November 2016 Hatch-a-long!!

[Faraday40]

No garage, no basement. The coop is the back half of a large shed. Not insulated, but well built, and draft free. I do have a crate I can put the chicks into inside the coop. I was planning on giving them a couple weeks to acclimate and then move them. I was not expecting such extreme cold.

I suggested the coop b/c the adult hens will generate more heat than being alone. Our 1st big run is like a thin walled coop. It's draft free with storm windows all around & doesn't get rain / snow. Often, about 1/2 the hens prefer to sleep out there. However, mine all crowd into the smaller interior coop area on those very cold nights. It's insulated & easily about 30'F warmer in there than outside in the yard.

 

[Faraday40]

Quail update:
Here's the tiny runt quail (on left). It's still alive & finally caught up in size.
Look how much they've grown! They'll be 6 weeks on Tues.





Quail sexing update:
Anyone with quail knowledge, please let me know how I'm doing.
1. Male (now crowing & tried to mate quail #2 below)



2. Female????


3. ???? This is the runt / "failure to thrive" quail. It has always been about a week behind developmentally. It's finally about the same size. My guess is female or just still slow to mature.



4. Male (It's DD's fav = 1st clue. Then it developed a male color pattern. About a week ago it began crowing. However, I do not see the huge swollen area behind the vent like in the A&M male.)


5&6 are Female - can tell by feather pattern

 

[theceltichorse]

My end of November chicks.

 

[FridayYet]

My end of November chicks.

They are growing up so cute!

 

[Faraday40]

We got our 1st quail egg today! It's very tiny & light.
DD went to hug a quail this afternoon & she discovered the egg. She thought I had put it there as a joke, & I thought the same of her.

 

[FridayYet]

I love the patterns on the quail eggs! So pretty.

 

[theceltichorse]

They are growing up so cute!

I'm so, so hoping that at least the darker one is a pullet!!!

 

[Mylied]

I'm so, so hoping that at least the darker one is a pullet!!!

How old are they? That one definitely looks like a pullet to me, so far.

 

[theceltichorse]

How old are they? That one definitely looks like a pullet to me, so far.

This one hatched on 11/28, so 5 weeks old today. The blonde one hatched out 11/29.

 

[theceltichorse]