42 MONTANA STATE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



the Madison. Sportsiiien are equally interested in steps taken at the hatcheries 

 in the propagation of trout. 



Upon receiving- eggs at a hatchery, the first step taken after unpacking is to 

 ascertain the temperature. Then follows the slow raising of the temperature. 

 Like the tempering of fish for planting, it is necessary that plenty of time be 

 taken. 



After the eggs are tempered they are put in baskets or stacks of trays to eye 

 or hatch. 



There are two stages of eggs, that is, green and eyed. Green eggs are those 

 which have been fertilized, but in which the incubation period has not started. 

 Eyed eggs are those which have been incubated to a point where the embryo is 

 well defined and the eye spots are plainly visible. If the eggs are green and in 

 water of an average temperature of 50 degrees, it will take from 14 to 18 days 

 for them to become eyed. 



They are then syphoned out of baskets into a tub or bucket for the purpose 

 of giving them a shock. This shock is necessary to kill the blank or unfertile 

 eggs. The blank or unfertile eggs are then picked out and the eyed eggs are put 

 back in the baskets to hatch, which will take about 10 or 14 days. When the eggs 

 hatch they are called fry; after they begin to take food they become advanced fry. 

 They remain advance fry until they become an inch long, when they reach the 

 fingerling age, which is fingerling Number One, meaning they are an inch long. 

 They remain in the fingerling class until a year old, when they are called yearlings. 

 When people are advised the number of eggs in a basket or of fish in a can. 

 they often seem astounded when told that a basket contains 25,000 or more and 

 a can from 1,000 to 2,000. Our method of counting eggs is to put exactly four 

 ounces in a certified graduate. We then count the four ounces and divide the 

 total by four which gives the number per ounce. To count fish, we put exactly 

 four ounces of water in the graduate and then put in fish until the water comes 

 to eight ounces, which gives us a fish displacement of four ounces. We next 

 count the four ounces of fish, divide the total by four and get a fairly accurate 

 count per ounce. 



The inside dimensions of the average standard trough in which the baskets 

 or trays are placed are 15 feet and five inches long, 14 and one-eights inches 

 wide and six and one-fourth inches deep. The trough should have a flow 

 of eight gallons of water per minute. 



A trough will hold six baskets capable of holding an average of 



25,000 each, or 150,000 eggs. It will hold ten stacks of trays with six 



trays to a stack, or 360,000 eggs or fry. The average amount of fish 



carried in a trough is about 50,000, this amount depending upon 



age and size. 



Sportsmen owe it to themselves to support and cooperate 



with the deputy game warden. If you were to see someone 



stealing equipment from a fish hatchery, you would report it 



to the man in charge. When you see someone poaching or oth- 



i^i erwise violating the laws, show your cooperation and sports- 



• nianship by reporting him. If necessary go on the witness 



stand. Do your duty as a good citizen and sports- 

 man should. With the sincere cooperation of sports- 

 men throughout the state law enforcement is simpli- 

 '^ ■' fied and the conservation of our fish and game rc- 

 " ' sources for future generations is made possible. 



