Why is it When i see photos of stocked brown trout and stocked rainbows.
The tails on the browns are in much better condition they are full and undamaged unlike the rainbows which are often split or rounded
Are they reared in a different way?
(Sorry if you think its a stupid Question just always something ive wondered about)
Thanks Nathan

Hi Nathan
IMO there is no difference to the way brownies and rainbows are reared certainly this is the case on the fish farm my club gets its fish from. Usually trout of both species sustain damage during rearing as fish attack one another in cramped conditions. In my club we do not stock brownies but have a large population of small but fin perfect fish.Painbows on the other hand are stocked monthly and anglers are bound to find fin damaged fish. Trout are able to regrow the damaged part of their fins as long as the damage is not too extensive.

It may be that the brownies in photographs you have seen have been in the water longer than the rainbows accounting for them being fin perfect.This is only a theory and my personal opinion.

BK

Brown trout take longer to grow and therefore cost more money to get to get stocking size. Most fish farms therefore don't carry as many browns as rainbows. Less fish in a stocking pond(stew) means less ware on fins. Also browns don't like to be as crowded as rainbows so less stocking densities are used. Browns and rainbows are also two different fish, browns tend to hide and stay deap, rainbows are because of more breeding more used to higher stocking densities and race around mid Water. Earth ponds and concrete ponds do make some difference but fin loss comes more from feeding and rubbing on other fish.

Spot on with everything you said.

Trout are carnivorous and will eat the soft exposed tissues of other fish, and in crowded densities, as you say, they will eat the only soft tissue they can, and it's constantly available to them, right in front of their noses, fishes tails.

Fish also become find damaged through bulking up in a feeding frenzy.

What then happens is fish pick up infections and suffer 'fin rot' which is a general term covering a host of problems from viral and bacterial infections as well as fungus, all of which attack the exposed wounds.

Good, proper husbandry methods minimise this, such as using a feed cannon to cover as much surface area as possible at the one time to stop all the fish racing to the one spot. Lighter stocking densities, and regular size grading also help. This though, is rather cost ineffective, and is reflected in the prices you can expect to pay to purchase browns in prime condition.

Thanks for the good answers guys.
much appreciated was always curious why there was a difference and your answers make good sense.
Thanks Nathan