Question..... Training Koi...

[adreamer2]

Okay... I can't figure this one out...

How do you train a koi?....

I can't get the creatures to eat out of my hand, or recognize me when I approach... Yet, I see pics of others and hear you guys mention how they follow you when you are near....

adreamer2

[marco]

It's funny to see that they recognize the differents member of the familly walking aroud the pond. When it's my daughter or me, they know they'll receive some food and they get eccited, but when is my wife or my son, they know that the chance of having some food is not so big ...
Only a few come to eat in my hand, but the others are very near. Normally I put my hand close in the water and when they come and tuch my hand, I open it and the food is released, I leave my hand in the water without moving and they all swim around it without any fair. Some of them take my fingers in the mouth. I try to di that once a day for the first meal at midday, for the other meals I just stay near the pond while they are eating but I throw the the pellets in the water.
Some times I give some prawns and they have to take them from my finger, after a while I can touch them without any problems.
I also use gallic to training them, they really like it .
The most important thing to training them is to do it often and to spend a lot of time sitting on the wall of the pond, so they are really confident.
Some could think I'm crazy, and maybe they are right ..
Marco

[MikeM]

Mine do not eat from my hand, but I am sure they would if I spent the time to get them adjusted to the idea. My old pond was poorly designed and I had to get in the pond every week to net out leaves. The koi welcomed me, would swim against my legs and would follow me as I moved around the pond. A few times one stuck its head in the small net I used. But, with my new pond I do not get into it regularly. The couple of times I have to take photos, the koi avoided me, showing real signs of fear of my unexpected presence. With time and patience, they will get adjusted to the idea of your hand being in the water means food, not anything to fear.

BTW, a friend succeeeded in getting his to eat from his hand when he got a Chagoi. The Chagoi was fearless. When the others saw it getting food, they learned to overcome their fear of the unknown.

Good luck!

[Regenmeneer]

Adreamer2

What size are your koi? Because small koi are less likely to come close to you, just a natural thing. The larger koi are less scared/avoiding than the samller ones.

What Marco said is certainly true, a chagoi is more relaxed/at ease than another variety of koi when the same lenght. So maybe adding a somewhat larger chagoi (or ochiba) may induce the others to come and eat from your hand.

If you want to train them to eat from your hand, just don't feed them for a few days, and then feed them from your hand. If they don't eat at first, don't give them anything, and just try again next day, untill they will. But remember that some koi will never eat from your hand, no matter what.

Regenmeneer

[Doug Ward]

LOL
Takem off of food for 5 days
They'll jump into your hand !
Some call it " friendly"

[dick benbow]

Mike and Doug's comments are very true...food is a great motivator as are certain color varieties with chagoi, ogon, ochiba etc tending to be friendlier.

I have also found the larger the size the better the opportunity as they tend to be less fearful, while a tosai type can tend to follow nature and be ready to flee

more than feed.



I deliberately don't hand feed mine as when they go outside I have lots of raccoons and herons. My bonsai koi of 12 years went away 2 seasons ago because he/she was too friendly!

[Akinosan]

Very good point Dick, a freindly Koi might mistake a hungry racoon for someone with food!

[junglegeorge12]

If you get a larger one that was raised by breeders they are used to running to the food or not getting any. So they lived in an environment where ALL the fish rush to their feeder, and mokey see monkey do. All you need is one koi like that that will gobble the food down hard, when the others see it and realize their dinner is disappearing before their eyes, they will quickly start to copy that behaviour.

[gaetano]

so far my dogs keep the heron away.. hopefully it stays that way
espescially one of m is always on the look!

[gaetano]

some (most people) say he s ugly..I think he s cute.. ; )