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  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Gosai SamuraiJack's Avatar
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    wheatgerm or alternative

    hello everyone,

    sorry if this has been asked before, as the cold weather is approaching should i carry on feeding Coppens OSW in small amounts if the fish are still eating or order some wheatgerm, my pond is unheated and this morning the water temp was 15, again my apologies if this has been asked before but all my koi are greedy sods.

    i still have about 3.5kg of Coppens OSW

    Many thanks

    Mo


    Human life is truly a short affair. It is better to live doing the things that you like Inazo Nitobe

  2. #2
    Member Rank = Nisai Anto's Avatar
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    I would carry on feeding coppens. I never start feeding wheatgerm or lower protein food until water temps drop below 10c

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  4. #3
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Gazkoi's Avatar
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    When consistently under 15 i switch back to Aquasource All Season with either Propolis or Garlic. When under 10 I switch to Aquasource Wheatgerm, although this winter I will be opting for Probites Winter Care food.

    Cheers

    Gaz
    Hobby and business gone but when you’re hooked you’re hooked.

    Always happy to help!!

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  6. #4
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    I fed coppens OSW all through last winter.
    At 9c and above. Did nt have any problems.
    Right now I am feeding queni premium growth. And just bought a bag of coppens
    OSW. Will start mixing from today to get them back on OSW. For winter. And wean them of queni premium growth.
    There is a lot of wheat germ in OSW anyway.
    Fred

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  8. #5
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion davethefish1's Avatar
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    i do similar,
    i use queni ultimate koi (top koi), colour plus, and M/S wheatgerm,
    and blend them depending on temp/season...

    the U/K top koi is high protein at 49% cut 50/50 with wheatgerm @ 37% gives you an average of 43% protein.
    with a more digestible profile due to the wheatgerm.
    which is how i'm feeding now at 17C
    and i'll drop the percentage of top koi lower as the temp drops.

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  10. #6
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    Just to bring this back to life, I was thinking about getting some wheatgerm for winter, but I had loads of OSW left and looking at the stats on the coppins website it states the OSW has 40% protein and 7% fat, Wheatgerm at 37% protein and 7% fat so is it really worth changing? I have about 13kg of OSW I would guess maybe more and seems pointless changing tbh.

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  12. #7
    literally just bought some copens wheatgerm from cookes to go away from coppens grower i've been using, but they've sent me 3mm instead of 6mm...

    however i did wonder why it's considered winter feed with "low protein" when as mentioned it's 37%, or is it good because it's wheatgerm as opposed to fish/animal protein?

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  14. #8
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    I think its because its more digestible than the heavier Summer feeds.

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  16. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Twhitenosugar's Avatar
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    I've got all three Grower, OSW and Wheatgerm.

    Been using Grower over summer. Just about to switch to OSW through Autumn and then will be on just Wheatgerm through winter.

    Probably doesn't make a blind bit of difference, as I also feed sturgeon pellets. But hey ho, seems to make sense to gradually introduce lower protein and more digestible foods as it gets cooler.

    I bet you are feeding fairly regularly at the moment Sam. Just not with pellets. wheatgerm or alternative

    Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk
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  18. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Twhitenosugar View Post
    I've got all three Grower, OSW and Wheatgerm.

    Been using Grower over summer. Just about to switch to OSW through Autumn and then will be on just Wheatgerm through winter.

    Probably doesn't make a blind bit of difference, as I also feed sturgeon pellets. But hey ho, seems to make sense to gradually introduce lower protein and more digestible foods as it gets cooler.

    I bet you are feeding fairly regularly at the moment Sam. Just not with pellets. wheatgerm or alternative
    Staceys doing all the feeding luckily! The koi are getting fed 5-6 times a day being on paternity leave so they are happy too only 2-3g per feed though so not a lot. On the OSW at the moment but I will probably stick with it through winter now

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  20. #11
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Twhitenosugar's Avatar
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    Sounds like you've dodged a bullet there. When my son was born we shared doing the feeds. What got me was the relentlessness of it. I mean I'd feed him, then would wind him for what felt like forever, change him and put him down to sleep and within 15 minutes of that we'd have to do it all again.

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  22. #12
    Senior Member Rank = Adult Champion Twhitenosugar's Avatar
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    I think Fred feeds OSW all through winter and he seems to have no issues with it.

    Tbh unless it's a super oily feed, I doubt there's really much difference what they're fed in winter. They'll eat when they fancy it and just crap out anything they can't digest.

    Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk
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  24. #13
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    I think Twhite, because of your koi pinching some of the higher fish protein sturgeon food you should probably go full wheat germ over winter to counteract it a bit. Well, that’s what I would do anyway.

    Im feeding Cuttlebrook growth 4.5 mm pellets currently (pond at 23C).

    Plan will be to extend the growing season for the koi by another month to the end of October and then gradually start turning the temperature down. As the temp goes down the feeding also decreases in amount and frequency.

    Once it’s at 14C I then generally stop feeding these days for around 8 weeks. Get filthy looks from the koi through the window. They literally watch us eat at the dining table and make us feel guilty
    Then it will be early spring and will start gradually increasing temps back up again.

    I feed them extremely sparse rations in the spring because they tend to make a bunch of eggs with it if you give too much then, rather than grow. Whereas at this time of year you can stack the food into them without them making eggs. I’m feeding almost 1kg per day at the moment, that is the peak.

    Have not yet decided whether I will go wheat germ or not this year. I might do, because I have anew small koi (35cm) Ive just bought and don’t want to enforce too long a ‘winter’ on her.

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  26. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by samp09 View Post
    Just to bring this back to life, I was thinking about getting some wheatgerm for winter, but I had loads of OSW left and looking at the stats on the coppins website it states the OSW has 40% protein and 7% fat, Wheatgerm at 37% protein and 7% fat so is it really worth changing? I have about 13kg of OSW I would guess maybe more and seems pointless changing tbh.
    I fed coppens OSW. Through last winter.
    No heating. And I will this year as well.
    Had no problems. Fed between 10c and
    12c. Below 10c stopped feeding.
    When fed they scoffed the lot.
    Fred

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  28. #15
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by freddyboy View Post
    I fed coppens OSW. Through last winter.
    No heating. And I will this year as well.
    Had no problems. Fed between 10c and
    12c. Below 10c stopped feeding.
    When fed they scoffed the lot.
    Fred
    In Fred we trust! I will feed them the OSW all winter then

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  30. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by samp09 View Post
    In Fred we trust! I will feed them the OSW all winter then
    And steak and chips

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  32. #17
    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion samp09's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by freddyboy View Post
    And steak and chips
    Fish and chips for me tonight, although haddock not koi!

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  34. #18
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by samp09 View Post
    Fish and chips for me tonight, although haddock not koi!
    Love haddock and chips with mushy peas.

    Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

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