Hatching and Raising Bobs

[LostinQuailLand]

Quote:
What? Just raising and hatching. I am NOT eating them. Why does everyone think they are killers???

Probably better off eating them!!!

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

I dont think so!!

O,Yeah, how can I fix curled toes and splayed legs?

 

[LostinQuailLand]

Quote:
I had several this time around with these issues. I tried several different ways and found the for the most part these little ones dont make it. However, I am a NEWBIE so to speak and have only been dealing wtih bobwhites since May 2010. My suggestion is search out information in the other forums as there is a vast amount or......ask the GURU (JJMR) you will find that most people on here are great! (bows a thank you to all those who have given me advice) and very knowledgable (sp).

Search the band aid approach on here. I use this and several other suggested "remedies". Found some that work and some that dont. Again.....passing this to those all knowing gurus of the bobwhite world.

 

[JJMR794]

The Down South Was Aimed At Chukars, Seems They Do Quite Well In Cooler Climates But This Heat And Humidity Makes Them Mean, Very Mean, They Actually Top The List Here For Viscious Lil Fuzz Balls...granted The Bobs Arent Much Better, But Chukar In Hot Climates---wow Now That Takes Mean To New Level

 

[JJMR794]

Curled Toes And Spraddle Legs Are Directly Related To Flooring Issues--- They Need To Be Placed In Brooders With Adequate Flooring As Soon As They Are Dry After Hatching. Curled Toes Can Also Be A Low Humidity At Hatch Issue If The Chicks Dawdle And Take Too Long To Hatch Once They Have Pipped The Toes Start To "set" Where When They Initially Hatch The Leg And Foot Joints Are Very Pliable And Designed To Spread Out And Then Firm Up Into The "set" Possition= Legs Parallel And Toes Out Strait. This Process Seems To Somehow Be Triggered During Hatch And Has A Time Limit To It. If Jr Dawdles Because The Humidity Is Too Low And He Gets Shrink Wrapped Or Has A Difficult Time Escaping The Dry Shell The Clock Is Already Running And The Joints Will Set And Leave Them With Curled Toes Or Twisted Hock Joints

 

[_Randall_]

Quote:
WHY DOES EVERYONE THINK THEY ARE KILLERS? UM THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE THEY ARE. THERE ARE SEVERAL OF US HERE WHO DEAL WITH BOBS, EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATION IS WHERE THIS IDEA COMES FROM. IN MY EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE THERE IS ONLY 1 SPECES WORSE AND THATS CHUKAR (THIS SEEMS TO BE A GEOGRAPHICAL THING, BUT DOWN SOUTH IN HOT HUMID CLIMATES THEY ARE FEATHERED ASSASSINS) BOBS ARE ONLY SLIGHTLY BEHIND CHUKARS ON THE AGRESSIVE SCALE AND A TAD AHEAD OF RINGNECKS. SORRY KID, BUT THE TRUTH AINT ALWAYS PRETTY.... BUT IT IS STILL THE TRUTH

My question to you Randall is WHY BOBWHITES?

Very long answer as short as possible.............I've been wanting to raise Bobwhites most of my 51 years of life. I was raised in the country, and from the age 10 or so (back before the coyote and fire ant infestation), whenever I heard one whistlin' after a spring or summer shower, I had to take out after it to see how close I could get to them. I've always been infatuated with Bobwhites.....their whistle, the covey rise, and especially their delicious taste. I was raised to hunt them, and they were no stranger to the supper table. I've eaten Coturnix and Texas A&M's.......and they were OK, but the Bobwhite, with it's white breast meat, can't be beaten for a wild game meat bird......(That's my opinion, though). I live in the country still on a 290 acre farm, and we still have a few here, but probably 10 coyotes and 80 trillion fire ants to ever 1 Bobwhite. When I plunged into this, I knew Bobs was the only quail I wanted to fool with, and I will never deviate from that. They're native to this part of the country. Now, why do I raise them?........To eat, and to sell. Unlike many on this forum (and I fully respect their decision to raise them as pets rather than for food).......it does not bother me whatsoever to go to my pens, catch a dozen or so (mature birds), process them on the spot, and have them for supper 2 hours later. I'm down to about 220 or so right now, and plan on processing down to about 80 or so by the end of the year, and they will be next year's reproducers. I've sold a few, and if I had 500 for sale right now, I could sell them tomorrow (as meat birds). Not many people around here raise them, and the ones that used to have given it up. There's still one here and there that raise them, but they're becoming scarce. My plan, Good Lord Willin', is have 500 - 700 by the end of the summer next year. Some folks are wanting me to build flying pens so they can buy them as hunt birds. I'm not gettin' into that........just meat birds only. Other than that, I love foolin' with them. I love to hear them at daylight and dusk. I don't love the brutality amongst them that comes with this hobby though. But, I've learned that that's part of raising Bobwhites.

This thread was posted to "find out everything there is to know about Bobwhites"...... JJMR and others have been in this hobby / business a lot longer than I have. They've seen and experienced more than I have as far as what to do, and not do. But, like I said in an earlier post on this thread, if you don't want to take on a hobby raising a gamebird that is temperamental, spastic, moody, unpredictable, irratable, violent,.......at times, don't try raising Bobwhites. If you do choose to raise them, just remember, those cute little fuzz-balls that just popped out of those eggs yesterday are destined to jump (and yes, kill) their hatch-mates at any given time.....JUST BECAUSE!!!!

 

[LostinQuailLand]

Quote:
You mean something is more vicious then my fuzzy wuzzy darlings? (NOTE: never buy Chukar) LOL

 

[LostinQuailLand]

Quote:
Yet another complaint/question from me! I just recently hatched out a group of fuzzy demons aka Bobs....as you know...19 in this batch and then four after that. Of the four I have one who walks on his/her hocks. My hatcher has shelf liner in it. My humidity has become an issue again. Dropping down to 38 and again I cant figure it out. I added sponges to the hatcher as well as watching the water level in the valleys beneath but still one has the curled toes issue. What to do What to do oh great GURU?

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
What? Just raising and hatching. I am NOT eating them. Why does everyone think they are killers???

Probably better off eating them!!!

The only reason I am raising them is to eat them, perhaps I'll be lucky and quick enough to eat them before they kill each other. LOL




Cause .....

 

[chicmom]

Toby, I hatched a batch of bobs that came with my incubator. I'm sorry to tell you that I absolutely HATED having them. I sold them as quickly as I could. They were still babies, about as big as sparrows when I sold them. They are no fun at all, very messy, dirty, and you have to have a "bonk proof" lid on your brooder, as they will fly straight up and hit their heads, breaking their little necks if you don't have some type of bounce-type fabric on top.

I was glad to see them go.