So you think you have the cost of producing an egg figured out? Start incorporating some other variables like: third year versus first year maturation, cost/benefits of breeding programmes, lost opportunity costs for taking up production space, cost/benefit of screening programmes and moving spawning times by photoperiod or induced maturation. These are not generally ‘make or break’ issues, but they are considerations to making a broodstock cost center more efficient and effective.

Time to maturation is an important factor and fits in with the production strategy. In an exemplary way, it demonstrates how broodstock management is not a stand alone activity, but is focused on the ultimate goal: to feed people and make a living doing it.

The production benefits of early maturation are rapid growth and an early harvest from a fall entry smolt. The risks are freshwater precocious maturation and a risk of losing fish to deterioration of flesh quality as the fish all become mature in the second summer.

Early maturation is a heritable trait. This is both good and bad as it means turn-around time for selective breeding for desired traits is rapid, but it also means that the programme is perpetually stuck with high risk fish. And you may be breeding for high incidence of freshwater maturity.

Some commercial egg suppliers are looking for late maturing fish by breeding only 3SW brood. When coupled with high selective pressure for rapid growth, the strategy is a good one: big fish with low grilse rate. The problem for the producer raising brood is that these fish incur costs for a long time in cages. This can increase risk of loss and contribute to high loss of opportunity charges.

Loss of opportunity is when you have brood occupying grow out space. This is double indemnity: you lose production volume and incur more costs. That is, the pen space that could be used for revenue fish is also accumulating costs that are needed to grow brood fish. These production losses have to be shown on the books and weighed against the gains of producing eggs. This is a key factor in selecting an external egg supplier or producing your own brood. Something like leasing or buying a car.

There is a clear economy of scale when evaluating egg source. It is a function of company size, production goals and other factors surrounding egg supply such as availability, breeding programmes and logistical cost. Throw in a dedicated brood site and the math becomes Einsteinian.

Some companies screen brood for viral and bacterial pathogens and accept that these pathogens are vertically transmitted. So, it’s a protective measure for the next generation, but the cost of screening brood is borne out on egg sales. This is a clear marketing advantage and has benefits for the producer as well. However, the process is sophisticated and to date, is not free. In some jurisdictions, viral screening is regulated, so the screening is a cost of doing business.

Part of the problem with any fish brood, save perhaps the warm water species, is that the egg supply is seasonal. This means seed supply is seasonal and it leads to a cap in the continuity of supply for harvest fish. Genetic selection for breeding time is showing positive effects, but there is always a need for just a bit more advance or delay to the spawning date. A similar effect is the invention of the snooze function on the clock radio – people always want a little more.

The cost of photoperiod manipulation or induction of spawning dates is not without cost and limitation. These are effective tools to managing spawning date, but as ever, entail risk and cost/benefit. For example: photo manipulation can cause some fish to revert and not spawn and induction of brood by GnRH implants will only effect fish that are mature. So the financial risk is that the treatment will not be efficacious even after the money for the equipment or product is paid out. The part that scares the bean counters is the uncertainty and unpredictability of the action. Luckily, with experience and practice, the unpredictable nature of these treatments has been greatly reduced and many producers are using both methods to their benefit.

The take home message here is that brood cost money. The eggs are worth a certain value on the market that needs to be reflected by their cost of production. Attributing costs to brood and egg production is essential before second level effects are undertaken to improve output. The message is to figure out the cost of an egg and build broodstock management into a cost centre.