Delicious fish, inaccessible to a simple fisherman, is always in demand and is highly valued in the market. One such is trout. In stores, the cost of this type of salmon can reach almost a thousand rubles per kilogram. And because trout farming in the pond is a good way to earn money. This fact is confirmed by experienced farmers who receive a tidy sum from this business. However, initially trout farms require considerable costs, great effort and responsibility. All this will quickly pay off if you competently approach this business.
A little bit about trout
In total, 20 species of these salmon fish are known. For sale, usually only two highly productive trouts are bred. This is rainbow (make-up) and brook (pestle). Their growth rate and fecundity are almost 40% higher compared to other trout fish. It is worth saying that both species are predatory, which is reflected in their diet. They feed on small frogs, bugs, dragonflies and such fish as tops, minnow and ide. This feature must be considered before starting trout breeding in the pond as a business.
Brook trout
This species lives in cold waters that flow into the Black, Baltic and Caspian Seas. Usually in natural conditions, adults reach 12 kg. But here in artificial reservoirs to achieve such results can be remarkable work. For breeding, you need to be patient: fish will not spawn for the first few years, if acquired by fry.
The average life span of brook trout is 12 years. In the first year, fish will weigh 20-25 grams, two-year-olds will weigh 130-170 grams, and in the 3rd year, half a kilogram. The fertility of this trout depends on the weight of the female, so you can see such a strong spread from 2 to 15 hundred eggs. Fish spawning will begin no earlier than the 3-4th year of its life. Caviar incubation usually occurs in the fall, when the water temperature rises to 2-8 degrees.
Rainbow trout
This species got its name due to its beautiful iridescent scales. Rainbow trout appeared in North America, and in Russia they began to cultivate it recently. These fish grow better than brook fish and tolerate low temperatures. This attracts the attention of businessmen rainbow trout. Breeding in the pond is still best done in warm water (16-18 degrees). At this temperature, good growth will be guaranteed.
Fish become sexually mature after 2-3 years. Females, depending on age, are able to give from 8 to 30 hundred eggs. Their incubation usually occurs in the spring. Rainbow trout fry weigh up to 30 grams, one-year-old individuals - 100-125 grams, and at 2 years old - from 200 grams. The difficulty of breeding mykizhi is that it is very difficult to stimulate reproduction. Most often resort to artificial insemination. Just in case, farmers are reinsured and acquire both species for breeding: rainbow and brook trout.
The start of the trout business
Where to start trout breeding in the pond? The first step is to visit existing farms and see how the economy is organized and the work is built. Experienced trout breeders will be happy to share the nuances and subtleties of this business. At the same time, you can watch your future suppliers of fry or adults. Better pay attention to farms that are standing firmly on their feet. They will not only sell fish, but also give competent recommendations. After that, it's time to think about the breeding site and the acquisition of the necessary equipment. By the way, in some cases it will cost a lot.
If after this the desire to breed trout has not disappeared, then feel free to go to the tax office. The future enterprise can be registered as an individual enterprise. The OKEVD code should be selected “05.02” - this is fish farming, which is suitable for salmon cultivation with subsequent sale.
As soon as the paperwork is over, you can purchase everything you need and look for customers. And after the appearance of trout for sale, it is worth getting to know the employees of the sanitary and epidemiological station. Each farmer is simply obliged to obtain an opinion on the proper quality of the product.
Where to grow fish
You can organize trout breeding in a pond at the cottage, on the territory of a country house or in a pond that is specially bought or rented for farming. They grow this species of salmon in several ways:
- In the open pond.
- In the cages.
- In an artificial enclosed body of water.
Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Outdoor pond
It is believed that this is the most unprofitable and inconvenient way of breeding. To grow trout, you will need to find an already functioning pond or build it yourself. At a very low temperature, both mykizha and pestle will grow poorly and it will take at least 5 years to go on sale. For this reason, trout farming in the pond in winter is simply ruled out.
Catching fish from an open reservoir for subsequent fertilization or sale is not an easy task. Experienced specialists are usually hired to carry it out, who take a tidy sum for their work. There is also a high probability of occurrence of diseases and theft of trout by local poachers. And the treatment and the guards are extra costs.
Saddles
This method of breeding from the first differs only in that some part of it is enclosed in an open water body. The boundaries are cages - metal grates or net cases on stakes, inside which adjustable fish are placed. Since only part of the reservoir is used to breed trout, paid fishing for lovers can be arranged on the remaining area. Also, the advantage is that it’s much easier to keep track of a part of a reservoir than a whole lake. For these reasons, fish farmers believe that cage farming of trout in the pond is a more profitable business.
However, due to the dense landing of fish and active feeding, the problem of pollution of the reservoir will be acute. It will constantly need to be cleaned. Because of this, you can not grow trout in ponds with drinking water.
Artificial pond
For both large and small volumes of fish, the installation of an artificial enclosed pond will be an excellent option. Moreover, you can place it directly in the room in your country house or in a rented warehouse. However, large investments are initially needed to acquire the necessary equipment. These are pools, generators, sediment and filters. For small farms at 4 tons per year, experts estimate their value at almost 1.5 million rubles. But due to the circular movement of water between the components of the system, fish livelihoods are provided. In such a closed pond, you can recreate the most comfortable conditions for growing trout.
And the minus in this method is only expensive equipment. Otherwise, trout farming in a closed pond has some advantages - the absence of environmental pollution and weather dependence, timely cleaning and health assessment, convenient extraction of fish.
Artificial spawning as a business challenge
Sometimes in captivity, trout refuses to breed on their own, and you need to be prepared for this. In such cases, fish farmers resort to artificial insemination, which is carried out according to a certain scheme.
1. During the alleged spawning period, farmers select the best producers from mature individuals and place them in separate pools.
2. When the eggs mature in the females, they are gently squeezed into a separate container. Pre fish wrapped in a towel.
3.After that, the sperm of males is decanted onto the eggs and gently distributed. For this purpose, a bird feather is ideal.
4. A little water is added to the caviar, in which fertilization will occur within five minutes.
With this method of reproduction, it is worth considering the additional costs. This anesthetic means for a comfortable separation of eggs and stimulating solutions to increase the percentage of fertilized eggs. Experienced farmers prefer the artificial breeding of trout in the pond.
Technology and equipment
Brook and rainbow trout are quite unpretentious varieties. But the success of the business will be guaranteed while observing the growing technology:
- Experienced fish farmers recommend laying a natural pond around the perimeter with concrete slabs. This will protect it from the ingress of earth washed out by precipitation.
- The depth of the pool should be at least two meters.
- Calcium should be added to the water, since its content should be high enough to breed trout.
- Be sure to install equipment to create aeration. Trout are very sensitive to the oxygen content in water.
- In the pond, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of about 15-18 degrees. To do this, you need a water heater and a thermometer for monitoring.
- In the pool you can run fry no easier than two grams. In the future, it will be necessary to constantly sort, since salmon grow unevenly. The breeding of trout in the pond is based on the selection of individuals. Weighing equipment, as practice shows, is simply necessary.
- Constantly monitor the condition of the fish. Otherwise, sick individuals will infect others, and then the entire population may die.
- Use an automated feeding system. She will help out a lot, because adults need food 3 times a day, and fry do it every hour.
- For implementation, select only that trout that weighs at least half a kilogram.
Product Sales
It is worth thinking about the implementation of trout in advance, looking for potential customers already at the initial stage of the business. The main and regular customers may be:
- supermarkets;
- grocery pavilions;
- cafes and restaurants;
- motels and country hotels;
- individuals (if you open your own point of sale in the market or at your own farm);
- Future trout farmers who wish to buy fry or adults for breeding.
However, it should be borne in mind that there will be few who want to buy live fish right on the spot. On your shoulders will lie not only the breeding of trout in the pond, but also its subsequent cutting and transportation. The organization of paid fishing will also be a big plus. It will help a little to save on the transportation of trout and will give additional income.
Financial part
If you decide to open a small farm and try to save, then the costs will be distributed as follows.
1. Fry - 300 thousand.
2. Food - 200 thousand.
3. Equipment - 1.5 million.
4. Salaries to employees - 300 thousand.
5. Other expenses (pond rental, freight transportation, fish treatment) - 200 thousand.
Total, approximately 2.5 million will be required. They will pay off after 3 years of breeding.
Be sure to consider trout breeding in the pond to the smallest detail. The business plan will tell you how much money is needed to start, and will save you from losses. Of course, everything will depend on the region. For each individual case, you need to make individual calculations of expenses and income.