Website Main Page
Forum Main Page

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 02:09:39 AM

Login with username, password and session length
Search:     Advanced search
TQP Forum has a new look!  Let us know what you think!
42420 Posts in 6016 Topics by 2375 Members
Latest Member: jg102
* Home Help Search Calendar Login Register
+  That Quail Place Forum
|-+  Production and Business
| |-+  Poultry Production
| | |-+  Breeder Rotation
« previous next »
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: Breeder Rotation  (Read 6876 times)
backyardquail
Senior Member
*****

Karma: 6
Offline Offline

Posts: 54


This place is going to the birds!

WWW
« on: September 15, 2011, 08:53:28 AM »

I was told elsewhere in this forum that fertility rates drop as the birds age (which makes complete sense) and that for coturnix quail a year old is beginning to be a "little old", what type of breeder rotation are people using?  Do you change them out every 6, 8, 12 months?

I raise them for meat and eggs personally.  I grow them out to 7-8 weeks and into the freezer the go.  So I have no problem culling them as needed, just looking for a guideline on when to retire a breeder.

Thanks!
Logged

Backyard Quail
"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." - Victor Hugo
cv
Expert Member
*****

Karma: 15
Offline Offline

Posts: 194


« Reply #1 on: September 15, 2011, 09:37:38 AM »

bump
Logged
backyardquail
Senior Member
*****

Karma: 6
Offline Offline

Posts: 54


This place is going to the birds!

WWW
« Reply #2 on: October 05, 2011, 10:05:37 AM »

really?? nobody has information on this are at least an opinion?    dh1

Got this from the Mississippi State University Extension Service - Poultry Science Department website

"For those who carry the same breeders over for 2, 3 or more years, close observation and culling should be carried out throughout each laying season. Using the same breeders for more than one laying season can lower egg production, fertility, and hatchability with weaker offspring, and less disease-resistant birds." (sounds like a single season is recommended)

"With small breeding operations it is often advisable to introduce unrelated breeder stock at least every third year to prevent inbreeding problems. You may exchange males with another breeder who has an unrelated strain, purchase new birds, or buy eggs and raise your own new blood line.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2011, 10:16:12 AM by backyardquail » Logged

Backyard Quail
"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." - Victor Hugo
cv
Expert Member
*****

Karma: 15
Offline Offline

Posts: 194


« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2011, 05:49:06 PM »

Are they under lights laying all year long? I'd plan a fertility rate check and take it from there.
Logged
backyardquail
Senior Member
*****

Karma: 6
Offline Offline

Posts: 54


This place is going to the birds!

WWW
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2011, 10:07:28 AM »

They are not under lights all year, I let them rest over winter although some keep laying.   s20

I appreciate the feedback, but what exactly is a "fertility rate check".  I googled it with no luck.  I assume you mean a check that the eggs being laid are still fertile and have a good hatch rate.  Not to dismiss the suggestion, but I have a small simple incubator and seem to get about 50% hatch no matter what I do.  I am looking for a simpler, less scientific, plan like every 4, 6, 12 months rotate in new breeders.

Here is what I am thinking.  I will retire my current breeders in the next couple of weeks, they are almost a year old.  I have a good group of week old quail in the brooder right now, from them I will overwinter some to become my spring breeders.  I plan to order some eggs in the spring to expand the blood line and merge these with the overwinter birds to be my 2012 seasonal breeders.  Next year same thing.  Thoughts?  Opinions?
Logged

Backyard Quail
"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." - Victor Hugo
alan vallejo
Junior Member
***

Karma: 3
Offline Offline

Posts: 23

« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2011, 11:24:31 AM »

thats looks like a god plan, but mi concern is the 50% hatch.  do you control all the parameters in the incubator, at hatch time? and incubation periods?

humidity in hatch should be at no les than 60% depending the climate and altitude, y live in mexico city and is very hi in here so y acheve no lees than 75% for god hatch ratio(95%) the lower altitude the lees humidity you need. and for the first incubation period y usualy achive around 50% humidity. the temp is also important, y most be constant around 99.5 to 101 f. an at last turning eggs if you make it manualy you have to tur them at least 4 times a day.
hope these can help you
 
Logged
cv
Expert Member
*****

Karma: 15
Offline Offline

Posts: 194


« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2011, 12:47:55 AM »

Personally, I would expect a higher percentage of live hatch. On a 50 percent no hatch rate, I would crack eggs to check and see what's going on and what I may be doing wrong. Though I look no mater what the hatch rate is. There's plenty charts here on the forum and people to help you out. I would expect 60 to 65 percent or better after cannibialism and some culling. For me, if 50 percent of the eggs aren't fertile its time for a change.
 
 
Logged
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
« previous next »
 

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!