Dan Kumlin, Genoa NFH, tests the feeders installed over the coaster brook trout raceways. - FWS photo

Genoa NFH coaster brook trout. - FWS photo

Have you ever fed a hatchery rainbow trout?  If you have, you would know that fish feed disappears like candy on Halloween. 

Domesticated strains of rainbow trout eat vigorously in captivity, and can grow up to an inch a month.  However, wild strains of trout used for restoration programs are often skittish of people and this creates feeding challenges. 

The coaster brook trout reared at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH) are often one generation from wild stocks, and therefore do not feed as well when humans are around.  In an effort to increase the brook trout’s growth, Dan Kumlin and Nick Starzl installed automatic feeders over their rearing tanks. 

The feeders allow the fish feed to be fed throughout the day with minimal disturbances.  Although the feeders have only been installed for one month, the average monthly growth rate has increased approximately 25% when compared to the historic monthly average. 

Once stocked, the increased growth should enhance the survivability of these rare brook trout, and that’s a further step towards the successful restoration of this regionally significant fish.