We have 3 sets of Jumbo Coturnix Quail (5 hens to 1 rooster). They mature 8 weeks after hatching. Our birds were all mature by the end of May, middle of June. They laid sporadically during June. During most of July, we averaged 5-6 eggs/day. On Thursday, this week, we didn't get ANY eggs, not one! Well, yesterday, they made up for it and we got 18 eggs! We only have 15 hens! This morning when I went to feed and gather eggs, I found only one. After Friday's 18, I wasn't surprised. Then this afternoon, I gave them dinner and found another 9!
Last week, I told my husband it was time to clear out animals. We have too many! (2 dogs, 2 miniature horses, 5 chickens, 5 peacocks, 9 rabbits, 18 quail, 2 ducks, a 150 gallon tank of koi, and 1 betta) The rabbits are leaving tomorrow. I'd planned on getting rid of the quail too, but we're selling their eggs for $3/doz. As long as they lay at least 4 doz/week, they're paying for the feed for all of the birds, so they can stay. If they lay 2 doz every 2 days, I may consider raising more and getting into the egg business.
Showing posts with label quail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quail. Show all posts
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Follow up on Day Old Chicks
The chicks arrived on a Thursday. The following Monday. I found a snake (someone's escaped boa) in the brooder with a belly full of chicks! Agh!!! It seems the chick fiasco will never end!
Well, it's now been a couple weeks and we have stopped loosing birds on a daily basis. After a certain age, they seem to stop dying. We don't have any where near the number we need, but we're closer than we were. Next time, we'll just stick with buying frozen ones. I found a supplier who sells them for dog food. Ok, it's "dog food" but they're USDA approved and fit for human consumption, so it really doesn't matter. So, we'll get the balance we need from them.
Well, it's now been a couple weeks and we have stopped loosing birds on a daily basis. After a certain age, they seem to stop dying. We don't have any where near the number we need, but we're closer than we were. Next time, we'll just stick with buying frozen ones. I found a supplier who sells them for dog food. Ok, it's "dog food" but they're USDA approved and fit for human consumption, so it really doesn't matter. So, we'll get the balance we need from them.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Day Old Chicks
Because we didn't have enough birds survive from the hatching eggs and there wasn't much time left until Memorial day, I called all over to find someone who could ship us 100 day old coturnix quail on short notice for a good price. I was referred from one hatchery to another.
I called because their website had the soonest hatch date as Apr 26 and we needed them to hatch on the 12th. The person I called said to just put Apr 12th in the comment section, so I did. Well that week came and went with no chicks. I called the following week and inquired. They said they'd go out that week.
Well, we expected them on Friday and they arrived on Wednesday at the post office. I picked up 2 boxes of adorable coturnix pips. They're so cute. They were all healthy looking and alive. I was delighted.
Friday, I picked up feed (quite the fiasco). I read they should not get medicated feed. We couldn't get non-medicated feed with the batch from the eggs and wondered if that was part of why we lost so many chicks. I went to 2 feed stores to find non-medicated feed. The second store gave me some though. When I got home and read the tag, I found it said it was for quail 8 weeks and up. So I called and they had another product for $1 more. I requested they swap me bag for bag despite the difference because it meant another 20 miles round trip to get it. They agreed.
When I took the feed into the brooder room, I discovered of the 100 chicks, over half were dead. We don't know why. They had everything they needed. All we can think was perhaps (because they'd been given some of the medicated feed, since we didn't have anything else) it was the medication. It was so sad. I cried on the phone with my husband at work as I picked up each of the dead chicks. My so came to the brooder room to help with the 16 weakest ones we thought would probably die. We moved them to a crate in his room where we could watch them more closely and keep them from being picked on and trampled by the others. Of those, 3 have survived. Not great odds, but if we hadn't have moved them they probably all would have died anyway.
In hind sight, we probably should have just purchased the frozen adult quail I found on line for $2 each. We may still need to get some that way.
Now, we have brooding stock, so we can produce our own quail and not have to have any more shipped.
I called because their website had the soonest hatch date as Apr 26 and we needed them to hatch on the 12th. The person I called said to just put Apr 12th in the comment section, so I did. Well that week came and went with no chicks. I called the following week and inquired. They said they'd go out that week.
Well, we expected them on Friday and they arrived on Wednesday at the post office. I picked up 2 boxes of adorable coturnix pips. They're so cute. They were all healthy looking and alive. I was delighted.
Friday, I picked up feed (quite the fiasco). I read they should not get medicated feed. We couldn't get non-medicated feed with the batch from the eggs and wondered if that was part of why we lost so many chicks. I went to 2 feed stores to find non-medicated feed. The second store gave me some though. When I got home and read the tag, I found it said it was for quail 8 weeks and up. So I called and they had another product for $1 more. I requested they swap me bag for bag despite the difference because it meant another 20 miles round trip to get it. They agreed.
When I took the feed into the brooder room, I discovered of the 100 chicks, over half were dead. We don't know why. They had everything they needed. All we can think was perhaps (because they'd been given some of the medicated feed, since we didn't have anything else) it was the medication. It was so sad. I cried on the phone with my husband at work as I picked up each of the dead chicks. My so came to the brooder room to help with the 16 weakest ones we thought would probably die. We moved them to a crate in his room where we could watch them more closely and keep them from being picked on and trampled by the others. Of those, 3 have survived. Not great odds, but if we hadn't have moved them they probably all would have died anyway.
In hind sight, we probably should have just purchased the frozen adult quail I found on line for $2 each. We may still need to get some that way.
Now, we have brooding stock, so we can produce our own quail and not have to have any more shipped.
Buying Hatching Eggs
About a month ago, we purchased some coturnix quail eggs to hatch as well as 2 hovabator incubators. It was $116 to buy 250 eggs, so we figured that was a pretty good deal. My husband is cooking a huge feast for about 100 people over Memorial day weekend and planned to serve quail. If you buy it in the store, it's really expensive ($5+ per bird). We thought this would be a cheaper way to go and we'd have incubators for another time.
Well, we received 269 eggs UPS. The box had huge letters on every side that said "Hatching Eggs." We figured the box would arrive on a Thursday or Friday. Friday came and went with no eggs. We weren't sure what was going to happen because UPS doesn't deliver on Saturdays. Saturday morning, my husband went down to the gate and found the box which looked like it'd been dropped over the gate. It wasn't there at 9pm on Friday, so it must have been delivered late Friday. It got REALLY cold that night. Of the 269 eggs, 228 were not cracked. Many had been jostled out of their slots. The packaging looked more than adequate and we don't feel it was the hatchery's fault at all but blame UPS for the poor delivery. My cell number was clearly on the label and a quick call would have been more that adequate.
Anyway, of the 240 (I decided to incubate 12 I was pretty certain wouldn't hatch just in case) we incubated, about 75 hatched (31%). (Quail have a 60% hatching rate normally.) Of those, about 45 survived to adulthood (18%). We won't do that again. It was a total waste of money. I won't accept UPS for eggs again anyway, that's for sure.
Well, we received 269 eggs UPS. The box had huge letters on every side that said "Hatching Eggs." We figured the box would arrive on a Thursday or Friday. Friday came and went with no eggs. We weren't sure what was going to happen because UPS doesn't deliver on Saturdays. Saturday morning, my husband went down to the gate and found the box which looked like it'd been dropped over the gate. It wasn't there at 9pm on Friday, so it must have been delivered late Friday. It got REALLY cold that night. Of the 269 eggs, 228 were not cracked. Many had been jostled out of their slots. The packaging looked more than adequate and we don't feel it was the hatchery's fault at all but blame UPS for the poor delivery. My cell number was clearly on the label and a quick call would have been more that adequate.
Anyway, of the 240 (I decided to incubate 12 I was pretty certain wouldn't hatch just in case) we incubated, about 75 hatched (31%). (Quail have a 60% hatching rate normally.) Of those, about 45 survived to adulthood (18%). We won't do that again. It was a total waste of money. I won't accept UPS for eggs again anyway, that's for sure.
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