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McKenzie Hatchery 
Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
Spring Chinook Salmon
Mature Spring Chinook salmon are from 3-5 years old when they return to fresh water to spawn and complete their life cycle.
Naturally produced salmon must survive on their own, from the time they are deposited as fertilized eggs in the gravel by a female salmon. It has been estimated that 10-15% of the naturally produced fertilized eggs will survive to grow to a size (6-7 inches) to migrate downstream to the ocean.
Hatchery produced salmon have the advantage of receiving TLC (tender loving care) from hatchery personnel, until they are released to migrate to the ocean. After they are released they must survive on their own until they return as adults. Currently 80-85% of the hatchery eggs survive to be released and migrate downstream to the ocean.
Does that mean that hatchery fish are better then naturally produced salmon?
NO, it means that hatchery operations allow more of the fish to survive because they do not have to compete for food, or avoid predators as the naturally produced fish do. When hatchery fish are hungry we feed them. If they get sick, we mix medicine with their food to make them well. When birds try to eat them we cover the ponds with netting to keep the predators out.
Why do we have hatcheries?
Before the Pacific Northwest was settled, salmon were plentiful. Salmon were a vital food source for many Native Americans. In the early 1900's people would talk about how "you could walk across the rivers on the backs of the salmon".
Unfortunately those days are probably gone forever. What has happened to all those salmon? That's not an easy question. A combination of many things happened to get us where we are today.
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