I make my own koi food. Instead of using gelatin to bind it, I dry it and cut it up. I usually make it in the morning, 'roll' it into small 'sheets' and dry it in the sun during the day, then dice it in the evening. But today I got a late start and made it in the afternoon and it didnt get dry before sunset. So clever me, I dragged out my fruit dehydrator and put the sheets of fish food into it to finish drying. OMG, what a bad smell. This batch has alot of kelp and fish meal in it...... I think I need to move the drying food into the garage immediately....... Better yet, outdoors.
Thank goodness the houses are spaced far enough apart, and the breeze is away from my nearest neighbor. Actually outdoors, the mal-odor isnt that bad. But in the house, egads. My eyes were burning with all the windows open.
What do you mean 'stray' cats being attracted? My own fur-ball was on top of the dehydrator within minutes of firing it up, LOL.
I am wondering about the bacteria that could get in the food when it is drying out in the sun??? I know that food that sets out to cool can be exposed to this...I am wondering if anything could get in the food while it is baking in the sun that could be harmful to the fish???
ESTEEMED STATUS IN THE KK ORG
Charter Member 16!!!
PROUD MEMBER OF THE SCC
I dont worry about drying foods and contamination, esp when dried in the full sun. I would not leave food to dry outside overnight however. I dont worry about eating dried fruits or vegetables or jerky either. Of course the ingredients are different.
My recipe is variable. I have read as much as I could find in forums and archives and have combined recipes etc. I try to keep protein in the mid 30%s, and provide a balanced array of other fruits and vegetables and dry ingredients, etc.
Todays recipe was mostly dry ingredients, and had fish meal, alfalfa meal, kelp meal, brewers yeast, wheatgerm, abit of molassses, paprika for carotene, some fresh collard greens for vit C, koi clay, and abit of oil. Except for the clay, I weighed the mostly dry ingredients and added enough fish meal to bring the protein to 35%. The fish meal I have is 64% protein when purchased. No two batches are ever the same. In other batches I use a considered balance of orange juice concentrate, fresh fish, canned tuna, whole boiled eggs, canned pumpkin, fresh squash cooked, peas, spinach, cole greens, apricots, apples, and other fresh fruits. I do not use lettuce or melons or pineapple or other tropical fruits. Dont know why. The fish have loved every manifestation of my homemade food.
I read eluneds recent link to the fish nutrition re corn gluten/protein, and really enjoyed it. I was going to reply but the post seems to have disappeared. Where did it go?
I'm still looking for a cheap blender. I don't really thing spirulina and silkworm larva would sound appetizing to the rest of the family. I found the recipie with the gelatin, maybe drying would be easier...hmmm.