Like I just told Megan, I have an Excalibur xbow. I couldn't cock it, either, even with the "pull-string thingy" that came with it, so I bought one of their cocking aids with a crank handle on it. It's slower than the pull-type cocker (which I finally got to where I can pull), and makes a little noise, which doesn't bother me in my box blind, but it gets the job done, with a lot less effort expended. I've seen similar rigs for the other brands, as well.
Congrats and welcome to the thread. Plenty of questions thrown your way, so can't wait to hear more!
How do you like the Stevens? I've been looking at those lately.
The Stevens double bbl 12 ga. was my dad's gun, which I bought for him back in the 60's as a Christmas gift. As I understand it, they're made (or at least were) by Savage. I've only ever fired it once. It'd be a good pheasant gun, if there were any pheasants to hunt. A bit much for quail, I'd think. If I were after tree rats I'd take my Winchester pump with the full choke; it'll reach out there & touch 'em a lot better, plus it's a lot lighter to lug around.
They still are made by Savage. I know that Stevens used to be a pretty good brand. I wasn't sure now...
for fertile eggs! My 5 month old boy, started *trying* to mate the girls a couple weeks ago. He definitely has his favorites already. But all he does is bite their neck and try to pull them down and they get away from him and he's just left with a mouth full of feathers. But their is only one girl the same age as him. The rest are a month younger. So hopefully by spring he'll get it down pat! Im glad to see yours is practicing too!
Day 8, is it?? Quail eggs are really hard to candle! I thought with them being so little that I would be able to see development much quicker but it was the opposite. I hope a few will surprise you on day 14!!
Very cool spreadsheet! I would like to make one very similar for when I start breeding in spring.Here's what I put together when deciding if I could sell my Narragansett and Golden Narragansett hens and still breed Narragansett and Golden Narragansett...turkey colors are just colors, not breeds, so it's really cool that you can breed away and come back to pure colors. If I sell the hens and breed to Bronze, Bronze-Red or Bourbon Red it would take me three generations to get back to a standard Narragansett male.
Congrats and good luck! Waiting on the details...
That sounds like a good plan. I wouldn't let the girls push her off, either, from now to hatch. I can't wait for you to be a grandma!!!Today is day 19 for my broody banty. I'm kind of excited and kind of nervous at the prospect of babies hatching in the coop. She had refused to sit if contained in anything. This morning I did shut the door to the "cage" she is sitting in to keep the others from pushing her out to lay and she did stay sitting. In the past when confined she would leave the nest to pace. So tonight I think I am going to put water and food in there and close it and then just check on her real early. I'm afraid that if she isn't "locked in" the others will push her off to lay and then if the eggs are pipping/hatching the other hens will kill them. The others are usually done laying by 2 in the afternoon, so after that they all leave her alone, it's just the morning/early afternoon hours that really worry me. My Spitzhauben has now been sitting 4 days, so I want to check for development. She is not a very nice broody. I've heard of worse, but my banty is such a push over and the spitz is just the opposite...lolfor seeing some action soon and no problems!
Today is day 19 for my broody banty. I'm kind of excited and kind of nervous at the prospect of babies hatching in the coop. She had refused to sit if contained in anything. This morning I did shut the door to the "cage" she is sitting in to keep the others from pushing her out to lay and she did stay sitting. In the past when confined she would leave the nest to pace. So tonight I think I am going to put water and food in there and close it and then just check on her real early. I'm afraid that if she isn't "locked in" the others will push her off to lay and then if the eggs are pipping/hatching the other hens will kill them. The others are usually done laying by 2 in the afternoon, so after that they all leave her alone, it's just the morning/early afternoon hours that really worry me.
My Spitzhauben has now been sitting 4 days, so I want to check for development. She is not a very nice broody. I've heard of worse, but my banty is such a push over and the spitz is just the opposite...lol
. Good luck!!!
I'm biased towards Savage, actually. At least their rifles.
