The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1920-08-14
FISH HATCHERY
is BUSY PLACE
Game Warden and Helpers Tend
Bathe and Feed Young Fry
With Great Care
Raw Liver is FavOrite Food of Tiny
Fishes Just Emerging From
Sac Stage of Growth

"Success in a fish hatchery is like
liberty--the price of it is eternal
vigilance" So said c. j. Rhode,
county game warden. Diseases?
Oh, yes. Gill fever is to fish what
pneumonia is to a human being. II
affects the breathing apparatus. The
only thing that will relieve it is a
salt bath. You put in enough salt
to make the fish turn over on his
side. In fact, we give a salt bath
at least once month just as a pre-
ventive of disease. 1t takes about
$50 pounds of salt when the hatchery
is full OF course, if the fish are
sick and need little more, we may
use 200 pounds"
No eggs are sent to the hatchery
until such time as the eye spot ap
pears. When this occurs, the period
of incubation is half accomplished.
This period varies according to the
temperature of the water, eggs
maturing faster in warmer water
than in cold. zone degree of varia-
ton in temperature corresponds to
five days in the time of incubation"
said Mr. Rhode. The eggs of the
cutthroat trout now in the hatchery
were collected July - and were re-
ceived here July 28. 1t is because
they were spawned at a spot in the
Yellowstone Park on the very crest
f the Rocky Mountains that they
:rivcd in this world so late in the
ason. The usual time for spawn
is in April and into May, the
rrence being delayed or acceler-
=, as in the case of the develop
L. of the egg itself, by the tenn
perature of the water.
When the eggs arrive at the
hatchery, they are placed in long
wire basket which rests in trough
of running water. 1t is now neces-
sary to begin the practice of that
eternal vigilance" before mentioned.
Dangers lie in wait for the eggs.
fungus may attack them, or a few
eggs may die, communicating all
others that they touch. There is no
remedy for a situation such as this
but the removal Of the dead or in
fected egg. For this reason, the
eggs are examined every "a or 30
hours
When hatched, the young fall
through the meshes of their basket
into the trough below. They are
now in what is called the "sac"
stage. The tough white skin has
fallen from the egg, but the "yolk"
still remains to feed the young fish.
At this stage curious malformatlons
occasionally appear. A pair of
Siamese twins with one tail are at
present to be seen at the hatchery,
as well as a little fellow whose tail
is so curved as to make him swim in
a circle. When the nourishment of
the egg is exhausted, these youngs-
ters so i'll adapted to struggle with
the world, will die from starvation.
During the sac stage, the young
crowd together in the bottom of the
tank, seeming to take refuge in num-
bers. As soon as the food from the
egg is exhausted, however, and the
necessity arises for obtaining it from
outside sources, the social stage OF
their existence is past. The young
separate and swim about on the sur
face of the water. 1t is now necces-
sary to feed them. Raw liver is the
best food that has been discovered.
In the meat room Of the hatchery is
an electric grinder, which is used to
prepare it. The meat, once ground,
is put through a perforated utensil
somewhat similar to the colander of
domestic fame. AS the fish mature
the holes in the colander become
larger. Only the very finest of the
food can be given the fry just
emerging from the sac stage. when
the hatchery is full, from 4O to 90
pounds of liver are required daily.
The monthly cost is from Sl25 to
Sl35. The local merchants are OBJ
ligcd at times to supplement their
own supply by drawing on outside
sources. Eastern brook trout must
be fed about 10 weeks, rainbow and
cutthroat trout from two to three
weeks. The fry are planted as soon
as they are feeding well.
The fish hatchery is a building
about "a feet wide and So feet long.
The original structure, which was "a
bv 35, was built in 1918. Two addi-
tions have been made since. There
are now 68 troughs l6 feet long,
Continued on page six)