Babies growing at different rates. And on-ground pen?

[ssbs]

My chicks are 4-5 days old and some look nearly twice as big as the others.. Is this normal? I have 24, which is the most I've had at one time. So that may be the only reason I'm noticing it. They are all jumbos


Also. Somebody had a chain link dog kennel on Craigslist the other day. And it got me thinking. We have a galvanized tent frame that is about 5X6 and 6 feet tall. If I put 1/2" mesh around the bottom of the walls and cover the rest in chicken wire would it be okay to use as a cage? It would be sitting on the ground and I could keep straw and hiding places in there for them. Maybe even plant some mums or fire bushes and thornless black berries for them.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Oops, we kind of missed this one didn't we?

My chicks are 4-5 days old and some look nearly twice as big as the others.. Is this normal? I have 24, which is the most I've had at one time. So that may be the only reason I'm noticing it. They are all jumbos

The only thing I can think of if they are all jumbos is either some are not as big as others and THOSE genes matched up OR the smaller ones are not getting to eat as much as the others because of bullying.

Also. Somebody had a chain link dog kennel on Craigslist the other day. And it got me thinking. We have a galvanized tent frame that is about 5X6 and 6 feet tall. If I put 1/2" mesh around the bottom of the walls and cover the rest in chicken wire would it be okay to use as a cage? It would be sitting on the ground and I could keep straw and hiding places in there for them. Maybe even plant some mums or fire bushes and thornless black berries for them.

Just remember that quail are very attractive to predators. Personally, I'd put 1/2" wire around the whole thing, a lot of critters can get through the chicken wire. Plus you'd have to make sure to bury some wire or put a skirt around the outside to keep digging critters out. Personally, I think I'd make the bottom 1' to 1 1/2' solid, like wood or tin. That would keep anything from snatching pieces of one through the wire.​

 

[Stellar]

h

 

[joe125]

Coturnix aren't the most consistent sized birds on the face of the planet. Given that axiom, then a "NOTABLE" size difference should fall into 3...maybe 4 categories.
#1. A staggered hatch. If all other things are equal, then a chick that hatches on day 17, should be larger than the the one that hatches on day 18-21. It's all about access to good quality GBS, and 24 hours to a coturnix chick, is like several grade schools, in humans.

#2. 4-5 days is the first of many "Awkward" stages for the silly mutants. This should be normal, as far as I'm concerned. No matter how many you have in the brooder. Half may be sprouting feathers, the other half, still fuzzy and a day or 2 away.

#3. Bullying (As Shelly suggested). It's rare around here, but it could happen.

#4. ?

 

[JJMR794]

Were All Eggs Uniform In Isze? Smaller Egg= Smaller Chick To Start With... Usually Catches Up To Everybody Else In Time, Like A Premature Child

As Joe Stated 24hrs In Coturnix Time Equals A School Yr For Us, So The Early Hatchers Are A Grade Ahead Of The Short Bus Kids...

The Dog Kennel Works Quite Well, I Have Many Of Them And They Are All Used For Bird Pens, Tho As Shelley Suggests For Quail Keeping You'd Do Better With 1/2 Inch Hardware Cloth Wrap Overall And Special Attention Is Needed At The Ground Level To Ensure No Dig Ins

 

[ssbs]

The eggs were all pretty uniform. But I see now it is probably because of them hatching different days, I had some hatch out early one day and most of the others hatched out late the next day.

I will admit though, they all seem to be growing better on 30% crumbles then my last batches did on 24%. It's crazy that 6% can make such a difference.


I'll have to try and get something figured out for that tent. It would be nice to have them in a pen rather than the setup I have now

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
WHOA, HOLD THE PHONE HERE... I THOUGHT YOUR PLAN WAS TO ACQUIRE THE DOG KENNEL AND LINE IT WITH HARDWARE CLOTH? YOU MEAN YOUR REDNECK ENGINEERING SOMETHING INSTEAD BY USING A TENT FRAME? IF SO I WOULD SERIOUSLY RECONSIDER THIS AS IT WILL HAVE ALMOST NO STRUCTURAL STRENGTH TO PROTECT YOUR STOCK FROM PREDATORS. THAT TENT FRAME IS WEAK ALUMINUM OR FIBERGLASS/ GRAPHITE AND NOT MEANT TO SUPPORT ANYTHING BUT TISSUE THIN NYLON TAFFETA.. YOUR HARDWARE CLOTH AND CHICKEN WIRE WILL BE CONSIDERABLY HEAVIER AND IF IT DOESNT FAIL WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO ASSEMBLE IT IT CERTIANLY WILL WHEN SOMETHING HUNGRY THROWS A COUPLE OF FEET UP ON THE SIDE OF IT AND STARTS PUSHING. THE END RESULTS OF THIS COULD VERY WELL BE THE SAME AS WRAPPING THE QUAIL IN HARDWARE CLOTH SANDWICH BAGS AND TURNING THEM LOOSE IN THE BACKYARD.

 

[ssbs]

Noooooooo........... It isn't a camping tent frame. It is made of sturdy galvanized metal, they are pretty much the same thing as chainlink fencing poles..

I've got it sitting up against my concrete steps outside. It has a old 50+ pound piece of privacy fence on top as a roof (our 1960's John Deere riding mower is under it). As it is my 40 pound beagle walks on top of it, and there was a 150 pound boy standing on it the other day.

If I can find a kennel without paying an arm and leg I'll get it. If not I might figure something else out

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
SORRY YOU SAID TENT FRAME...

 

[ssbs]

Yeah yeah. I know what I said.. It is basically an old and smaller version of one of those tents you see at craft shows. But with a flat top

Some old man had the poles laying beside his house and gave them to us.

There is a 5X10 kennel on CL right now for $75.. I'm going to see if they'll do any horse trading on it