Tatanka Breeders Club: Meat Quail project with history, discussion, pictures and videos

[Sill]

Question for Moby
How do you introduce the males and the females? I noticed that you have them in individual pens. I have tried taking hens out of different cages and putting them with a male then the fights break out. Just wondering what your secret is. I have kind of the same setup as you but it is home made. and the pens are 15"x24".
Mine eggs are not as big as yours but they have been getting bigger over the past two years. finally up to an average 12gram egg. Just having trouble in introducing the right pairs. Seems that if they didnt grow up together they fight. I have ordered some JMF pharaohs.
I started with ebay eggs cause they were cheep and had to see that I could do something with them. Now after reading this entire thread I realized I should have started with better stock. Now I can follow along with the steps you all have taken to get bigger eggs and birds.
My wife would love to no have to use so many eggs to make breakfast. My daughter has a chicken egg allergy that is why I am doing this. thanks in advance.

I have the best luck using males that are older than the females. If the hens are older they seem to bully the males more. It also helps to house them so they can see each other for a couple of weeks before caging them together in the male's cage or a cage new to all of them.

 

[Fat Daddy]

X2.... Moving the female to the males pen is always the best plan for conjugal visits..... Just like rabbits.... By putting the hen in the Roo's pen you make him boss and her on the defensive......

 

[whippet128]

thanks for the help. will try this out.

 

[MobyQuail]

I always trim beaks before intros and I watch them carefully.

Question for Moby
How do you introduce the males and the females? I noticed that you have them in individual pens. I have tried taking hens out of different cages and putting them with a male then the fights break out. Just wondering what your secret is. I have kind of the same setup as you but it is home made. and the pens are 15"x24".
Mine eggs are not as big as yours but they have been getting bigger over the past two years. finally up to an average 12gram egg. Just having trouble in introducing the right pairs. Seems that if they didnt grow up together they fight. I have ordered some JMF pharaohs.
I started with ebay eggs cause they were cheep and had to see that I could do something with them. Now after reading this entire thread I realized I should have started with better stock. Now I can follow along with the steps you all have taken to get bigger eggs and birds.
My wife would love to no have to use so many eggs to make breakfast. My daughter has a chicken egg allergy that is why I am doing this. thanks in advance.

 

[PaintsRule]

I have found this thread very interesting. I found it when looking for a guideline for breeding quail for size. Most everyone says X amount at 6 or 8 weeks, but having purchased my first shipped eggs (texas A & M) and hatched a very good percentage, I am too impatient to wait all the way to 6-8 weeks to see if they are in fact a good sized bird! Out of the 60 some odd hatched from the 100 eggs put in, at 4 weeks, about 30 have made the 4 week goal of 200 grams. (I weighed them sooner than that, and watched which ones were making goal, I am a bit obssessed with weighing them actually, hahah) Now since they are white, I am unable to sex them as of yet, so not sure which sex are at that size, but a good many of the 30 were at 210 plus at that age. I am anxious to get them old enough to sex seeing I think the only way I will have success is when sexually active and trying for the "foam". But just wanted to shout out to all the info on here as I can see the passion put into it, even if it is an older thread, great info!

 

[Fat Daddy]

I would be willing to bet you a soda, that 95% of the ones making weight now are hens..... This is the main reason I don't raise white cots

 

[PaintsRule]

Hahha that is my thoughts too, and that is fine, as long as I can find a few bigger males in the lot, that means I will have a really good pool of females to choose from. They were hatched 4 weeks ago yesterday and on Monday (they took 2 days) and I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. But at 4 weeks they are weighing in at about 220 the bigger ones so hoping!

 

[PaintsRule]

And I may take my biggest Pharoahs to cross to my bigger whites so I can get easier to sex bigger birds, LOL. I do have one hen that is ALMOST the 380 grams, not quite but......

 

[Fat Daddy]

Where did your big whites come from if you dont mind say'n?.... It sounds like you had a good experience.....

 

[PaintsRule]

I sent you a message, I had them shipped in.