Culling Koi

[austinl01]

This may be a dumb question, but hey, I'm new to the hobby!

What happens to culled fish? Are they killed or what?

[davidjensen]

No they become fish fertilizer

[dick benbow]

Most breeders i know, destroy the ones that do not acheive to their standards. None wants less than the highest standard out there to represent their name. A mature pair of breeders produce a quarter of a million eggs. From them about 300 will be hung on to
with 20 or less making the grade. As David explains, that's a lot of fertilizer.

[cindy]

sigh, not a pro but my culls get rehomed.

[jeff reiter]

in other countries, koi are raised as a source of fish meat. that was the original purpose anyway, so if you are talking about the US they are fertilizer. i know one US farmer who dumps the fish into his 2 1/2 acre natural pond, and the catfish get them. in malaysia, israel, etc, its a meat harvest eventually.

[Spaun]

Compost........

[ThisOldPond]

If you don't think they are worth keeping kill them. Please don't try to sell them of give them away. Culled fish bring this hobby down if you ask me. Keep what you think is nice and the rest goooo... You can even put them in your pond for the other fish to eat if that are not to big yet.