Male/Female Ratio,grit,calcium,..

[flynpa]

Hello again.  I am brooding my first batch of quail (Butler Bobs) and have many questions.  I have literally read almost every post on this and another board.  I have information overload.  If these questions have already been answered, please forgive me.

1)  Do quail normally hatch around 50/50 male-female or is it very random?
2)  Can the male/female ratio be altered with incubation temp like some reptiles or by any other method?
3)  If I am not using a bedding that they can eat (such as alfalfa) or giving them greens yet, when should I start providing grit?
4)  When should I start providing calcium?
5)  I want to eventually have a small colony of each of the different quails.  How hard is it gonna be to obtain hatching eggs this fall/winter?
6)  I know that quail should not be put outside until they have been brooded down to the outside lows.  If it gets colder outside than where I keep them (in the house for now),  what do I do?  I was thinking of putting a heat lamp in the outside cage that they will eventually go in.   Will this work?
7)   I am going to build a cage of 3' x 8' x 16".   I was going to put a solid roof on the whole cage.  Is there any reason why I should not put a solid roof on the whole thing (besides the "boink" factor)?  Do they need direct sunlight?
8)  Do chicks need a dirt bath or do I wait until they go into their "adult" pen?

On a side note.  I just wanted to put in a good word for the person that I purchased my hatching eggs from.  I purchased 20 eggs from sunshinesmiles49 on ebay.  They sent 25 that were packaged really well with none broken.  3 ended up being clear which I assume means they were infertile.  Of the other 22, 17 hatched in my fairly unpredictable homemade incubator.  Thanks sunshinesmiles49.

Thanks,

Stuart

[Reeves]

I'll try and answer some of these: note, others may very well have more/better answers.

1 - Random

2 - no. Been proven this is an old "wives" tail.

3 - I provide grit from day one. (size #1 - same size as a person would provide for say a Budge)
     Also provide a sand bath.

4 - There is (or should be) enough in their feed. Generally, a calcium supliment isn't given to any till breeding, and even then only when   you are collecting eggs and they have an extended laying season. Too much calcium isn't good for the males.


5 - No idea. Keep in mind some species may do much better when paired off. Depends on the volume you are lookig for, and the quality of life you want for them.

6 - Should work. Without seing your set up and knowing the general are you live, for me is hard to say : I live in northern Canada.

7 - Sunlight on their sand bath will likely be a must. Dries it out and they love to bath in warm sand. You'll see them standing in the sun each morning and on cooler days.

8 - Answered.

[flynpa]

Thanks again Reeves.  You are the man.   More info:  I am in deep south Texas with currents highs of 99 and lows of 79.

[russ]

  YES REEVES IS THE MAN, He always answers my questions and is a GREAT wealth of knowledge....Thanks Reeves....Russ

[slider]

Reeves is the man !!!!!!!![/b]