Today is quail day18 and waiting - more pictures Post#1

[peewee]

I am so happy I put my 'bator up. I absolutely LOVE baby quail and you are seriously temping me!! Beautiful babies!!!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
Oh come on! You Know you want to!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Yes, they are Beautiful babies, I just love sitting and watching them. It still amazes me and probably always will, how something so small can grow up to be so big, so fast.

They come out of those little eggs, dry off, get their footing and start running around pecking looking for food. They are little eating machines.

You just won't know what we are talking about until you get your own. My DH knows, come hatching time, animals get taken care of and that's about it till the hatch is over. Meals are quick, cause I want to watch my babies. Thank goodness he doesn't mind sandwiches or quick meals from the freezer.

How can you put your bator up this early?

 

[peewee]

Well, because I get anywhere between 25-30 little quail eggs a day from all my beautiful little girls. I would be seriously over-run with little quailies if I hatched out any more eggs. Trust me it was a hard decision to put the 'bator up but after hatching all the pheasants (and yes I slipped MORE quail eggs in at the time) I really need to call it quits on the hatching for awhile. Way to addicting.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Update: Its now beginning of day 18 but haven't had any hatch since late this morning. So total will probably stay at 76.

Big Bertha didn't make it I found her gone about an hour ago. I expected that. I have 74 babies that are little eating machines.

I did the water test on 3 of the eggs and they were viable. So I will leave the bator going for a few days. The trays that didn't hatch were the ones on the side with the lower temp's. There was a 2 degree temp difference with the bator full.

Now both sides are reading the same. I guess I need to do smaller hatches, this one can't handle being loaded up. Next time I will hatch 60 - 80 of my eggs. I'll try to get a few pictures in the morning after chores.


Edited to add: This morning, Tuesday, I walked in to find a Jumbo Brown sitting on a Gold and bouncing up and down. Sumo Wrestling. The gold has a problem with one leg and walks but slowly and once it falls down can't get up. I have gone in several time and gave it water then set in on one of the food dishes. Now when I check it is tucked against the side of the brooder leaning on a food dish. So it knows what to do, we'll see.

So, all of you thought they were piling and that is how they die at night.
HA, the little murderers are intentionally sumo and kick fighting to kill off the competition. I'm quite sure I have a higher male/female ratio this time. They are so much more aggressive than last hatch. I'll find out in a few more weeks.

 

[Stellar]

Yeah, if they are piling up, it's a sign that they are too cold

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

They were not piling up. They were all spread out. The Jumbo Brown was beating the ... out of the gold. It was jumping up and down on it one purpose. Sumo Wrestling in the feather or rather fluff world.

 

[NoSkiveez]

Something like this just happened to me. A friend gave me quail eggs and a few silkie eggs. I'm doing a staggered hatch and have lots of chicken eggs hatching on different dates and the quail hatched and I completely forgot about 5 eggs hatching and hubby woke me up in a panic about chicks in the Bator. One fell down by the fan and water dish. Almost in the dish! I opened the door and shrink wrapped two Silkies and could see the membrane and I ended up peeling those two out of their shells. I'm so glad no one died!

 

[Stellar]

Oh ok...sorry I misunderstood your post

You better remove that sumo wrestler Jumbo or tell the Manchurian to hit the gym

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

If I catch the little Sumo guy, Yes, I will wring his little neck. But there are 9 (well maybe just 8 Golds) and what 66 Brown's. I have no idea which one is Sumo.

But, it hasn't happened again that I have seen and even the little M Gold, while is not back to normal but does get around OK. I'll make sure the Golds are all together when its time to spread them between 2 brooders. The J Browns do seem to pick on them right at first. But they are finding out that the Golds are starting to stick together and pick back. Most have the darker heads so are males. YAYYYYYY, I am going to have a male Manchurian Gold. I may separate them in the morning. Be my luck though, I put Sumo in with the Golds.



Interesting, I now know which eggs are layed by my J Browns, M Golds, and E White. Just not which hen is laying which exact egg. Oh, my other 3 eggs were infertal. Guess it takes them more than a week to get all the eggs fertile. It was definately worth a try and I got more than I expected.

Of the eggs left in the bator, if my theory is anyway near right about egg color then about half will be M Golds and will be dead, not totally developed like the others or infertile. These eggs that are still in there, were from the trays that hatched and as I had room moved them back to other trays, etc, etc. These are the last 2 trays on the cool side of the bator. I am not going to waite another day. Late tonight I will check all eggs. Unless I see Rocking and rolling.

I tried JJMR's float test and probably because I am not over the hatch date, I can't tell. May not have had time to dry out enough, or I just can't tell a Fish Bobber (high floater) from a low floater. Anyway, I prefer to open every one. I want to know. Last hatch none were good at day 19.


Edited to Add: Went in to check 8:30 thoroughly wet chick, covered in wet gooy feed. Rinsed it off under warm running water, dryed it in a wash cloth and put it in incubator with eggs. Guess I am keeping them going tonight. Went back and counted 8 Golds. Once she dried off I could tell she was the injured gold. She is doing fine right now.

My Delema. If she is OK in the morning, do I keep her for a pet or cull her. I really don;t have pets other than my dogs and cat. Her right side is injured, she does not have full use of her right leg or wing, it hangs down. She may have had a stroke or it may be neurological from the tromping she
took. Now remember I raise these for meat or breeding, she is neither. But to go through so much and survive, is amazing for such a little thing.

What do you think?