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Allotment Articles1.
Allotment Articles 2.
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Rearing Trout
Rainbow trout are extensively reared in this country as a food fish on relatively small fish farms There is no reason why under the right conditions the ordinary person with a large garden couldn’t rear some trout for his own dinner table. There is a golden variety that is now sometimes seen at aquatic retailers, but these may cost £2 or more as fingerlings. If you intend to buy them to grow on for eating then you want to buy them as cheaply as possible.
A visit to a friendly trout farm owner may result in the purchase of a few small fish for a pound, or two although this is technically illegal. For trout to survive the water must very clean, well oxygenated and cool in the summer. For this reason stocking levels must be kept to an absolute minimum and the pool must be as deep as possible. Most reservoirs are stocked with trout successfully and are ideal for them but trout have been reared up to eating size in back garden pools.
It is not advisable to mix trout with other fish as when they get bigger they can become cannibalistic. Ordinary fish pellets can be used to feed them, but this would make the adult fish a bit expensive to eat so when you visit the trout farm buy some proper trout pellets as well. These are more oily than goldfish pellets and make them put on more body weight which is what you want.
If you have never seen a number of trout feed it is quite something to behold. The water seems to boil as the trout greedily come up to the surface to eat a mouthful of pellets. They grow quickly and should reach about 3/4 of a pound or more in one season. After two years they should be a good eating size.
Mature female trout get egg bound so their life span is limited to a few years, but males can live longer and get quite large. If you are going to grow Trout to be eaten you MUST NOT ever use any chemicals in your pond as they may cause the flesh of the fish to be harmful to humans when eaten. However, if you do grow some to eat it can be very satisfying to know that you have raised the delicious trout that has made a good meal for all the family.
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