Mt. Parnell
Fisheries, Inc.
1574 Fort Loudon Rd.
Mercersburg, PA 17236
National Call:
1-800-438-4652
PA & International Call:
1-717-369-3018
Fax:
1-717-369-5714
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Production
Facilities |
Many man-hours are devoted every year to producing high quality fish at our 300-acre facility. Attention to detail covers all aspects of our operation, whether it is
brood fish selection, fish health, water quality,
equipment maintenance, research, or the
special needs of our customers.
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Water management, nutrition and disease control are major factors in our production process. However, maintaining a supply of quality
brood fish is one of the key factors in producing top quality fancy goldfish and koi. Future
brood fish are selected when they are one year old and carefully cultured until they are mature. Less than 1% of these young fish are selected for this role. We maintain more than five acres of protected areas to insure an ample supply of quality
brood fish. Depredation by snakes, birds and other animals continues to be a major problem.
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Spawning:
Our truly pampered
brood fish is achieved with three possible
methods; natural pond spawning, heated pool
spawning and induced spawning.
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Natural Spawning
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Natural pond spawning:
Selected brood fish are placed in spawning ponds where they deposit eggs on spawning mats. These mats are then moved to rearing ponds to hatch.
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Heated pool spawning:
Selected brood fish are placed in concrete pools where the water temperature can be controlled.
Brood fish deposit eggs on spawning mats placed on the bottom of these pools. The mats are then moved to rearing ponds to hatch.
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Heated Pool Spawning
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Induced Spawning
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Induced spawning:
Selected brood fish are given a hormone injection and held at a controlled temperature to induce egg/sperm release. Eggs and sperm are hand stripped from the
brood fish at the optimum time. Fertilized eggs are placed in an indoor hatching |
| system at controlled temperatures. After hatching, the fry are transferred to prepared ponds to grow.
By using all these methods, we can adjust for early spring weather changes and rearing pond availability.
Seining ponds is the primary method used to harvest fish from the rearing ponds. The fish are fed in one corner of the pond to concentrate them. Then the seine crew will carefully surround the fish to catch them in the seine. The fish are then put on a tank truck equipped with oxygen aeration to be taken to storage pools to be prepared for shipment.
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Winter
Harvesting:
Of course, the winter months create a very labor-intensive harvest situation.
Thick surface ice is cut with chainsaws and removed from the pond. The water level is lowered into the drain sump and the fish are carefully removed.
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Winter Ice Cutting |
Winter Ice Cutting |
This can be a very long, cold, and unpleasant task. However, this is just one more part of our continuous dedication to provide our customers with a steady supply of quality fish year round. |
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