Spring? How will I know when to feed?

[Bossman]

It is beginning to look a little like spring. This is the first winter my koi actually quit eating. What signs will I see that they want to begin eating again other than water temperature rising? And will they be really hungry or slowly build up their hunger.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Don't feed until your water temperatures are above 50 degrees & likely to remain that way. Start with a 'spring/fall' or 'all season' food, and it's not a bad idea to start out with a few days of plain Cheerios at first. (they're great all around snacks for the fish even in summer) You can switch to a Summer food when the water temps are constantly above 60 degrees, I believe (I stick to All Season, so you'd have to confirm that with instructions on the bag's label)
Fish aren't as hungry in cooler water, so you probably won't need to feed but once a day for a minute or two at first, then more as the water/weather gets consistently warm.
I actually don't even have to look at my pond thermometer to know the temperature - my fish do NOT beg until it hits 50 degrees. They'll swim around & look at me, but the actual begging doesn't start until then!

 

[poconojoe]

Totally agree.
It's all about water temperature. Most food labels will say you can start feeding when the water temperature is at least 50 degrees F, as mentioned.

The Spring/Fall food mentioned is wheat germ based.

It will not only take your fish a while to get up to speed when it comes to eating regularly, but it will take some time for them to get used to you being there at waters edge.

 

[addy1]

my fish do NOT beg until it hits 50 degrees. They'll swim around & look at me, but the actual begging doesn't start until then!

Mine seldom beg, they don't get fed regularly enough to see me as food giver.

 

[bagsmom]

I noticed, too, the year that I was a little excited to feed the fish and started on the early side of things -- that was the year I had pea soup water in the early spring. There may have been other factors involved. But I think feeding was adding nutrients to the water before the biological filter was really up and at 'em. Maybe start out feeding on the light side!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Mine seldom beg, they don't get fed regularly enough to see me as food giver.

I feed once a day in the cooler weather, twice a day all during the warm months, so my little swimming piggies definitely see me as food giver. They follow us around the pond from end to end when we're out in the yard. Last week's three warm days in a row had some of them thinking about making faces at me -

During the summer we often hand feed them watermelon. They don't all eat out of hand, but most of the larger ones do. I love interacting with them. It's silly, but a simple pleasure.