➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[CoturnixComplex]

Well, made it through the first dispatch. Husband started the deed while I grabbed birds. Then he and I did the processing together. I was less bothered by the gutting than him so did most of that. Nine birds cleaned and resting in the fridge now. Didn’t time it but took maybe an hour.

Also tried the cone with the first but really didn’t work. Poor thing panic-flapped and got himself all turned around. I think it is probably just too big for them.
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Looks fantastic! Nice work!

Yeah, I like burrito-ing them tightly with rag or paper towel better.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well, made it through the first dispatch. Husband started the deed while I grabbed birds. Then he and I did the processing together. I was less bothered by the gutting than him so did most of that. Nine birds cleaned and resting in the fridge now. Didn’t time it but took maybe an hour.

Also tried the cone with the first but really didn’t work. Poor thing panic-flapped and got himself all turned around. I think it is probably just too big for them.
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Those look great!!!

 

[BReeder!]

Just set 24 quail eggs. I wanted double that but we tossed 9 that had cracks or were glowing green when initially called before setting today. Our quail have drastically slowed down on laying thanks to a recent heat wave. Today is cooler, so they should pick up. I might just sneak a few more last today into the incubator. They'll only be a few hours behind the others then.

 

[el dorado quail]

just some “food for thought” in planning.....be sure to account for lost ground square footage to plants, feeders, hideaways etc.....also how to re-home or sell extra males as with 60 birds only max of 10 can be male with more realistic #being 4-6. you will also need a plan for up to 4 doz eggs per day. also feed cost and storage. just came to mind as i’m “out” and have to pick up another 100lbs today.

Oh yes the males are going to be sold/swapped and eaten. I've already 100lbs of food and I'm going to pick up food grade 55gal screwtop drums for storage this week. I'm prepared for a horde lol.

 

[el dorado quail]

@muddy75 you are so right, egg storage has been like my #1 issue. I hate wasting them but GOOD GOD they add up. A dedicated fridge may be in order for serious sales @el dorado quail !

Also, it was a crap hatch! And look at my wildly varying hatch rates and try to make heads or tales from it for me. I think my older pair is having fertility issues, I think the celadon were having fertility issues, I think shipping trauma/age affected the shipped eggs, and I also definitely think it was just going to be middling no matter what from something I did to the incubator also, none of the celadon from the top row hatched, they were all from the bottom row, even though all the other eggs on the top to start (my eggs, research) did have some pop. I'm confused.

I know it was at least half me because there was a higher % of middle and late quitters than I am used to. 3 pipped and died (I feel like I usually have 1 per hatch) and there were quite a few off-putting proto-quails I couldn't tell had quit at lockdown because it was too dark to see veins either way.

But I know it was also partially not me cuz my "control quail" hatches still averaged significantly higher.

At least since we split blame she gets more eggs from both of us whenever she wants though

Final stats @Texas Kiki

7/19/2019 total of 15 chicks hatched (surviving)

My younger trio 5/8 hatched (62%). Could not be more pleased with them. 3 charcoal, a pearl, and a sandy (at least, that's what I'm calling them now since I can't find their color).
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My older trio 1/7 hatched, a little pharoah (12%). Last time I hatched eggs from both of these hens, in february, they both had 100% hatch rates! They're actually 3/4 of the parents of the above trio. But they were in pairs (which I generally have great luck with except with a few of my males who'll overbreed) Now that they're in a trio it's caput.
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Shipped JMF "research" eggs 4/20 hatched (20%)
One splayed case that corrected easily.
I have no idea what these will turn out as! I love spot-wings, though.
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Shipped JMF celadon eggs 6/100 hatched but lost one funky one (6%).
1 also with curled feet that corrected and 1 splayed leg that corrected after intensive help. I bruised his poor feetsies but he seems to be on the mend anyways. They were definitely the majority of my problem babies.
(Robbie literally just culled this entire batch as they were creeping up in age so I don't want anyone to think that'll be indicative of their experience with him, and the only celadon available from him going forward will be the new and improved line, is my understanding.)
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Also, I forgot to show off these guys! 4 hatched 7/6
Her foot isn't curled, she's just pretending. Also @Sara L I totally did call it early I have at least two boys. Why?! It's always all boys or half boys, never all girls....
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Uggggh. I've been trying to figure out where I can shove a quail fridge but no dice yet. Might have to put it at friend's house but no one tell her.

I am confident we'll succeed in the futurrrre! I went thrifting for a bigger cooler today, one that won't be too small for a not small auto turner. No dice there either.

 

[danalovesdogs]

i’m still in the figuring out stage....need to replace my game cameras anyway but kinda wanted video vs still pics which was why I considered webcam type. grabbed one guy tonight who has been eye-pecked. the original happened a couple weeks ago and someone bloodied it back up today so he went in the grow-out cage temporarily so it can heal. he can still see out of it as he was running us around trying to catch him.

There are a bunch of trail cams that take both pics and video, not sure if a webcam might be cheaper though. I have a couple moultries and cuddybacks to keep an eye on the raccoons and they work great. Tractor supply normally has older models on clearance

 

[muddy75]

Well, made it through the first dispatch. Husband started the deed while I grabbed birds. Then he and I did the processing together. I was less bothered by the gutting than him so did most of that. Nine birds cleaned and resting in the fridge now. Didn’t time it but took maybe an hour.

Also tried the cone with the first but really didn’t work. Poor thing panic-flapped and got himself all turned around. I think it is probably just too big for them.
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Looks like u guys did a beautiful job!!!! Congratulations on your first batch!!!!

 

[room onthebroom]

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as promised my son got some good pics of my birds today....but he didn’t ask me which ones i wanted photographed!

All very beautiful birds! I want to steal #2. This thread has made DD1 want to build a quail avery instead of having quail cages.

Question; Does anybody have their quail in an avery setting & if so, how big is it?

 

[muddy75]

Oh yes the males are going to be sold/swapped and eaten. I've already 100lbs of food and I'm going to pick up food grade 55gal screwtop drums for storage this week. I'm prepared for a horde lol.

I had thought you had planned that out!!!! I just wanted to reiterate some of the challenges I have been facing with the aviary just in case!!!! It all looks great on paper! Hahaha
my “bare” aviary is 600+ square feet and running about 50ish quail on the ground.....looks pretty full! Hoping to add the shade sail I ordered this afternoon and currently have the fan running on them in our “Texas heat”

 

[danalovesdogs]

Wow, quail chicks get big so fast! My little guys aren’t even a week old and they’re already starting to get some interesting colors to them. Here are some pictures of the oddballs, anyone want to guess what they’ll look like when they’re older? They’re from a mixed batch including pharaoh (some jumbo), texas a&m (some jumbo), tuxedos, tibetans, and a bunch of red-colored birds.
#1 The little dude who looks like he’s wearing a vest. Maybe a lighter tuxedo?

#2 Mr. Angry Eyebrows

#3 Pale Fellow

#4 Silvery guy

Bonus #5 What do you guys think the color of my mutt roo named Munchkin is? He has a little white spot on the top of his head.

I can post some updates as the little guys feather out if anyone’s interested!