➡ Quail Hatch Along🥚

[BReeder!]

We called our hatch over the weekend with only 4 chicks thriving. It was a depressing hatch for sure. I think I'm going to just let everything dry out for a few days after cleaning. I'll start collecting eggs again soon and set another batch before moving the outdoor quail into the shed (which I think is our plan for the tiered cage since the garage is getting smelly very fast). I want to collect before moving because I'm sure they'll decide to quit laying from the move to new surroundings.

 

[RUNuts]

We called our hatch over the weekend with only 4 chicks thriving. It was a depressing hatch for sure. I think I'm going to just let everything dry out for a few days after cleaning. I'll start collecting eggs again soon and set another batch before moving the outdoor quail into the shed (which I think is our plan for the tiered cage since the garage is getting smelly very fast). I want to collect before moving because I'm sure they'll decide to quit laying from the move to new surroundings.

If smell is an issue, what do you have on the poop collection trays? I've use absorbent wood chips in the chicken coop and the smell vastly improved. Need something to tie the ammonia to. Not that anything would make it smell free. If the smell is getting to you, yes, the shed is the way to go.

 

[BReeder!]

If smell is an issue, what do you have on the poop collection trays? I've use absorbent wood chips in the chicken coop and the smell vastly improved. Need something to tie the ammonia to. Not that anything would make it smell free. If the smell is getting to you, yes, the shed is the way to go.

Right now we are using pee pads and we are going to switch to newspaper (more economical). We don't want to use PDZ or sand because it would add weight and it would need to be sifted. Sifting is fine in a open poop board, but it's rather difficult in a drawer. It would be very awkward. Next time I build one of these I think I will make the drawers 3" tall to all extra room for some sand/PDZ mix and I will mount them with metal rail drawers kits so I can slide out a drawer without having to hold it up. I purposeful made them removable this time because the plan was to just scrape them into a bin that we can dump into the compost pile. However, I didn't count on the poop smelling so bad in just 24 hours.

 

[BReeder!]

Anybody else keeping quail indoors? I'm wondering what type of lighting to use for the quail when they are in the shed. Since I'll be moving our layers in there, I'm hoping to keep them laying with artificial lighting to supplement the limited sunlight that gets into the shed. We use LED bulbs for the chickens over the winter. Would LED rope lights work for the quail? Bulbs would be cumbersome to add to each cage, I could string rope lights through easily.

 

[ShrekDawg]

They are adorable! I love the little red one

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

I can't wait to learn what colors I have.
View attachment 1903440 View attachment 1903441 View attachment 1903442

So many variations of color. Are they different breeds (quails have different breeds, not just color types right?) or just mixes that produced different colors? I'm not even sure my question makes sense. I just know that they sure are cute!

 

[Bird nut 2000]

Finaly at the last thread. Had 375 or somewhere around there to read to catch up. Have not had good wifi reception on my phone sence it was deactivated on the 6th.

Wanted to ask you guys if you have tried egg crate packing foam to ship eggs in?

Also i have an idea for easy clean poop tray. You could have a deep tray with whier on the bottom and sand over the top. Then when it is time to clean all you have to do is pull the whier strate up off the tray and boom clean sand. You might have to shake the whier to remove all the sand thow. You throw the poop off the whier and bury it back under the sand and your done.

 

[muddy75]

sorry for going “dark” for so long today....I’ve been absolutely “sick” since lunchtime!! And since 3:30, i’ve just been “madder than hell!!”
I thoroughly researched everything prior to getting my first bird due to being “annexed into city limits” a few years ago. While the city had been trying to ban roosters, they kept getting shot down! Today we got our lovely visit from “code enforcement” while my DS was home for lunch. DH called to inquire about the visit and we finally got a live person on the phone around 3:30.
supposedly they just passed a new ordinance defining any fowl or animal that is caged or cooped outdoors as “livestock” and a resident may only have total of 8 period and they have to be housed and kept a minimum of 35 ft from any property line and cannot make noise. or they have to be inside your actual house. nothing is published yet, there was no “advance notice” of any new ordinance being discussed, and they have not yet notified us in writing of the details of “said ordinance”. this is based so far on phone interpretation but said it does include chickens, coturnix quail, gamebirds, rabbits etc. so basically I have until whatever deadline they give me to re-home or butcher everything but my dogs and the butttons and finches that are in my house. (their deadlines are usually 2-4 weeks max)......and i’m sure like all the bs ordinances here, it’s only selectively enforced based on complaints and unfortunately I’ve been a magnet for such for the entire 15+ years we’ve lived here. hopefully you guys may have some advice on how to “fight city hall”????

 

[Kiki]

So many variations of color. Are they different breeds (quails have different breeds, not just color types right?) or just mixes that produced different colors? I'm not even sure my question makes sense. I just know that they sure are cute!

Same kind of quail, all coturnix, just different colors.

 

[muddy75]

in other news.....hatch update.....at least 2 dozen fluffies in the brooder....i assisted first zipper but most likely will have to cull as it was “stuck” too long. full assortment of colors and at least 2 are the celadon eggs.