|
I wish we could have got JR to have added his take on the situation.
I know from breeding koi that the bigger koi in the beginning do take off. genetics and room to grow is critical.
In studies i've read where the studies done on feeding and wintering of
one and two year olds in heated greenhouses during winter make gigantic immediate differences in size for those koi. In the article it also said that their siblings who wintered naturally would eventually catch up to be similar in size.( the article came from an interview with Mr Maeda of Momotaro's.)
But I think the point Maurice is making is that there is a difference in koi whose parantage and expertise of the breeder is being used to grow special individuals that are graced with the genes to grow big. These are not koi that are equal but rather a special class within themselves. I think the momotaro's
image is made by genetically superior breeders, gigantic deep grow ponds,
fantastic attention to water quality and a spot on feeding regiment.
I remember not too many years ago after exhaustive studies and personal experience with matsunosuke bloodline koi, i would interest friends into visiting
the brothers facilities. They would always come back and say, the koi they saw were too thin and long, no body. What they didn't realize is that's the way these koi develop, length first, then the barrel chestedness would come
when they'd maxed their growing conditions.
I think it really helps to study a bloodline and see how it's developed by the breeder.
Not too many years ago Sakai of Hiroshoima became quite famous with his sensuke bloodline kohakus. He bred their red, reder and redder, until some
fanatics who felt the genetics should be kept "pure" complained he was ruining the bloodline. I could go into pages of what this sensuke brought to the table but the point is it was only a tool to get this genious to where he was going, not an end in itself.
well enough rambling... I hope this may have brought something worthwhile
for someone's understanding!
|