- Mar 26, 2015
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Hi all. My name is Josh. I have two chukar partridges that are now laying eggs. I always wanted to raise egg laying chickens, but haven't done it yet, so I thought this would be a nice opportunity to get familiar with the incubation and brooding process, and going forward from there.
One of my chukars started laying eggs yesterday, so, obviously I know at least one of the two is a hen. Chukars have little to no sexual dimorphisim (and none with respect to color or patterns), but roosters usually have blocker heads and make noises (but hens have been known to have these traits as well, so sexing is difficult). In any event, I have always been pretty sure that I have a hen and a rooster, as one has a noticeably blockier head than the other, is slightly larger, makes noises and is defensive of the pen I have them in. My point being, while I know I have at least one hen (hence the eggs), I'm not 100% positive the other is a rooster, but I'm fairly certain it is a rooster--so, I'm not guaranteed fertilized eggs. I suppose if I start seeing two eggs every day, I may infer I have two hens? If not, I may infer my other is a rooster, and that there is a decent chance my eggs are fertilized?
I plan on ordering an incubator with an auto turner, with a rack for quail eggs. If anybody has any suggestions to a newbie incubator, I'd love to hear them! I already know the keys to incubation are nailing down temp and humidity, and I know not to trust the thermometer on the incubator (I am ordering a separate thermometer/hygrometer). When I get close to hatching, I will order a brooder heater thingy and build a brooder probably out of a box.
I hope this experience will segue into me ordering chicken eggs and trying to hatch those, and then I'll be on my way to a flock!
~Josh
One of my chukars started laying eggs yesterday, so, obviously I know at least one of the two is a hen. Chukars have little to no sexual dimorphisim (and none with respect to color or patterns), but roosters usually have blocker heads and make noises (but hens have been known to have these traits as well, so sexing is difficult). In any event, I have always been pretty sure that I have a hen and a rooster, as one has a noticeably blockier head than the other, is slightly larger, makes noises and is defensive of the pen I have them in. My point being, while I know I have at least one hen (hence the eggs), I'm not 100% positive the other is a rooster, but I'm fairly certain it is a rooster--so, I'm not guaranteed fertilized eggs. I suppose if I start seeing two eggs every day, I may infer I have two hens? If not, I may infer my other is a rooster, and that there is a decent chance my eggs are fertilized?
I plan on ordering an incubator with an auto turner, with a rack for quail eggs. If anybody has any suggestions to a newbie incubator, I'd love to hear them! I already know the keys to incubation are nailing down temp and humidity, and I know not to trust the thermometer on the incubator (I am ordering a separate thermometer/hygrometer). When I get close to hatching, I will order a brooder heater thingy and build a brooder probably out of a box.
I hope this experience will segue into me ordering chicken eggs and trying to hatch those, and then I'll be on my way to a flock!
~Josh
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Josh 
