➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[BullChick]

Banti, I know you’re extreme. You should surround them with blubber.
The people that only occasionally see -40 with windchill will likely be okay with a good wind block and bedding. That is my understanding anyway.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Looks like i will be hatching buttons in two more wks. 11 of the 13 i set are developing and 15 of the 21 cots too

 

[CindyinSD]

It was definitely a better idea than putting them completely outside, but I think they need slight supplemental heat. Maybe a heating pad on the side of their pen?

That’s doable. I run an outdoor cord to the coop for light. Not sure I’ll be ready to do quail before next “spring” in any case... plus I’ll have enough (huge) chickens in the freezer for one a week for a year and probably a meangirl heifer (small, but still it’s just DH & me and my mom). That’s not counting turkey toms and extra roosters, so I’m not gonna be hurting for protein. It’ll be freezer space I’m short of. I’m so into this, though. It’s so great knowing I don’t have to rely on CAFOs anymore.

Anyway, quail as soon as it turns warm next year for sure. Rabbits too, if I can find any meat breeds to buy around here. I can’t think of anything I’ve enjoyed more than what I’m doing now. Life is so good.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Also this happened today

It is 18 gs!

 

[CindyinSD]

Hooray! So many lovely little gifts!

 

[el dorado quail]

30s then!? How do you have such a tiny one!? Although I think you’ve said she’s your niece??



Probably haha although I swore BullChick was like my age or at least close haha

I could probablyyyy take the cake in youngest

 

[ShrekDawg]

Then I have a dozen stinky, messy quail inside all winter. I don't have an appropriate indoor pen for them. I'm thinking of a compromise where their permanent pen is right by the basement door and they get brought inside on days/nights that are below zero, but get kicked out again in temps above that.

Hmmm yeah that would be gross lol I think that is a good compromise.

Well, you’re young. Nobody gets through life without committing a huge amount of stupid. You learn, grow, and move on. It’s the way life works. If you’re wise, you do your best to minimize the “stupid.” Some folks don’t bother, but it’s probably a good idea to at least try.

Hmm, that’s true. Thank you.

For me though there’s also “actual” stupid and “over analyzing everything I say and do and thinking it’s stupid” stupid

Depending on what kind of pen I end up building, I plan on straw deep enough they can really snuggle down in to start. Plastic sheeting, and/or maybe a wooden bench on its side for a snow block. If nothing else, I do have the storage area in the big coop. I don’t want to clean it come spring, but if I must. It just depends on what I have to face weather wise.

I’m not in a good situation. Winter means heating oil I cannot afford.

Ah damn that sucks I’m sorry.

I know “Slightly Rednecked” (YouTube) keeps his quail in their outside coop all winter. I don’t know whether that would work for me. I think he’s in MO, which is obviously a lot warmer than here, but it might work for you, Banty, depending on where you are.

Seems like a good idea. But Banty is in the North Pole

At least as cold as you guys, maybe colder. Last year I didn't see temps above zero day or night for about two weeks straight in the middle of winter. It snows a lot too. I think our very lowest lows aren't as bad as yours, being in a more wooded area, but the sustained cold we get is still plenty!

P1310445

• BantyChooks
• Sep 18, 2018

Winter of 2017--2018

OMG I would freeze!!!

I’m guessing this year will be a snowy Halloween. Now I’m cold!!

OMG no way!?

Straw definitely helps. I need a way to keep their water from dumping out and freezing it into the shavings. I have a few things to try.

Hope you find something!!

We had a naaasty winter. I was shoveling 18” of heavy wet snow to move my meatbird tractor on the 2-3rd day of spring. And yeah... really cold too. Weeks at a time I just kept the coop door closed. If it got above 0*, I opened it so they could see actual daylight. That’s an unusual situation here though. It’s not normally quite that bad.

That sounds awful.

Last year I had only a few quail, so I put them in a pen in the main coop and insulated it with hay and shavings. It worked okay but they still barely made it. I lost one, my favourite. (Of course.)

Sorry you lost your favorite.

Ah, yes, April blizzards. That's usually about the time I consider selling all my ducks!

Well, that’s good to know. I was thinking about setting them up in my chicken coop or the turkey house I’ll be building. Maybe not such a good idea, that...

Seems like a good idea.

It was definitely a better idea than putting them completely outside, but I think they need slight supplemental heat. Maybe a heating pad on the side of their pen?

I hope they don’t!

Banti, I know you’re extreme. You should surround them with blubber.
The people that only occasionally see -40 with windchill will likely be okay with a good wind block and bedding. That is my understanding anyway.

That’s doable. I run an outdoor cord to the coop for light. Not sure I’ll be ready to do quail before next “spring” in any case... plus I’ll have enough (huge) chickens in the freezer for one a week for a year and probably a meangirl heifer (small, but still it’s just DH & me and my mom). That’s not counting turkey toms and extra roosters, so I’m not gonna be hurting for protein. It’ll be freezer space I’m short of. I’m so into this, though. It’s so great knowing I don’t have to rely on CAFOs anymore.

Anyway, quail as soon as it turns warm next year for sure. Rabbits too, if I can find any meat breeds to buy around here. I can’t think of anything I’ve enjoyed more than what I’m doing now. Life is so good.

Glad everything is going so well right now!!

I would love to be able to have meat animals but I’m not sure that’s possible atm or anytime soon.

I could probablyyyy take the cake in youngest

Really!? How old are you? Haha

 

[el dorado quail]

Then I have a dozen stinky, messy quail inside all winter. I don't have an appropriate indoor pen for them. I'm thinking of a compromise where their permanent pen is right by the basement door and they get brought inside on days/nights that are below zero, but get kicked out again in temps above that.

What about making a greenhouse for them? Still too cold?

 

[room onthebroom]

That tea sounds good. Although I don’t think I’ve ever had Earl Grey and have heard it’s gross haha

This brand is the only Earl Grey I like. I think its the bergamot that makes the difference.

Also this happened today
View attachment 1843540
It is 18 gs!

Dang! Is that double yolk?

 

[el dorado quail]

Really!? How old are you? Haha

Guesssss