Decentralized Living- Part 2- Microview of raising baby quail

I couldn't wait any longer to share Part 2 of my Decentralized Living series to go over raising quail for meat and eggs, because I just hatched 3! So hang onto your seats and pay attention and I'll share with you all of the information I have obtained on another quality, healthy foodsource for further getting more decentralized in your life! 

MY THREE NEW BABIES

So, after getting back from a perfectly awesome camping trip with friends and family, I came home to quite the surprise: My Japanese Coturnix quail had hatched!

These little guys are about the size of half of your thumb when born and make an adorable peeping sound. When you hear a faint peep and a small hole or crack in one of their eggs, you know it's game on! However, no need to worry rushing them out of the incubator! The egg they were born in has enough nutrients to keep these little guys healthy and full for up to 72 hours after hatch!

INCUBATION

A Japanese Coturnix Quail takes about 14 to 17 days on average (usually 17 to 19 for me) before it begins hatching. While it is in incubation, a steady temperature of 99.1 degrees is ideal for hatching. In addition, keeping moisture in the incubator is imperative, as it weakens the shell enough for the baby to break on through to the other side. I rotate my quail eggs twice a day (once when I wake up and once when I go to bed) to ensure a good hatch.  You have to turn them or they will grow deformed and stick to the one  side of the egg it is laying on.  You don't turn them the last 3 days of  incubation, as the eggs are ultra sensitive during a period I call "lockdown".

BROODING

After the quail is hatched, they should be transferred into a brooder. A brooder is usually a box (without cracks as drafts can kill your quail) with a heat lamp, a baby quail waterer and starter chick feed. If you don't want to get a baby waterer (a gravity waterer with a small lip so they don't drown), then you can take a deep lid, fill it with pebbles and fill it with water. I do both, and they love it!

The Starter chick feed is too big of a size of crumble, so you will want to crush it with a spoon the first few days, as their digestion is delicate. I use DuMor Starter Chick Feed until they are 6 weeks old and ready for the outdoor pen. From there, a grower/finisher combined with crushed oyster shell will assure your bird grows large and has the nutrients to lay healthy eggs with a firm shell. 

My Brooder:

WAITING FOR YOUR FIRST EGG

Waiting for your first egg can be an impatient experience. While Coturnix Quail are fully grown at age 6 weeks, and even start laying as early as 8 weeks, I have had quail that took 10 weeks to lay their first one. Once they get going, they can average an egg a day! Although they are 1/3 the size of a chicken egg, their nutritional quality of essential vitamins and minerals is a landslide healthier than chicken or duck eggs. For more information on this, click on http://www.livestrong.com/article/337189-quail-egg-nutrition/ for the full breakdown. You will be surprised! Here is a picture of a fully grown adult female:

You will notice that she has black spots on her chest.  That means she's a female and will lay eggs! Females average between 4 1/2 to 5 ounces, compared to their male counterparts (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 ounces). A male has just a tan chest, and although his shouting "Coturnix!" sounds cool, he is only good for breeding and meat. When pairing your quail, one male can be paired with up to 6 females! (I stick to 4 for maximum fertilization).

I hope you enjoyed the article, and if the upvotes are right, I will share my knowledge about raising pheasant, as a continuation of my original article, https://steemit.com/life/@tee-em/decentralized-living-part-1.

Oh, and in parting, my pot belly pig learned how to climb onto the couch! Never a dull moment! lol