Show new feed program helps hatche hatcheries ries get two fish crops twelve slate state hatcheries now are producing larger healthier trout in less time with less labor than ever before the department part ment of fish and game said today several of the hatcheries will produce two crops of each year compared to the one crop output of former years the department said credit for this major forward in fishery production la Is due to the use lisp of dry feeds that now make up 95 percent of the hatchery fish diet at all the state plants the new feeds a balanced diet in the form of pellets were tint first used by the department on an experimental bails bis several years ago various formulas were te test st ij tj in the hatcheries until those currently in use were finally adopted about a year ago these have now been worked into the feeding program at each hatchery the old diets of auw meat now appear to be a thing ot of the past and this ills probably occurred none too soon since the farm tractor of today is rapidly replacing old dobbin of yesteryear advantages of the new feeds leeds are many other than the production of more and healthier fish they include ease of handling storage without the use of refrigeration as with meat better sanitation and consistency of quality cost of the dry feed la is comparable to the various meats and other products used in the past put cost per pound of game fish produced at the hatcheries is 13 less based upon savings made in the us use e of the dry feeds and the increased production in pounds of fish fram the same amounts of food fed the fish both the and the smaller trout are naw now believed lo 10 have a much higher survival rate when they are planted into the states waters this results from the healthier fish produced on the new feeds the pellets now produced in parlour sizes to suit sult the diet of all sizes of fish are purchased from several commercial firms manufacturing them they contain concentrated proteins bone fish and cottonseed meal meal vitamins chemicals and nd other ingredients to form a balanced diet |