Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[kat79]

Hi

I live in Melbourne... Got my first 15 chicken nearly 4 months ago. All hybrids so trying to be patient in waiting for the first egg!!!

 

[appps]

Welcome Cat! That wait is hard isn't it

 

[Colourful]

Ahh! I had wondered what you folks actually DO with all your quail.

We stare at them for hours.

They are also great for meat and eggs (lots of eggs per kilo of feed).

Here are my quails at 3 weeks (they're 4 weeks now so half as big again and now fully feathered):

Thank you again Sam for these lovely critters. I have 31 in a cage together and so far, no fights (surprisingly enough). They are all lovely and plump so in another few weeks they'll go outside and I'll separate the breeder stock from the dinner stock. I'll keep some heated for their first Winter so I can still have eggs.

From my adult stock I'm down to 4 eggs a day from 6 females, while I'm still getting an egg a day from my chicken hens... Maybe it's the grass the chooks get from free-ranging that makes a difference.

Tomorrow I'm picking up my Bantam Plymouth boy and also picking up two Light Barred Plymouth Rock Bantam pullets. They're actually fairly rare so I'm real excited to find a couple but the lady sold to me on the requirement that I did breed them (to further the breed, which isn't common) but also not breed them with a dark barred boy as it just muddles the colour something in between that's not acceptable. More birds for me

.

 

[appps]

Look forward to seeing your little chicks when you start breeding colourful !

 

[kat79]

Welcome Cat! That wait is hard isn't it

Thanks.... Your telling me!!! I had these since they were 2 weeks old, but it looks like it maybe soon (fingers crossed) their showing signs off starting soon... Comb, face and earlobes changing for the last 3 weeks and some girls vent is starting to change too.

 

[appps]

I've just found out mine start lying at 7-8 months. Only 2 1/2 months to go!! Lol

 

[kat79]

now that is a killer!!! Lol Apparently amber link start between 16-18 weeks and the isa starts at around the same time so going by that I should be getting something in about 1-3 weeks. But as a newbie to this whole chicken thing they probably make me wait longer!!!! Lmao.

 

[satay]

Yeh, from the picture it looks a bit thin. But as long as she is happy . She look great!
How do you know she is a she...I hope you didn't have to vent sex her !
O.K, I will have a go. Which side of the vent am I pushing? bottom ( near the tail ) and top ( up the heads way ) or left side ( near the left wing ) and right ( right wing ) ? sorry if that is confusing.

slightly each side of the vent luke. Left and right at once.
Snakes are vent sexed too they use a probe. You must know what you are doing or you can hurt the snake. Mila was already done when we got her.

 

[satay]

Oh O.K.
I think I'm going to have to get a snake now.LOL.
What do you have to do to get a reptile license.

With all seriousness I would not suggest anyone get a snake unless you are really into them. They need to be handled all the time. To get a licence is a just paperwork really and you have to pay a fee. Think it was $60 for 5 years. You have to keep records of where they came from (must only be a licenced breeder) if you sell one or it dies it must all be reported. Massive fines are in place if you do the wrong thing (of the things mentioned before) but if you love them like we do they are a joy to have around.

 

[satay]

I am planning to eat some this weekend. Too many in the smaller pen.
Need to search for some good recipe

Haven't eaten one of mine but I saw them for sale in coles yesterday in a 4 pk. They were $24.99 a kilo. What do they taste like?