Hatchery Products
Ferry Cove Oyster Hatchery offers diploid and triploid varieties of single oyster seed set on fine cultch and eyed larvae. Our goal is to provide our customers with sorted and screened healthy seed ready for nurseries and high-quality, eyed larvae for remote and in-situ setting that are ready to set immediately upon pickup or receipt.
Product Availability and Ordering
Orders are produced on a first come first served basis. Our goal is to have seed available year-round and eyed larvae from March through September. We recommend all orders be placed by February to ensure your order has been incorporated into the hatchery production schedule. You can order online, download the order form and mail it to us, or place an order via phone. Once your order is received, you will be notified regularly of the status. No deposits are required.
Broodstock
We offer customers a selection and mixture of broodstock to suit the needs of your grow-out site and salinity conditions.
VIMS Tetraploid Stock
Annually, we receive tetraploids from VIMS Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding Technology Center. We will cross these with wild stocks or other VIMS Disease Resistant selected lines for triploid larvae and seed production. Triploids typically grow faster and have better meat quality during the summer months.
VIMS Disease Resistant (DR) Selected Lines
- DEBY - Originates from Delaware Bay stock with high resistance to MSX and bred for additional resistance to DERMO. Selected in moderate salinity environments (18-23 ppt) for fast growth and survival.
- HNRY - Combined genes from wild populations and all ABC genetic stocks, selected in moderate salinity environments (18-23 ppt) for fast growth, survival, high meat yield and shell shape.
- LOLA - Originates from Louisiana stock, low to moderate resistance to Dermo, selected in low salinity environments (8-15 ppt) for growth; anecdotally they are also grown outside of low salinity environments.
- LILY - Combined genes from wild populations and all ABC genetic stocks, selected in low salinity environments (6-15 ppt) for fast growth, survival, high meat yield and shell shape.
Wild Stock
- We use wild caught oysters from moderate salinity Chesapeake Bay tributaries, such as the Nanticoke, Choptank and Patuxent River and Eastern Bay. The oysters are purchased annually from local watermen and then stored and conditioned in our facility. All the oysters from these rivers and the Bay have shown some disease tolerance and robust shell growth.
Custom Spawns
- Custom spawns are available with advance notice and may require a deposit. Please call for additional information.