Stunted Goldfish?

You have a small pond and it may very well be overcrowded but it would be difficult to tell with the lack of info available.

I have observed a lot of feeders grow to enourmous sizes very quickly in a large pond with a bunch of space a lots of food.

There is normally a window of growth, normally at younger ages, in any species but many Goldfish have grown after being slowed down at some point. Fish have a tendency to keep growing their entire life and some Goldfish live many years (an easy fifteen or more) and singletails such as most feeders are can get to well over eighteen inches. Many times fish will grow substantially after conditions are changed.

If you have observed the growth in your pond to be different from one batch to another it could very well be a sign of stunting or just size difference between one group and another. It is difficult to establish what facts are as opposed to just anecdotal evidence unless controls are set up and identical situations are maintained. This is one reason why Aquarists do not get too much direct scientific theory as opposed to empirical evidence about our pets.

You may also be seeing the growth in the first batch slowing down due to a cold winter. If you've had cold weather the past few years, they wouldn't grow nearly as much during those cold months as fish kept in warmer weather.
Feeding every day would of course speed up their growth but if they are thriving on your current feed schedule, go with that. Fast growth should not be taken the determining factor for good health. Remember that growth will depend on temperature, quality and type of food, water quality, tank size, dissolved oxygen... there are so many variables. As long as they appear healthy, are eating well and you aren't exceeding 20 gallons per fish, you should not worry too much.

I have loved Goldfish since I was 9 (a long time ago) and one of the important things that I have learned is that you cannot allow yourself to get seduced by the many beautiful Goldfish you see. It is always better to understock rather than take a tank out to the edge. Remember that if something bad can happen (power outages, disease, equipment failure) it will and at the worst time and the worst way. Count on it! If anyone tells you different they have not done it long enough of they do not have a close enough association with the truth.

Cliff Mayes said:

Remember that if something bad can happen (power outages, disease, equipment failure) it will and at the worst time and the worst way. Count on it! If anyone tells you different they have not done it long enough of they do not have a close enough association with the truth.

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Ain't that the truth! I'm sure we can all attest to that.