Azukari Koi are Koi that breeders keep for you to grow out. I am posting this because many times things just don't work out. The Koi, that are purchased, are basically released into the wild so, they not only have predators to worry about, there are the normal risks of the limitations of Koi. These risks can be a failure to grow, loss of color or genetic deformities that may appear.
What are the responsibilities of the breeders as outlined by the breeder. They consider everything except the death of the Koi, in the first year, your responsibility. This means that if a Koi dies, in the first year, they will replace it but, if it comes out deformed or with loss off color, it is at their discretion to replace it or not. If a breeder guarantees a Koi to be female and it turns out to be male they will also replace it. I have had some breeders replace Koi that have lost color, in the first year, but I have never had a breeder replace a Koi that didn't grow.
If your Koi does turn out well and the breeder agrees to keep it a second year then all of the responsibility is on you. There are no replacements for the death of the Koi, disfigurement or loss of color.
It seems that the common assumption may be that if a breeder keeps a Koi that everything will turn out but this is not always the case. In fact, there are many, many more failures than you would expect. These are living creatures and things happen. If you are not comfortable with the risks then don't take them.
Replacements tend to be in kind as well. If you lose a Tosai, you are offered a Tosai. If you lose a Nisai, you are offered a Nisai...etc.
If a Koi is guaranteed to be female and it turns out to be a male then it is replaced. Every attempt is made to make sure the replacement is female but there is not a guarantee on the replacement. The reason for this is that it is a replacement and if you bought a Tosai it is replaced with a Tosai and it is not always possible to make sure a Tosai is female. I have seen many situations where breeders have not been able to accurately determine the sex of Nisai Koi, and sometimes Sansai Koi.
