Ah, my first progeny

[Bettacreek]

Well, I moved all of my quail tester eggs to the hatcher. Unfortunately, two out of three of my button eggs were late, so idiot me, got them mixed together and opened up the one that isn't due yet. I believe that it's a little white chickie in there, but I could be wrong. I don't know if this one will survive now, but, I can only hope. The other two were fully formed, just never hatched. I think they were silvers or ivory red breasts or something similar. That could be what the other chick is, just being premie, may not have developed the tinge yet.

However, on a good bit of news, my first coturnix progeny is out, and another is "munching" on the shell.

After the first of June, I'm moving a local lady's bantam EE's over to the hatcher and replacing the quail trays (at this moment, it's ALL chook trays!) And I'm debating on ordering another batch or two (or three) of button eggs or start to hatch my own in large numbers. If I order more, then I can probably have my incubator empty by the time my newest batch of buttons start to lay (the pied/splash group). Hopefully after the lady's duck eggs are out, I can keep my darned quail trays in there! Then I'll be able to really start raising butcher birds.

 

[monarc23]

sounds like a plan

 

[Bettacreek]

Yup, can't wait! It'll be weird not having chook trays in there though, lol. I expect that if no white call ducklings hatch, she'll have me run another batch through though.

I need a new incubator! Lol. I'd love to get a community for pied, one for splash and one for whites, but I don't have enough of each yet, which is why I want another batch...

 

[monarc23]

*gasps* Call duuucckks you have call duccckkks!?!!

I just saw that in your sig now too!! I should be getting some call duck eggs tomorrow I assume as long as shadeyglade sent them out

I have been wanting calls for a few years now

I'm good on everything here, now all I need is for all my younger coturnix to start laying and I'll be one happy camper

 

[NancyDz]

cONGRATS ON YOUR PROGENY!!

I'm still amazed that you keep them all in your apt! My SO would kill me... but it is good incentive for him to help me build more cages LOL Hey did that housekeeper work out??


Nancy

 

[Bettacreek]

Lol. The call ducks aren't mine. A lady bought the EE chicks off of me awhile ago. I then posted up some OEGB's, which she contacted me and wanted them, then asked about bantam EE's again, so I told her that I could order more in and hatch them for her, so she went for it, and they're now in my bator. THEN, she called me up and said, "Hey, I have ten call duck eggs right now, can you incubate them for me?" and so there you have it, lol.

Nancy, it's honestly not as bad as it sounds. The two older chooks free-range and roost on my one lamp (the really tall kind that point towards the ceiling), and the little silkie/serama roo stays with the dozen 5 week old coturnix, the little silkie/cochin mix stays with the older coturnix and free-ranges when I'm around, and sometimes when hubby is around (he claims to hate all of the birds, but you can tell that he enjoys this one, especially when she follows him and sits on his foot, lol). My bathroom is pretty big (thank god, lol) and has the brooders, incubator and hatcher, along with the cat box, and all of the animal dishes (for the cat and free-range birds) because we have a gate up so that Gremmie Lee doesn't dunk stuff in the water bowls or munch on their food, lol. I have a little corner where I put the food (it's in the kitchen, beside my armoir with some of our canned/dry food), then the coturnix cages and the button cage are stacked in the kitchen behind the chimney (it's in a really weird spot where nothing fits except the cages, lol). The pair of buttons is in the bathroom, beside the incubator. We have a really weird kitchen counter type deal in the bathroom, with lots of shelving, and that's where I put them. It's really not stuffed looking or anything, though it sounds like I have cages everywhere you look.

Ohh, and, the housekeeper hasn't come yet.

I'm going to be off of work for a bit, then going out of town soon, so it won't be necessary for a little while yet.

Though, I swear, I could have a housekeeper come in every day of the week just to dust!

 

[NancyDz]

Sounds like a good setup and great use of space! My house is taken over right now with brooders and incubators but mainly because my BF is outta town !

He's pretty good with them too but doesnt like the idea of them cruising the house.. even though i ordered some diapers... hehehee I could use a housekeeper to dust and mop... I hate mopping and have almost all tile floors

Nancy

 

[Bettacreek]

I wish my floors were tile or something other than carpet. The bathroom and kitchen area have linoleum, which is superb, and is also the reason why everyone is in those two areas, lol. If my bedroom or the living room had the same type of floor, it'd make my life MUCH easier. Though, I have to admit, the chooks HAVE made it easier to clean. They'll clean up whatever Gremmie Lee tosses off of the highchair or tosses around when he has his snack cup, lol.

 

[NancyDz]

LOL yea I bet they do help with that !

 

[Bettacreek]

Lol. They're not picky either. My cat will only eat certain things, the chooks will eat just about anything. Heck, when we went grocery shopping we had our car literally FILLED (kids were being watched so that we had room, lol) and brought everything up and sat it in the kitchen. The entire time it was sitting out, the chooks were picking at boxes, cases, etc. Everything else that they could have "damaged" was on the counters, only the cases of drinks (for hubby's work) and the boxed goods (Sam's Club, lol) were on the floor being "attacked" by the chooks, lol. I told hubby, "awww, look, they're trying to help us put everything away!" Hubby wasn't as amused as I was though, lol.