Minnesota!

[Cluckies]

nope. unlike other kinds of quail, which can start laying at 6 weeks!!!, bobs don't lay unless it is laying season (probably April or May through Sept or so), and don't lay until they are mature at 5 months or so. So.....they should start sometime next spring. Bobwhites are still pretty wild and undomesticated. They might tame as chicks but at 3 or so months revert to wild and can go into shock and die if you try to handle them.

Wow, thanks for sharing all the quail info very cool!

a cool thing is how they roost in a circle:

not my pic. guess they have each others back

Neat!

Thanks! Honestly, I haven't taken any pictures of my birds for at least a year. It has been a crazy year, and I have been lucky to remember to get pictures of my kids! LOL We had the house on the market last summer, it didn't sell. Had it back on the market this spring, it sold. Hadn't found a place yet, so lived in a camper at my parents' farm for the summer. Finally moved here right before school started. We have been here almost 2 months. I haven't even had the time/energy, to make the chickens a door so they can free range. They are just in the barn. (It's quite a large pen though, so space isn't a problem, just like to let them outside if I can.) Pictures haven't been a priority. It wasn't a great chicken year. I had 20 chickens this summer (bought 10 chicks in the spring to give to my two broodies). They went to my mom's with me, and were all in a too small chicken tractor for a while, until I was able to make another one. During the summer, 3 died (one Roo from the spring babies was already becoming a jerk, so I culled him.) One got sick, and I think the other was smothered. (That too small of a tractor problem.) When I moved, I gave my sister a few along with the nice new tractor that I took forever building. (And I never took a pic. I should do that next time I visit.) Anyway, no pics, but what I have now is 4 of our original girls (cochin bantam and 3 various hatchery breeds), 3 white Breese, one cochin bantam rooster and one Silkied Ameraucana. I have 3 roos, but don't want to cull yet, because I was going to give one of the Breese boys to my dad. Anyway, I'll work on chicken pics. I have those chicks coming soon, so I am sure I will get some of them. I do have farm pics though!

Very nice set up! How exciting!

Here are some feathered photos for you. We lived in Monticello before coming here, and there are hundreds (thousands?) of Trumpeter Swans that winter on the Mississippi there. http://www.monticellocci.com/pages/swans I took some photos last winter. This is just a fraction of the number of birds that were there that day.

My mom lives on the miss. in Monti they are very cool to see. Inside the house it sounds like a tragic jam out on the river when they are all there. Wonderful.

 

[NathanZee]

You'd have to ask when they get them again in Spring. I had to ask.
I got ducks from Metzer two years ago (2013) and I was SO not impressed. I got a bunch of garbage birds, very poor examples of their breeds, about half died before a week old or we DOA, some were evidently crossbred, just a mess. I swore I would never buy them from there again. Then last year we got them from Runnings since we couldn't find breeder quality of the breeds we wanted, and they were only for 4-H and then to sell. Anyway, the quality was WAY better that time. I then found out on discussions online that they had gotten a lot of new breeding stock from Holderrads, which has probably the best quality of a big hatchery for waterfowl.
I know most people aren't looking for show birds, but when anyone gets birds with serious defects that cause them death or disability, then that is bad for anyone. The good news is, they got better birds.

That's really strange! My ducks are not the standard of perfection, but they are much better than most hatcheries. What did they die of? Maybe metzers has greatly changed their standards, but that seems weird they would have had such terrible stock then.

 

[lalaland]

nothing like having wet jackets and jeans all over the house hanging to dry. Stood out in the rain waiting for the danged quail to go in their coop. You kind of figure its not worth going into the house and peeling off wet boots, jeans, jacket only to have to put them back on 10 minutes later. So waited. it is pouring here. Doesn't bother the quail!

I'm down to 2 eggs a day, and I'm wishing I froze those eggs - got rid of dozens last week. I should see if those egg silicone things from ikea can be shipped. or maybe find something on amazon.

too bad we don't all live closer - wouldn't it be great to go have a bump down at the local? I'ld even go back out in the rain and muck for that!

 

[Minniechickmama]

That's really strange! My ducks are not the standard of perfection, but they are much better than most hatcheries. What did they die of? Maybe metzers has greatly changed their standards, but that seems weird they would have had such terrible stock then.

I had lost about 60% either DOA or dead in 24-hours, or just didn't thrive, you name it. They were a mess that year. I was shocked that there was such a difference in the following year out of their stock. They did replace the losses on the first batch. Out of 50 ducklings between the two shipments, I had 16 by Summer. It was insane.
The next year, the were healthy and grew well, they just lacked all the color traits and things for showing. There is no way to get good Khakis without tracking down a good breeder and those are not common either. I was surprised the difference between the hatchery stuff we were getting and what was at the Ohio National last year. HUGE differences, mainly body shape. It was good to see what they are SUPPOSED to look like. Funny thing, I like the looks of the hatchery ones better for keeping around. I am not venturing into breeding ducks.

 

[SleepyOwl]

Thanks for the compliments on the farm, we really like it! The neighbors are closer than we were hoping for, but the commute for hubby is doable, and it is so cute, we decided to deal with it. So far so good, but I only have 3 roosters right now...


lala, I grew up in Pine county, in Sandstone. I think we had this conversation before. I was looking at a farm near Pine City (near you?), but it's just too far out. *sigh* That's ok, we are good here!


I am hoping to get ducks next year. Still not sure what breed I want to start with.

 

[nordicacres]

Hi everyone! Busy summer of gardening, canning, and working on some outdoor projects. Our run still isn't finished, but not a big deal because we free range.

So I have two pullets sitting on eggs in our shed. A Wellie and an Australorp. We have 50 chickens and don't need the eggs so I let them brood not really thinking they would actually follow through with it. So tonight I went out to check on them and they might be hatching! I have no idea when she started brooding or how many she's sitting on, but I could hear some faint cheeping and there was a half an eggshell on the ground. I gently touched her tail feathers in the hopes she would shift a bit, but she just tried to take my arm off. So that is exciting! Is it too cold for chicks? I'm going to have to figure out how to move them all back to the coop. The shed is less than ideal for chicks.

 

[Coffee 1st]

IzzaPooper really wants to play with the chickens...LOL

 

[KlopKlop]

Hi everyone! Busy summer of gardening, canning, and working on some outdoor projects. Our run still isn't finished, but not a big deal because we free range.

So I have two pullets sitting on eggs in our shed. A Wellie and an Australorp. We have 50 chickens and don't need the eggs so I let them brood not really thinking they would actually follow through with it. So tonight I went out to check on them and they might be hatching! I have no idea when she started brooding or how many she's sitting on, but I could hear some faint cheeping and there was a half an eggshell on the ground. I gently touched her tail feathers in the hopes she would shift a bit, but she just tried to take my arm off. So that is exciting! Is it too cold for chicks? I'm going to have to figure out how to move them all back to the coop. The shed is less than ideal for chicks.

How fun!

 

[NathanZee]

I had lost about 60% either DOA or dead in 24-hours, or just didn't thrive, you name it. They were a mess that year. I was shocked that there was such a difference in the following year out of their stock. They did replace the losses on the first batch. Out of 50 ducklings between the two shipments, I had 16 by Summer. It was insane.
The next year, the were healthy and grew well, they just lacked all the color traits and things for showing. There is no way to get good Khakis without tracking down a good breeder and those are not common either. I was surprised the difference between the hatchery stuff we were getting and what was at the Ohio National last year. HUGE differences, mainly body shape. It was good to see what they are SUPPOSED to look like. Funny thing, I like the looks of the hatchery ones better for keeping around. I am not venturing into breeding ducks.

That's really sad, but I'm glad to know they were better the next year. I definitely like most hatchery birds better than extreme show birds too.

 

[NathanZee]

Thanks for the compliments on the farm, we really like it! The neighbors are closer than we were hoping for, but the commute for hubby is doable, and it is so cute, we decided to deal with it. So far so good, but I only have 3 roosters right now...


lala, I grew up in Pine county, in Sandstone. I think we had this conversation before. I was looking at a farm near Pine City (near you?), but it's just too far out. *sigh* That's ok, we are good here!


I am hoping to get ducks next year. Still not sure what breed I want to start with.

What do you want ducks for, eggs, meat, pleasure, show?