Quail in South Africa - New here

Hi Everyone

I am trying to get into breeding and keeping quail. I have been Googling for a while now to find someone in the Western Cape who has quail.
I have found tons of people in Johannesburg that have quail, but they charge for shipping and have a minimum order. Does anyone know where I can find some fertile quail eggs (coturnix or any other similar breed) in the Western Cape / Cape Town area. Anyone on this forum from South Africa?

Thanks

neb

I wish I could help you, I'm in the U.S.A.

Does anyone in S.A. ship eggs? Is that a possibility for you, to incubate your own?

Hi

I have an incubator which I built. It is an old Styrofoam box, with a 15w light bulb for heat. I am using a dimmer switch to control the heat.
For the humidity, I have set up a sponge in a container, and I can fill it up with a syringe from outside. I only have to open it to turn the eggs.
I have actually just found some one who can post some eggs down to me. It is quite expensive, but hopefully it will pay itself off.
The fertile eggs he is offering me are 65 Jumbo Rain Quail eggs for about R2.80, approximately $0.4 per egg. Plus postage of R190 or $27.
Sorry that I have solved my own problem....

Do you know what the rain quail are like, do you have any photos?
The only problem is that I am having quite big temperature swings in my incubator , between about 36.7 and 42.3 degrees Celsius. Is this a major problem, and what about when I open my incubator 3 times a day to turn the eggs? Should I use a thermostat instead, or will putting tinfoil in it to insulate it work?

Thanks

neb

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/rain-quail-coturnix-coromandelica/monsoon-breeding-visitor-grasslands-kutch

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/rain-quail-coturnix-coromandelica/male

the first coupla hatches I did I opened the incubator 3 times a day to hand turn each egg it worked fairly well

Those quial are sweeeet.I want some now.I have african harlequin quial.
In N.H.,Tony.

I <3 my African Harlequin quail

Tony, those Harlequin quail in your message look exactly like the Rain Quail (coturnix coromandelica).
Must be very close relatives. I will post pictures of my incubator and hatchlings as soon as they hatch.
I am still having trouble with temperature variations, how much can it vary by? Is it the air temp or egg temp I should watch, because the eggs will obviously have a more moderate temperature range. When I use a geyser thermostat, it cuts at the right temp, but then only turns back on again at about 25 degrees Celsius. The dimmer switch varies about 5 degrees Celsius around 38 degrees. Maybe because it isn't completely insulated?

I have been waiting too long to get quail and now I can't wait for the eggs to arrive
The guy I am buying them from describes them as "A heavy bird used for both eggs & meat. Very tame pets too!"


Thanks

Neb

I have about 40 of these......



They will grow up to be these.......



Jumbo Brown Cotournix...... Cool Birds!!

African Harlequin are Coturnix delegorguei, I have breeding pairs and collect their eggs and so far getting 100% hatch of their young.

I am a quail lady.

Beautiful and healthy birds birdaholic , but I don't think the ones I am getting are Jumbo Coturnix, they are Jumbo Rain Quail . They do look a lot alike, maybe the seller put up a picture of one of his other breeds instead of the rain quail for his ads ? Anyway I will find out when I get them and hatch them..... Can't wait.

Anyone have pictures of Rain Quail that they have. Anyone keep rain quail?

I have built a 1m by 2m cage, so hopefully it can hold the birds once they hatch. Of the 65 eggs, probably only half will hatch.
Otherwise I will make a bigger run. How much temperature variation can I have in the incubator? Is it ok to have low temperatures for very short periods when I am turning the eggs?

I am planning on selling the eggs to reptile owners or pet shops for snakes etc.
There are also lots of farmers markets I could sell them to, just to pay for feed. There is quite a big organic and free range market here
I have heard that falconers buy the birds for their falcons?

Keep the pictures coming

Neb