Bill,
I do buy pellets from the farm that I buy the trout from. Last year I asked them when they feed them, and they told me it various, no set time. They told me they isolate the trout I am scheduled to pick up and don’t feed them for a day before pickup. But they also advised to give them a day to acclimate before trying to feed. I can’t remember for sure if I waited one day or two days before feeding them after ice off stocking. But they found the pellets fast. 100 or so trout hitting the surface, sometimes leaping out of the water in a small pond is so neat to watch. I did intend to buy trout in October this year but the hatchery moved their adult trout to another facility and I would have to travel 2 hours one way, then return the loaner tank. 8 hours total travel. Decided to wait until closer facility had larger trout to sell.

If the trout do “shut down” or feed little for a month or so, is that detrimental to health, or normal.