Spring Update

Spring 2013 – Backyard Quail Update

Decided this weekend that the weather was finally done with the brutal cold and moved the birds back into the suspended breeding cages.  One mistake I made this year is I kept too many males over winter – feed cost I didn’t need to spend.  Ended up with 4 females and 6 males, since I keep the 2:1 had a few extra bachelors.
Since I was short females and to diversify the gene pool I ordered some eggs off eBay.  It was almost a bad situation since I didn’t account for my travel schedule, they came one day before I left.  Which actually works well as they can incubate while I am gone.  Hopefully in 17 days I will be at full capacity for the summer.
My hope this year is too focus more on meat production.  Have to wait and see how quickly I can cycle them through the incubator and brooder.

Bunny update:  my existing doe had a litter of 6 last week, 5 made it.  I seem to loose one right off the bat with each litter.  Hopefully the other two does I kept from the first litter last fall are pregnant and will have litters in two weeks.

UPDATE: birds started laying last week while I was gone.  Took about a week and half after I put them back on 12-14 hours of light a day.

4 thoughts on “Spring 2013 – Backyard Quail Update”

  1. Do you have any fertile eggs for sale? I want like 4 🙂 and I want to start on them asap. I havent had quails. But love their eggs!

    1. I can certainly supply a small volume of fertile eggs, but 4 seems a little low considering hatch rates of 50-75% and a 50/50 shot at those hatching out to be laying females. If you are after eggs.

      Would need to chat about the shipping cost, depending on where they are going.

  2. I just finished reading your entire blog. Cool project. I am currently incubating 15 coturnix eggs to keep as “pets” on my tiny patio in the city. I have experience with bobwhite quail, but coturnix will be new to me. I will continue to follow your experiments.

    (Also, how did the tilapia/hydroponics setup turn out?)

    1. Thanks for checking out the blog!

      Let me know how the hatch goes, I have a styrofoam incubator and usually only get about 50%. My last hatch was 14 of 24.

      The hydroponics is doing good. Leafy things like lettuce work best. Big problem is my grow bed is too shallow. They recommend 12 inches deep. Mine is more like 6 inches. I have to clean it out every two months or it clogs and doesn’t filter the fish water. Also, I have had problem with flood/drain cycles. The plants really need to have times with no water on the roots. I had trouble with original bell siphon, so switched to timer on the pump.
      Second problem has been no breeding of tilapia. I believe the problem is related to water temperature. Working not to get that to average about 80 and see what happens. The fish are HUGE now and past ready to eat, just not reproducing.

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