First Quail Egg! EGGCITING!
After the yesterday's fiasco (you're gonna wanna read about that!) I did not think I would get an egg from this little lady at all. Honestly the guy I got them from said she may not even lay until next year! I was disappointed to hear that yesterday, but I know how it works. Quail are seasonal layers. I guess I just missed the season, I thought.
BAM
Quail egg! Teeny tiny oh so cute! I had to message my friend and show him! She wasn't laying before because she was in a pen with some guinea hens and guinea hens are bullies. I guess little girl was just too stressed to lay an egg. You know what that tells me?
I'm doing a good job. My animals are happy.
It's only been one night and day, and I'm feeling pretty good about the decision to get quail. It's a sign!
My next step is to look up some instructions on how to build my own incubator. I know i need more girls, but the only way it will happen right now is to hatch my own. Quail in small quantities aren't easy to come by. I have seen some made from styrofoam coolers. Can't really afford a nice incubator at the moment (Steemit is failing me, ;) Hahaha), but hopefully I can hook myself up with a DIY one for cheap.
Edit to Add: Actually we caved and decided to purchase an incubator. You have to turn eggs like 5 times a day and I know damn well that I will be forgetting that all the time. So I bought an incubator that will turn the eggs automatically. Sometimes you just have to realize what your limitations are and work around that. Thankfully we just got paid. If everything goes well, once we do start hatching, it should pay for itself rather quickly. It was around $130 (including shipping) and should arrive July 19th!
Here's the quail egg (white - SO TINY) in comparison to the (ONLY) egg I got today from my chickens. Pft. I guess one did lay 7 days in a row... I suppose it can have a day off. Pft. So I am glad the Quail laid today!
Here I am. Photo taken at 9:30pm, I am tired. I had a nap so my hair is fuzzy and my make up is askew. Haha
Photos by me using my iPhone 6s, unless stated otherwise!
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Absolutely on the right path....keep those animals happy. This is inspirational.
Awe thank you!! Means a lot. I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment! Have a beautiful day!
All right, first day and already laying! Gotta seize the moment with that incubator. I suppose $30 should get you ample material to build a deluxe one, or probably even less. Depends on what's around you. If you're lucky you may even score recycled material. In any case, now with your previous stories of birds and eggs we're all primed to read about your incubator. Looking forward to it!
I am not very lucky, nor patient. Hahaha I probably wont find recycled material in an Adrienne-timely fashion. Hahaha
You're right, time is a major factor. But location... you know, one of the things I really like about the States is that it's so easy to score decent quality stuff for free. That's the upside of the throw-away culture. But of course you can't get what you want right when you need it, so it's more like a long-term thing. Still, even if you get everything new, I'm sure you can still make a sweet incubator for less than a bought one.
I did actually decide to go ahead and purchase an incubator that was recommended to me by the breeder. Only put me out $120 including shipping. Could have gone with half the price, but it did not have the automatic turner. You see... I realize my fallbacks. One of those is my memory. I know that I would not be remembering to turn those poor eggs 5 times a day. And, I am all about efficiency! So, if I can get something that does the work for me, then great! It will pay for itself in no time flat!
You can make an incubator out of a heating pad and a styrofoam cooler, or foam insulation, thick plywood, you could even make a rubbermaid tub work. You just have to manually turn the eggs a couple or few times a day. The container can be anything that holds heat to the specified temp for the bird. Each one has a specific temp that will work the best, but it is all a grey area anyway.
There are TONS of different DIY designs out there, you just have to deal with the materials you have or are willing to buy, and make it work.
Good Luck with the quail.
Yay! Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!got me all excited! Gonna go source prices and materials tomorrow! Eeeeek!
@farmstead I guess that makes you a great Quail Mama. Now you need the Moms on Steemit badge!. Seriously, congrats on your first egg. It's fitting that she gifted you when she wasn't laying in her previous home. Keep up the good work and let us know how things are going.
I got my first chicken egg last Wednesday and first quail egg this Wednesday. Guess Wednesday is THE DAY! Haha. :D
Hey girl fellow THL brother here. Great post!
Thanks!
@FarmStead... Your Posts are so Fun to read... it's like Your actually talking like we're right there with You. Excellent story-telling that is really enjoyable to read.
Good to hear You've got all Your livestock safe & protected...
Thanks Again Farm for another interesting post.
Cheers !!
I am so glad and really appreciate the feedback! Gives me the motivation and courage to continue the way I am! Thank you!
Nice!
Yes! Those eggs are so jam packed full of nutrition. I'm so excited (I totally resisted the urge to spell that with "egg") for you in this adventure.
DON'T RESIST THE FORCE.
Hi...yes the styrofoam incubators is what we used multiple times. They work perfect. Just be careful. Hatching quail is difficult. We couldn't keep many alive. They were so darn cute too when they hatched. Like these little brown Puff balls. But, as they grew, they kept pecking each others long toes until they died. It was so upsetting. We had about 30 of them too! So...please look this up . I am sure there is some help you can get about this. Wishing you all the best!!!!
I think all poultry will start to be destructive to each other if they are not in a big enough space.
You made your own incubators? That's what I'm talking here. There is an incubator that the breeder I got these ones from recommended, I just can't spend the money at the moment.
I always do research. :D And I have the guy I got them from as a resource. Thanks. :D
That thing is tiny! And perfectly white! The quail eggs I've seen (only a handful) were spotted and tan. Congrats!
Yeah! I had to double check with the breeder "They don't lay the spotted ones?!" Nope, not this breed! Georgia Bobwhites. :D