Care of Fingerlings

Many trout producers begin their production cycle by stocking fingerling trout. Care of fingerling trout is a critical stage in the life of the trout. Inadequate feeding and care of fingerlings can affect the performance of the trout throughout their life cycle, which can affect the profitability of the farm.

Table 1 - Recommended feeding rates for small rainbow trout

* if 3/32 inch pellet is available
from: SRAC Publication 220 - Handling Eggs and Fry

If trout fingerlings are not fed often enough or fed appropriate amounts, fin- nipping will occur as the fish compete for feed. The tip of the dorsal fin will appear white due to erosion of the fin. This will be apparent when you first approach the trout and see the many white-tipped dorsal fins. If fin-nipping occurs, check the feed chart and water temperature to ensure adequate feed is being fed. If the amount of feed is sufficient, increase the number of times the trout are fed. If the situation persists, submit the fish for diagnostic evaluation.

Troughs or tanks holding the fingerlings should be cleaned daily to remove excess feed and waste. Most hatchery workers do this first in the morning to reduce stress since the trout haven't been fed for 12 hours or so. The tanks are allowed to refill and the trout are given time to recover before the first feed is applied.

Grading fingerlings before being stocked in grow-out ponds or raceways has become widely accepted as good management. Grading will reduce fish size variation which will affect conversions and trout performance in general.

Securing a healthy start for fingerling trout is the first step in being profitable in the trout industry. Fingerling producers should take pride in producing a quality product which will help trout producers meet their production goals.