➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[Kiki]

I have a bunch of Christmasy tissue paper.

 

[Sara L]

I am also falling victim to bunny math. At first I was definitely only ever going to have a single doe, and now I'm like well I definitely need a pair of the purebred giant chinchillas if I'm taking the extra trouble to register them unless I can find a local stud (highly unlikely), and I'm also just in love with this black NZ doe nearby who has huge litters and is a great momma. She's not for sale but she had kits yesterday and all her past litters have turned out tiny clones.

The person who was supposed to trade me rabbit meat for quail teens has potentially dropped off, so I might have a VERY full freezer in a couple months O.O My fingers got a lot better overnight so today might be butcher day for my first small batch. I'm trying to be good and actually harvest three fancy roos I'm very fond of/named as chicks but don't fit into my breeding program. I can't give them the quality of life they deserve with so many, but...I'm sad

Ooh, would love to get a new zealand, haven't seen any posted locally at all recently. I might be getting a lion head doe and a Californian buck soon, for fiber and to be able to breed Pepper once she's weaned her babies. Bunny math is just as dangerous as chicken or quail math. And I got 16 cages from my brother's girlfriend's sister, who was getting out of rabbits, so as soon as I get those set up my rabbitry might explode. I think I only have space to set up 4-6 of them though, so that's probably a good thing.

That's why I try not to name them. It's easier when they don't have a name, or after they have beat up other birds and made you mad, or if they are suffering.

I have a bunch of teens/adults that need to go, and keep not having enough time to get to it. I think maybe I can get it done tonight and play quail tetris and decide how many more cages I need to build.

 

[Sara L]

5 weeks. When are you certain of sex? 4 weeks? After seeing all the pictures, I'm sure the red blush will say male, but it is ever so delicate at this point. I was REALLY hoping to keep them all together until the 8 week cull for selection of stud. That means we need another cage. <evil laughter>

Another thing, I provided a wind proof cuddle area and they are sleeping in the far end by the food. I think I'll move the food into the sleeping quarters. Silly little fluff balls.

Kiki - you are back to using the commercial feeders. Did the home made ones fail your use test? I've got a couple in the works, but using the chick feeder for now and they are scattering food all over.

Excuse the mess. This is where they hang out all day. I'm going to remove the cardboard later today with the cleaning.View attachment 1670283

My jumbos the red started showing up after week 3, definitely there by week 5. If you can, mark the males that mature early, and really consider those for breeding, it's a good trait to try and pass on.
Give them places to hide, and multiple food and water locations so there is less things they can fight over and they should be ok.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Ooh, would love to get a new zealand, haven't seen any posted locally at all recently. I might be getting a lion head doe and a Californian buck soon, for fiber and to be able to breed Pepper once she's weaned her babies.

Okay, turns out I mixed up something the breeder said and apparently she is a Californian bred to a d'argent (I still think she is a NZ...she is solid black....). Babies are going to be black pointed white with a dorsal stripe this time around, looks like there are 8 or 9 Same breeder has another CA and a d'argent female I might peek at too.
D'argent x giant chinchilla would be a neat cross.

I think I will end up building cages for a trio.

I have seen a couple of actual confirmed new Zealands around, if I can find the ads again I'll pm you. They might not be close enough, though, I kind of hop around so I check everywhere. Although if they're west or south of sac I could probably play rabbit taxi as I drive by anyways for you.

 

[BullChick]

I love the tuxedos, they so pretty

We're down to 29. Still a couple of curly toes/walking on ankles. I'll give them a few days to see if they straighten out. I don't know if its genetics or just luck, but I don't really want to hang onto any gumby ones. Wanna keep it out of my gene pool!

 

[Crazydoglady99]

^^^I dont know what that means

BReeder, it was mayhem in my last batch by 5 weeks with all the boys trying to kill each other here. Someone in my bunch has started crowing (dunno which one), so the mayhem will start again anyday now. You should be able to tell the brown boys easily by now.

 

[BullChick]

^^^I dont know what that means

BReeder, it was mayhem in my last batch by 5 weeks with all the boys trying to kill each other here. Someone in my bunch has started crowing (dunno which one), so the mayhem will start again anyday now. You should be able to tell the brown boys easily by now.

It was a bad joke about saying, “my” gene pool’”.

 

[BReeder!]

^^^I dont know what that means

BReeder, it was mayhem in my last batch by 5 weeks with all the boys trying to kill each other here. Someone in my bunch has started crowing (dunno which one), so the mayhem will start again anyday now. You should be able to tell the brown boys easily by now.

Oh boy! I am finishing my cages in the shed, but the weather will not be consistently warm enough to put them out there yet. Currently I have 1 large 8'x3' cage in my sun room, which is heated. I really don't want to have a second cage in the sun room...

What is the lowest temp you would have coturnix quail in an unheated shed/building (there's protection from the wind)?

 

[Crazydoglady99]

All these jokes just go right over my head

 

[BullChick]

I am sorry.