With a little work and a little patience most koi will eagerly accept food & treats right from your hand! Here are a few tips to help you train your koi.
1. Feed your fish 2-3 times per day minimum and be sure you are feeding a high quality diet.
2. Stand by your pond for several minutes prior to feeding. This allows the fish to get used to your presence and also learn that you are the source of the food. If your fish are skittish and hide when they see you then this step will require extra patience. Be consistent. Soon they will eagerly rush to the surface begging for food as soon as they see you. Be sure to always feed in the same spot in the pond.
3. Once your fish have learned that you are the source of their food and you have them swimming around the surface in anticipation of being fed you can start to train them to eat from your hand. I recomend starting the hand feeding process with a tasty treat such as krill. Simply hold the treat in the water and wait for them to come take it from you. They key is to be very still and to not make any sudden movements. After a few times they will know what to do and you will soon have most if not all of your koi pets eating right from your hand!!
Karen Kelly hand feeding her Chagoi a tasty treat!
