First feeding in Atlantic salmon hatcheries is a critical welfare period when size hierarchies establish and early management decisions affect lifetime welfare outcomes.
The welfare foundations for Atlantic salmon are laid during the hatchery period at first feeding. Competitive feeding interactions establish size hierarchies that persist through production. Dominant fish monopolise food while excluded subordinates suffer nutritional stress. Welfare-conscious first feeding management provides appropriate prey size, optimal density, and feeding frequency to minimise size disparity. Early welfare disparities established at first feeding affect immunity, stress tolerance, and welfare throughout the production cycle. Investment in optimal hatchery welfare provides dividends across the entire production lifetime of each cohort.