November 2016 Hatch-a-long!!

[Faraday40]

So how are everyone's Nov babies doing? Are some beginning to lay?

My quail of course have been laying since Jan, & we recently hatched a few quail chicks from their eggs.
Here are the new quail @ 3 days old. They're already bigger than a quarter! Quail mature so much faster than chickens.

 

[theceltichorse]

So how are everyone's Nov babies doing? Are some beginning to lay? My quail of course have been laying since Jan, & we recently hatched a few quail chicks from their eggs. Here are the new quail @ 3 days old. They're already bigger than a quarter! Quail mature so much faster than chickens.

My Nov chicks are 13 weeks or so? So, I've got a ways to go I suspect before any eggs. Quail mature fast! Your new babies are adorable.

 

[Jessimom]

Those quail are adorable. Mine were silkies, I hatched on Thanksgiving - they are months away from laying. I still don't know if they are boys or girls yet....

My New Year's Spudd Blue's are all sexed - they were EASY to sex within weeks. They are also a few months from laying.

 

[NysiaAnera]

So how are everyone's Nov babies doing? Are some beginning to lay? My quail of course have been laying since Jan, & we recently hatched a few quail chicks from their eggs. Here are the new quail @ 3 days old. They're already bigger than a quarter! Quail mature so much faster than chickens.

Cute!!

 

[NysiaAnera]

I know my October pullets are laying, and I suspect the pullets from early November have started. I just don't know for sure who is just yet, but I know we are getting 4 or so new eggs. One is quite small, about the size of two quail eggs. The weather is really messing everyone up, though. It has been such a harsh winter, and now it keeps going from winter to spring and back. They all started laying, then stopped, then started again, then stopped again... I keep waiting for he whole flock to go into an unseasonable molt!

 

[yeye5]

So how are everyone's Nov babies doing? Are some beginning to lay?

My quail of course have been laying since Jan, & we recently hatched a few quail chicks from their eggs.
Here are the new quail @ 3 days old. They're already bigger than a quarter! Quail mature so much faster than chickens.

The quail are too cute! Thanks for posting pics.
The 3 that hatched here Nov 26th are Peaches (pullet), Chula (pullet also) and Toni (cockerel). Girls juststarted laying. They were sneaking eggs into their mom's nest while she was brooding new eggs, which as you can guess has lead to an unpredictable, surprising and fun hatch.
This is like a class reunion...I hope other folks chime in too!

 

[Mylied]

Here's my three easter eggers from November, two pullets and a cockerel. The girls have no started laying, but their combs are pretty red. I was going to give them to my sister in law, but if I have someone interested, I'll sell them. I switched to all cream legbars and then the showgirls and silkies.

 

[Faraday40]

Hi November buddies! Reunion Time!

I'm guessing by now everyone has gotten some eggs........
...... and perhaps are even doing some test hatches of those eggs.

Please share how they're doing & what's going on now that it's spring.



My Nov quail laid eggs in Jan. Those fertile eggs were incubated in Feb and hatched in early March. That generation of chicks should start laying in about another week.
We hatched another 2nd generation batch of quail March 31 (pics below)
1 day old

11 days old (yesterday)



Meanwhile I wanted to share our "SuperHen," Cookie.

Cookie (a very experienced mama) went broody a little less than a week before my incubator was due to hatch. On day 18, I gave her 2 eggs to hatch, since she only adopts chicks when she believes she has hatched them. A clumsy roo accidently smashed/killed one egg on day 20. The other egg got very cold, yet still hatched. BUT WHAT AN EGG! I kept sliding the incubator chicks under her as they hatched, then eventually moved Cookie & all 21 chicks into the giant brooder. So in Cookie's little brain, she sat on an egg for less than a week & hatched 21 chicks out of it. Yep, she's a super-broody! Because she's a bantam, it's easier to just move her into the brooder. I have a back-up "heating pad broody" in there for any overflow, but the chicks rarely use it.

I went out to the garage last night & saw this: (They peeked out when they saw the light go on.)
How does Cookie keep track of all of them?



The rest of the flock is doing well. However because of all the April showers, our yard is MUD. Our chickens must think they're ducks!

 

[Jessimom]

@Faraday40 - That is one AWESOME Broody mom!!! I have the opposite going on. I had 7 silkies that went broody in 1 big pile. Only 5 stayed the course. I gave them a dozen eggs, only 2 hatched. I gave them 4 more chicks as they hatched in my incubator. So, 6 chicks, 5 broodies. First day, one of the transplant babies died. I don't know if it was the broody moms, or if it didn't snuggle in with anyone. It was cold, but no injuries visible. These 5 moms all stay close and the chicks hop from 1 back to the next. I have probably 30 chicks in my bathroom again. If I had trusted these broodies to actually care for all the babies,, I would have dumped a lot more out there!!!

 

[Mylied]

I sold my Nov babies last week and as of then, they had not started laying. Hopefully they are enjoying their new home.