That Quail Place Forum

Raising Gamebirds => Incubation => Topic started by: bkvail on March 04, 2009, 03:02:20 PM

Title: quail eggs are here....
Post by: bkvail on March 04, 2009, 03:02:20 PM
OK, my coturnix eggs are here, my incubator is ready, and the eggs are sitting getting acclimated..... I was sent extra eggs in case of breakage - and none broke.  I really don't want to start with 12 dozen at once!  I think I'll get another incubator set up and start some of them in a few days when that incubator is ready (I have a cement basement I can store the ones I'll wait on that stays around 50-55F).....meanwhile.....should I cull out smaller eggs?  Will smaller eggs produce hens that produce smaller eggs?  I think I'll pickle a jar of the eggs with the smaller ones.......
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: greyghost on March 04, 2009, 09:55:43 PM
BK, smaller eggs normally are from first year hens. The chick will also be small, at first. And then a wonderful thing happens; genetics kick in!
 The smaller eggs are from the same roosters as the larger eggs, but from smaller ( less mature) hens but their offspring will grow as large as the parents. Ghost.
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: bkvail on March 04, 2009, 10:01:58 PM
I did go ahead and boil some of them up for pickled eggs - there was more than I wanted to hatch anyhow!  Great info though, thanks!
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: slider on March 04, 2009, 11:35:57 PM
I bought some Butler Bobwhite eggs a few years past and all of the eggs were normal Bob size and I was concerned that the quail would be small so I called the guy that I purchased them from and he said not to worry that they would be very large quail and he was right.
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: bkvail on March 05, 2009, 10:27:33 AM
good to hear!  I won't worry about egg size in the future then! :)  The eggs are in the incubator this morning :: crossing fingers ::
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: wildergamebirds on March 05, 2009, 01:00:20 PM

  Slider is right, but it is my job to contradict him, anyway.  I generally set everything I have that isn't cracked.  Eggs that have been stored a week, or so, seem to show cracks better.  It may be just hallucination, or it may be that storage causes stress, or allows bacteria to grow, and expand the shell.  Always candle eggs properly, if possible, before setting.  This is especially important in incubators where you have eggs stacked, or those with slow recovery time, like the Styrofoam type.

  Now the contradiction; If you have 120 eggs, and a 100 egg incubator, you did the right thing, but also hold any that are a good deal larger than normal, spherical, or overly elongated.  Just playing the odds, I would bet on "normal" size chicks making it through the critical first few days a little better than smaller chicks.  This may all be hallucination, and probably not worth fretting over.
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: slider on March 05, 2009, 01:55:06 PM

  Slider is right, but it is my job to contradict him, anyway.  I generally set everything I have that isn't cracked.  Eggs that have been stored a week, or so, seem to show cracks better.  It may be just hallucination, or it may be that storage causes stress, or allows bacteria to grow, and expand the shell.  Always candle eggs properly, if possible, before setting.  This is especially important in incubators where you have eggs stacked, or those with slow recovery time, like the Styrofoam type.

  Now the contradiction; If you have 120 eggs, and a 100 egg incubator, you did the right thing, but also hold any that are a good deal larger than normal, spherical, or overly elongated.  Just playing the odds, I would bet on "normal" size chicks making it through the critical first few days a little better than smaller chicks.  This may all be hallucination, and probably not worth fretting over.

 s98
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: Reeves on March 08, 2009, 10:18:24 AM
Quote
Now the contradiction; If you have 120 eggs, and a 100 egg incubator, you did the right thing, but also hold any that are a good deal larger than normal, spherical, or overly elongated.  Just playing the odds, I would bet on "normal" size chicks making it through the critical first few days a little better than smaller chicks.  This may all be hallucination, and probably not worth fretting over.

Not hallucinations.

I believe I posted info on the importance of choosing eggs that fit the normal, in shape, size and color before. I think Steve did as well ?
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: bkvail on March 12, 2009, 09:12:49 AM
I ended up setting about 80 or so in two incubators - one is my homemade one, and one a little giant I purchased.  The rest I hot-pickled :)  They have been incubating a week now - everybody in the family is excited for these to hatch, even hubby.  I am glad to finally find something that the whole family is interested in!  Although my youngest son is mad that I will keep them in cages, he wants them to roam free like the chickens.  He doesn't understand they won't stick around and they won't chase dogs that bug them, LOL.   If he wants them to be free-range, then he would need to help build an area for them to be in - I have fencing, t-posts, and hardware cloth - would just need some netting to keep them from flying out I guess :)  That and help to pound in the t-posts!  ~Karin~
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: Reeves on March 12, 2009, 12:22:02 PM
T-posts + Dog = meal(s)
Title: Re: quail eggs are here....
Post by: bkvail on March 12, 2009, 12:41:53 PM
T-posts + Dog = meal(s)

nope, my dogs don't bother the fence at all that is already there (and has been since before they were born).  I have a rabbit running around in the fenced area and they just circle it drooling.  They keep other dogs away and they know the fenced area is off limits.  They won't even go inside if I have the gate open unless they are invited.  They stand at the gate with puppy dog eyes :)  The chickens fly out of the fenced area - and roam the yard.  The dogs don't even look at them twice.  They play in the same area as the chickens graze all the time and never a problem.  They KNOW they are ''mommies chickens''.  They keep other dogs chased off too :)  Now, if the rabbit were to be in the yard, that is another story.   I have seen them catch a wild cottontail and eat every bit of it, fur, feet, head, ears, all of it!