fromyour finger tips. Simply grasp a pellet, submerge your hand, andwait untilt he boldest fish approaches. Once he eats the otherswill follow. If they don't you know what do to. Justfeed the onesthat will eat from your hand and let the others miss a meal.

Hunger is a great motivator for Koi...

Once you have your Koi eating out of your hands you can alternatebetween normal feeding and hand feeding for those times whenyou're in a rush and just can't sit down and enjoy your fish.

Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and severalpond-related websites including macarthurwatergardens.com andpond-filters-online.com. He also publishes a free monthlynewsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over9,000 pond owners. To sign up for the free newsletter andreceive a complimentary 'New Pond Owners Guide' for joining,just visit MacArthur Water Gardens by clicking the link above.

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