The birds - yellow-eyed, erect-crested, Fiordland-crested and rockhopper penguins - are eating about 50kg of salmon smolt a day, and supplies are running out.
Ironically, the penguins - about 50 of them - are themselves recovering from attacks by hungry fish at sea, having needed stitches or surgery from barracouta bites.
The Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust says the number of penguins in rehab is increasing daily, as field teams pick up birds bitten on feet, legs, flippers and the lower abdomen by barracouta.
The injuries to the birds are sometimes life-threatening.
Trust general manager Sue Murray says the injuries require anything from stitches to extensive surgery.
Money is required to buy food and provide veterinary care.
The penguins were also about to start moulting, a time they needed extra care.
The trust is calling for donations to help and Ms Murray says it will distribute the funds to facilities that need it.
Tourism operator Penguin Place rehabilitation manager Julia Reid said there were 49 birds at the Otago Peninsula facility, and six more about to be released.
Most came from Department of Conservation rangers, the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust, or from beaches Penguin Place staff monitored.
''We're seeing a lot of bites and lacerations.''
Those bites injured the birds but were not usually enough to kill them.
''Barracouta don't have big enough mouths to eat penguins,'' Ms Reid said.
If sharks or sea lions attacked penguins, there was little left of the birds.
While barracouta bites are a regular issue, there are ''a lot more this year''.
Whether the numbers found injured was because of an explosion in barracouta stocks or because of an increase in monitoring, Ms Reid was unsure.
Yesterday, the birds were eating the small salmon whole, and each bird ate a kilogram a day. The facility's supplier is running out of smolt.
''We're happy to pay for food, but we need to get food.''
Ms Reid was keen to hear from anyone who could supply the facility.
''We'll take tons.''
