California - Northern

[Audio51]

Quote:

Yeah....I started the year with 1 usable incubator. Now I have 3 plus one I am using as a hatcher....

I started out with a Genesis, "who could ever need more than 42 spots", right? Then I got the second Genesis "so I could do staggered setting easier", 84 eggs!!! Then I got the third Genesis, "oh good, staggered setting and a place to hatch", 126 eggs! ..................... Then I got the Brinsea cabinet "what's the point in restricting yourself to the 190, might as well get the 380"...............506 eggs!!! It wouldn't be so bad, except the first time I ran it, I thought it needed to be full, with the three Genesis all being hatchers. It also has a VERY good hatch rate. Do you know what an influx of 300 chicks does to your pens? Especially when you'd rather raise them to see how they turn out instead of selling chicks.

Incubating chicks is a disease and definitely deserves it's own 12-step program.

My Bob White Quail eggs are finally hatching. Now...to figure out what the heck I am going to do with them!!!

They are cute, they pop out like popcorn.


They quickly look like this.

Soon you discover bobwhite are nuts and look forward to them looking like this.

Then this.


And they rapidly become this.

I was thinking exactly that...about the popcorn! I also thought about raising them for the meat....but I haven't gotten thru processing my first Cornish X yet. I think I need to do the first one next week. I weighed them yesterday and they are 4 to 4.5 lbs right now. The 2 boys are about the same weight and the 2 girls are too. They have kind of taken over the layer coop. I figured they would be shy about the feed and wait until the girls were done, but they are very pushy. They bowl everyone else over when I bring out the FF in the morning. The others used to peck them and pulle feathers, but now they don't even try to get to the trough until the CX are done. Then once I let them all out to forage they stay pretty close to the small pen. I am going to keep them confined to it until processing and give them a constant supply of feed.

I am torn between selling the quail and finishing them. I have never eaten quail before so that might be part of my indecision. I don;t even know if I like the taste.

Quote: Thanks, Ron!

 

[debs_flock]

I liked that last sentence - needing to figure out what to do with them once they hatch! That is our problem. I have a large (to me) broody room but it is starting to look like a hoarder lives there with all of the miscellaneous rubbermaids/icechests, hanging lights and even a broody nest.

You mean like this???

And you notice the dang incubator on the right was full too? That room was like walking into a hot box. Watch out for the dreaded "chick dust" in your house,

 

[debs_flock]

I am torn between selling the quail and finishing them. I have never eaten quail before so that might be part of my indecision. I don;t even know if I like the taste.

I worried about that too, but if you skin them there is nothing easier to process. Literally I can do four in 15 minutes. I was worried I wouldn't like them, I don't like gamey meat or basically any meat outside of the norm. I didn't find that in the least with quail and have eaten them quite a few times now.

You can't keep them in an open container too long, as soon as they start to get wing feathers, the bobwhite can jump out. Coturnix are a lot tamer and easier. I really only still have some bobwhite because I like the way they look and the sound of their call.

 

[liz9910]

Speaking of hatching...lol just hatched out a bunch more Seramas....I have a problem. One hatched and it's not doing well....think I might have to cull it. My first time ugh not looking forward to it. Since I have so many I was thinking of maybe donating them to a 4-H group? Does anyone have any input on that? I really need to thin the flock. I have 15 8 to 9 week Seramas that need new homes.

 

[lawatt]

Deb, i honestly just pass out at the thought of having 300 chicks all growing out at once -- I'm having trouble dealing with only about 20!

and good news: checked the longest-term broody this morning and at least one of her eggs seems to have a good-sized pip -- so no need to get her baby chicks from elsewhere, assuming it hatches ok. *phew*!!

 

[Audio51]

Quote:

I liked that last sentence - needing to figure out what to do with them once they hatch! That is our problem. I have a large (to me) broody room but it is starting to look like a hoarder lives there with all of the miscellaneous rubbermaids/icechests, hanging lights and even a broody nest.

You mean like this???

And you notice the dang incubator on the right was full too? That room was like walking into a hot box. Watch out for the dreaded "chick dust" in your house,

Oh my....I am not quite that bad. I have a "bird Room" that I have 3 of my 4 incubators in and sometimes keep a brooder box in, The hatcher is in the dining room to I can peek more often, I have a currently unoccupied stock tank brooder on the back porch that the sucklings were in before they went to their new home. I also have the big wooden box in the garage weigting to be dealt with. Oh...and the 2 small pens for the broody Mama/chicks and the meat chicks. (OK...maybe I am just as bad. I'm just more spread out.....

Quote: Thanks for the heads up on the open container. How long do they take to eating size?

Speaking of hatching...lol just hatched out a bunch more Seramas....I have a problem. One hatched and it's not doing well....think I might have to cull it. My first time ugh not looking forward to it. Since I have so many I was thinking of maybe donating them to a 4-H group? Does anyone have any input on that? I really need to thin the flock. I have 15 8 to 9 week Seramas that need new homes.

I think that sounds like a great idea! I'm sure they woud appreciate it.

 

[ronott1]

Deb, i honestly just pass out at the thought of having 300 chicks all growing out at once -- I'm having trouble dealing with only about 20!

and good news: checked the longest-term broody this morning and at least one of her eggs seems to have a good-sized pip -- so no need to get her baby chicks from elsewhere, assuming it hatches ok. *phew*!!

That is good news!

 

[caychris]

Just saw some quail in my neighborhood yesterday. Ive always thought they would be cool to have but I do not have the space.

 

[debs_flock]

Bobwhite don't mature until around five months, but I'm sure you process them much sooner. That's the advantage with Coturnix, they start to lay and can be butchered at six weeks of age.

I'm just guessing, but I think the bobwhite would need to be at least three months to butcher.

 

[Audio51]

Quote: Yes! Great news!

Just saw some quail in my neighborhood yesterday. Ive always thought they would be cool to have but I do not have the space.

We have them around here roo...but I think ours are California quail

Quote:
Bobwhite don't mature until around five months, but I'm sure you process them much sooner. That's the advantage with Coturnix, they start to lay and can be butchered at six weeks of age.

I'm just guessing, but I think the bobwhite would need to be at least three months to butcher.
Hmmmm....3 months huh. Will have to think about that....