Prepping my Quail breeding groups before collecting eggs for hatching.

[Huntmaster]

You've got some really nice enclosures!

Thank-you the birds seem to thrive and do very well.

 

[Huntmaster]

You've got some really nice enclosures!

Have always wanted to get into the Pheasants myself and designed my enclosures off of some enclosures I have seen for them. Pheasants will be my next adventure I'm sure

 

[Huntmaster]

Have always wanted a few Peacocks free ranging the farm but I know they tend to wonder off so haven't gone there.

 

[Huntmaster]

I have had excess males that were grouped together become aggressive after about 6-8 weeks old.

Yes, the Quail can be some nasty little buggers. If certain things/processes are not done things can turn very ugly in a blink of an eye. Even if you think you are getting away with something it will probably not be long before things go bad.

 

[QuailQueen3]

Yes, the Quail can be some nasty little buggers. If certain things/processes are not done things can turn very ugly in a blink of an eye. Even if you think you are getting away with something it will probably not be long before things go bad.

I am now generally only going to keep excess males until 8 weeks of age. I did a small experiment of sorts comparing male weight at 8 weeks vs 10 weeks. The weight gain was negligible and upon butchering it seemed that it was mostly adding fat on the thighs and lower abdomen. If I add the feed costs, water cost, Sweet PDZ costs, and labor costs, it is definitely not worth keeping excess males past 8 weeks. The other thing is that excess males are crowing and making other bizarre noises at night which is disruptive to the flock and to my sleep.

I have tried to keep one or two excess males as “pinch hitters” in case something happens to a breeder male. I am grateful that I did. One of my JMF-SWGB breeder males scalped a hen at 7 weeks old even though they were born of the same hatch, and this roo and 5 hens were feather sexed 4 weeks old and isolated as a breeder set at 4 weeks old. I took him out, tried to reintroduce him—no, way too aggressive. He went to the freezer farm. Glad I had a pinch hitter!

 

[Huntmaster]

Most of mine are actually weighing more than 10 ounces at 8 weeks.

Just able to go over some of my data on weights of birds I have kept for breeding stock. Kansas City Quail jumbo whites at 5 weeks 6 hens (largest 12.27) (smallest 10.04) with an (avg. of 10.71). KCQ jumbo browns at 5 weeks 6 hens (largest 10.97) (smallest 9.91) with an (avg. of 10.33). AJ Farms jumbo browns at 5 weeks 6 hens (largest 11.60) (smallest 10.05) with an (avg. of 10.67). Southwest Game Bird's jumbo whites these were at 6 weeks (seem to have misplaced data from 5 weeks) 6 weeks 6 hens (largest 10.96) (smallest 9.48) with an (avg. of 10.34). Without that 1 very large 12.7 white hen from KCQ that (avg. was 10.34) same as SWG at 6 weeks. For me my AJ farms birds are best in weight and much calmer even though they are all JMF lines. Haven't done egg weights on SWG or KCQ birds yet still letting them mature a little more but have done an avg. on my older AJF. Average on 35 eggs was (18.2) top 11 eggs 20+gr. 13 eggs 16.5+gr. 11 under 16.5gr. Largest egg I have gotten was 32.4 it was a triple yolk ouch poor girl. I will be getting some eggs from MyShire Farms wanted to last fall but they stopped selling before I could make an order.

 

[QuailQueen3]

Just able to go over some of my data on weights of birds I have kept for breeding stock. Kansas City Quail jumbo whites at 5 weeks 6 hens (largest 12.27) (smallest 10.04) with an (avg. of 10.71). KCQ jumbo browns at 5 weeks 6 hens (largest 10.97) (smallest 9.91) with an (avg. of 10.33). AJ Farms jumbo browns at 5 weeks 6 hens (largest 11.60) (smallest 10.05) with an (avg. of 10.67). Southwest Game Bird's jumbo whites these were at 6 weeks (seem to have misplaced data from 5 weeks) 6 weeks 6 hens (largest 10.96) (smallest 9.48) with an (avg. of 10.34). Without that 1 very large 12.7 white hen from KCQ that (avg. was 10.34) same as SWG at 6 weeks. For me my AJ farms birds are best in weight and much calmer even though they are all JMF lines. Haven't done egg weights on SWG or KCQ birds yet still letting them mature a little more but have done an avg. on my older AJF. Average on 35 eggs was (18.2) top 11 eggs 20+gr. 13 eggs 16.5+gr. 11 under 16.5gr. Largest egg I have gotten was 32.4 it was a triple yolk ouch poor girl. I will be getting some eggs from MyShire Farms wanted to last fall but they stopped selling before I could make an order.

Thank you for sharing this information.
I have only weighed smaller excess males that did not make the breeding program and were headed for the freezer farm. My threshold issue was whether any of my quail were going to make the true Jumbo weight requirement of 10 ounces at 10 weeks with me feeding them only organic non-gmo feed instead of feed with fillers, hormones, etc.

I need to get a small cage or container that I can place on my scale that is a better experience for getting weighed than the coffee can with some holes in the lid that I used to weigh those destined for the freezer farm.

 

[Huntmaster]

@QuailQueen3 I made this for weighing my turkey poults and quail. Works very well makes things so much easier and faster.

 

[The Birb King]

Have always wanted to get into the Pheasants myself and designed my enclosures off of some enclosures I have seen for them. Pheasants will be my next adventure I'm sure

We used to have Ringneck pheasants a few years ago and they were fun to have. The only problem is we needed a license for them and also we had 2 males and like 8 females together and the males killed each other. They also did not go inside the coop like the chickens would so they just sat outside in the run all night.