Comparing quail sizes

[PinkBee]

I just read through this entire thread. I really like your methods for tracking the weights and your keeping/culling system. I have eggs incubating now and plan to do as you have, for my own amusement if nothing else, so thank you for putting this all down!

Now, a quick question about your dogs...do you just hand them the bits and stuff without cooking or anything? Heads, spine, bones, innards...? I've never done the raw thing with my dogs, but I would hate to waste these bits if the dogs would appreciate them. Otoh, I don't want to do something wrong with this. Thanks again!

 

[Tammy N]

Quote: I have a few chicks right now . No someone emailed me on my email kinda shiocked me about Quail and i thought id as i messaged back that i could not sell my quail as a promiss to my friend these are for me . but then they asked for a trade i wanted to make sure it was not you .

 

[Reedgirl20]

I just read through this entire thread. I really like your methods for tracking the weights and your keeping/culling system. I have eggs incubating now and plan to do as you have, for my own amusement if nothing else, so thank you for putting this all down!

Now, a quick question about your dogs...do you just hand them the bits and stuff without cooking or anything? Heads, spine, bones, innards...? I've never done the raw thing with my dogs, but I would hate to waste these bits if the dogs would appreciate them. Otoh, I don't want to do something wrong with this. Thanks again!

Yes, when I butcher I try to use as much of the quail as possible. I feed the head, spine, and all the innards raw to the dogs. My dogs are not on a raw only diet but have been feed raw foods and bones on a regular basis. If your dogs have never had this before just feed a small amount to begin with or you may see them with diarrhea. The feet usually go to the chickens and I save a fair amount of the feathers for people who fly tie with them. By the time I'm done very little of the quail gets wasted.

Today I butchered 24 of the quail hatched from my jumbos, and we're 7 1/2 weeks old. I weighed most of them prior to butcher, most weighed between 8.5 and 9.5 ounces. They weren't as much as I was hoping but considering the last couple of weeks has been unusually cold, near zero and no supplemental heat they are okay.

 

[Momhunter]

Finally had time and nice enough weather to weigh and cull my JMF 9.5 week olds.
Had 44 hens and 13 Roos, culled the smaller Roos at 7 weeks.
Hens ranged 245-341gm
Average 302gm
Roos ranged 252-283gm
Average 266.22gm
I kept the largest 17 hens that ranged 303-341gm, averaged 318.6gm/11.4oz.
Kept the largest 5 Roos that ranged 268.3-287.6gm, averaging 277.5gm/9.9oz.

A little disapointed in the size, was really hoping for 12-14 oz birds at this age.

 

[Reedgirl20]

Finally had time and nice enough weather to weigh and cull my JMF 9.5 week olds.
Had 44 hens and 13 Roos, culled the smaller Roos at 7 weeks.
Hens ranged 245-341gm
Average 302gm
Roos ranged 252-283gm
Average 266.22gm
I kept the largest 17 hens that ranged 303-341gm, averaged 318.6gm/11.4oz.
Kept the largest 5 Roos that ranged 268.3-287.6gm, averaging 277.5gm/9.9oz.

A little disapointed in the size, was really hoping for 12-14 oz birds at this age.

Thank you so much for submitting your numbers. Look like we are seeing very similar weights and I agree that 12-14oz birds still seem to be very elusive. I will continue to follow and update this thread with my results and welcome anyone else to contribute any comparisons they may have. I have over 70 chicks hatched from my jumbos that are about 2 1/2 weeks old so we will see how many make a 12 oz weight, hopefully the weather will be more cooperative and not slow growth weights.

 

[Momhunter]

I am wondering if our recent cold snaps have hurt the weight gain. Having trouble keeping water unfrozen and free choice.
I am not going to hatch any out for a few months, don't want to mess with it during the coldest months. Might if I had a barn set up, but all my pens and big brooder are outside. Going to turn off my additional light and let them have a few months of not laying then start back up in the spring. Will cull eggs by weight to determine which get set in incubator and which get eaten. Go by my first set of weights to determine what size they need to be before considered for breeders or go to freezer camp at 7-8 weeks. Hopefully with continued culling will be able to have some 12-14 oz birds at 8 weeks of age.
They have been producing some very large eggs at this point, 17-19 grams, to large to put in my quail egg cartons. I am putting the huge ones in the fridge to cook with and eat ourselves. Pickled 8 quarts of bread n butter eggs last week. Kind of looking forward to not gathering quail egg for a couple of months. Turning the extra light off tomorrow.

 

[Tammy N]

Im not sure what you ladies are using for a waterer but i am using a tube that is square about 3 inches deep and a fish tank heater in the middle works great set to 65-70 and my birds also have heat eating like normal drinking about the same but seem to be a little chilled adding a little warmer heat .

went to help a friend who thought it was ok NOT to have her horse in a protected area like a barnstall extra so now her mare has phnemonia poor thing and she hasnt been eating much either pretty hard to chew when all your energy is gong to keep warm .

anyway Marry Christmas

 

[Momhunter]

I have a low pressure watering system that starts at my first chicken coop and continues to all of my bird cages/pens. I use the drinking cups with the trigger they have to push with their beak to get water out, and I have three of the little giant low pressure fountains for the chickens, peafowl and turkeys in the same line. In freezing weather I have to disconnect and drain the system to prevent busted lines.
I use some heated waterers for the big poultry but just the turn upside down fountains for the quail.
I have extra heat in the ends of my big pens by ceramic heaters and the cages are covered on the top and sides with a tarp. Hopefully won't have another solid week of sub freezing temps. Plus I am culling all the smaller birds so won't have to do as much water. I did have 150 watt ceramic heaters in the ends of the cages, couldn't find any bigger around here, but just got some 250watts delivered from eBay.

 

[Momhunter]

Wow what a quail egg!! From my XLD JMF jumbos.

 

[Reedgirl20]

Im not sure what you ladies are using for a waterer but i am using a tube that is square about 3 inches deep and a fish tank heater in the middle works great set to 65-70 and my birds also have heat eating like normal drinking about the same but seem to be a little chilled adding a little warmer heat . 

went to help a friend who thought it was ok NOT to have her horse in a protected area like a barnstall extra so now her mare has phnemonia poor thing and she hasnt been eating much either pretty hard to chew when all your energy is gong to keep warm .

anyway Marry Christmas 

I use a gravity fed nipple water system in my breeder cages normally and a double wall chicken waterer in my grow out pen. Here in southern Oregon we don't normally see so many single digit temps in a row and normally frozen water is not a huge deal so I did not want to have to set up a recirculating water system or install heated waterers to all seven quail cages. Luckily we have warmed up a little and now only have to water once a day and may be able to get my gravity system back unfrozen soon.

I have also started a new wheat sprouting system and tried it out for the quails for the first time today. I have been giving it to my chickens for several days and they took to the sprouts easily. I tried three of my main breeding pens today, feed the sprouts on my lunch time and by dinner time two of the cages had completely devoured everything and the third cage had eaten most of it, leaving a few roots and tops. I have over 100 pounds of free wheat and barley so am glad I can supplement some variety to the chickens, quail, and may try some on my meat rabbits. I believe I will have a steady supply of free or nearly free wheat and barley. I am currently sprouting 1/2 cup a day that grows out to almost a pound of food.