- Nov 18, 2010
- 27
- 1
- 22
My wife and I have a small homestead in another country and have been staying about 5 months a year there. It is an island country with lots of fresh seafood, and imported frozen chicken leg/thighs (I think from laying houses) are main meat source. Local eggs are sometimes hard to find and imported eggs are very old with no sale date on boxes when they finally arrive. I plan to get in touch with the Minister of Agriculture to see if I can bring quail eggs into the country for hatching.
Have had coturnix quail a few times over the years, but no real breeding program or kept them over about 1 1/2 years at a time so need some ideas on what to do. In Oct. after returning I bought some goldens from near by that were small and laid small eggs so I ordered 80 eggs from the mid-west in Oct. and was able to raise 26 out of the 28 that hatched. I have 3 trios of what I believe are jumbo browns, a pair of large whites and 6 nice golden hens and one nice male. Of the goldens hatched, I also have some buffs or what I think some have referred to as washed out colors (a more solid color). I have a couple of males and a couple of females of these birds. Not sure if these goldens should be used in my breeding program though. I had noticed it mentioned awhile back that they would breed their goldens to their whites so I put two of my biggest golden hens in with my A&M pair, but when they started laying I was getting a small egg from one of the 3 hens. Turns out it is my A&M hen that is laying a much smaller egg than the 2 golden hens so not sure if I should be breeding these golden hens to the A&M male if his off spring might produce small eggs. My browns and goldens seem to lay a good size egg with one the brown hens laying some large double yolk eggs. I know the importance of not interbreeding so much and am not really concerned in keeping the birds separated by colors as long as I can keep a fairly large bird that lay a good size egg. Since I have 3 nice brown males and 6 hens would you suggest adding some golden hens with one of my brown males? I have one of those breeding charts to keep genetics mixed up as much as possible and know that if granted permission to bring eggs into the country this one time. I have about six weeks to get these birds paired and eggs ready for our next trip so need possible ideas? How would I keep these eggs in the incubator to where they will not get mixed together during hatching to when I will not be breeding allot of brothers and sisters? Thanks for your ideas and suggestions.
Have had coturnix quail a few times over the years, but no real breeding program or kept them over about 1 1/2 years at a time so need some ideas on what to do. In Oct. after returning I bought some goldens from near by that were small and laid small eggs so I ordered 80 eggs from the mid-west in Oct. and was able to raise 26 out of the 28 that hatched. I have 3 trios of what I believe are jumbo browns, a pair of large whites and 6 nice golden hens and one nice male. Of the goldens hatched, I also have some buffs or what I think some have referred to as washed out colors (a more solid color). I have a couple of males and a couple of females of these birds. Not sure if these goldens should be used in my breeding program though. I had noticed it mentioned awhile back that they would breed their goldens to their whites so I put two of my biggest golden hens in with my A&M pair, but when they started laying I was getting a small egg from one of the 3 hens. Turns out it is my A&M hen that is laying a much smaller egg than the 2 golden hens so not sure if I should be breeding these golden hens to the A&M male if his off spring might produce small eggs. My browns and goldens seem to lay a good size egg with one the brown hens laying some large double yolk eggs. I know the importance of not interbreeding so much and am not really concerned in keeping the birds separated by colors as long as I can keep a fairly large bird that lay a good size egg. Since I have 3 nice brown males and 6 hens would you suggest adding some golden hens with one of my brown males? I have one of those breeding charts to keep genetics mixed up as much as possible and know that if granted permission to bring eggs into the country this one time. I have about six weeks to get these birds paired and eggs ready for our next trip so need possible ideas? How would I keep these eggs in the incubator to where they will not get mixed together during hatching to when I will not be breeding allot of brothers and sisters? Thanks for your ideas and suggestions.
