Spawning Shiro Utsuri with a Showa?

[gregbickal]

Shiro Utsuri to Showa is the combination that I will be trying this year.

[koifishgirl]

I just love this forum as I learn something new everday. I guess I called that one wrong, and I want to see the koi when they get big enough to see. When you do keep me posted OK.

[RichLane]

Greg, please keep us posted as I will do the same to see what happens with this pairing

[JasonS]

So, to sum up what Dick was saying -- there is no truly pure line of shiro with good sumi anymore because showa took over for a while then shiro with better sumi was re-developed out of showa.

Reminds me of a gorgeous 8 yr old shiro I saw for sale last year. Wondered why it wasn't being kept as breeding material -- the guess from those more experienced than I was that this shiro threw showas in breeding. And probably not very good showas.

Doing the showa/shiro cross could end up with lots of interesting fish. I've no idea how you would do the first culling tho'. Do you cull all the non-black fish first, like for old-style showa? Or do you cull all the solid colors first? Obviously there are some that are right out, but the choices are more...

[dick benbow]

Jason,
These koi (both shiro and showa) are first culled at 3 days. After that you wait 40 days and look for the beni pattern. if it's strong and solid it stays. If the shiro is there with so red, it stays. If the color is small and light it stays.

Warning: many showa breedings have false black in the tail section area.
it covers over the red pattern and as a breeder you may be tempted to off
as black is too heavy in the tail with red in head and chest only. take these guys outside and look in the sun for any indication of a tail stop red under the black.

have seen many times in their second year when the black crawls back and reveals the much needed red tailstop!

[gregbickal]

I will post pictures this spring as spawning gets started and you guys can just follow along with the frys developement. Ive never really culled before (mainly due to low numbers), so hopefully this will be the first year for that.

[koifishgirl]

Good luck Greg and I cant wait to see the fry. I wounder what I would come up with if I crossed my Gin Matsuba with my male Kujaku.

[RichLane]

I will do the same Greg and same as you I didn't have to cull last year either cause I was late collecting the eggs and only got a few babys, this year I will be ready and will get some photos thru-out their development and post them here as well.

[gregbickal]

I lost all but one of 5,000 fry last year to a stupid water change. Hopefully wont be repeating that mistake.

[RichLane]

Dang!, Sorry to hear that Greg, I hope yo uhave great luck this year