19!
When I took them out this morning I counted them and there are 19! Yeah! They were good for me this time and none of them jumped out of the incubator when I opened it as they tend to do when there is that many. I was quite pleased since I am still having trouble getting the humidity up at hatch time now that the incubator is in the spare room instead of my closet, but I did manage to get it up to 48%. Apparently that was enough.
Of course, after I started taking picture they all wanted to move.
Here they are close up. Nothing like a bright blinding flash for your first day in the brooder.
I'll give the other eggs another day, then I may wait for the duck eggs to hatch before putting in another batch of quail. Out of the 5 duck eggs it looks like only 3 may have survived which bothers me since I was especially attentive this time and made sure they were turned and moistened each day. But that is just the way hatching goes sometimes.
Very, very cute. You're a good mama :)
ReplyDeleteThat's so awesome!
ReplyDeleteAww, they are so cute!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely adorable! Good job, Mama :)
ReplyDeleteThey are only cute when they are this small. Once they start to grow, they just look like...dinner.
ReplyDeleteThat's hilarious!! I just about spit water all over my monitor. I can honestly say I've never eaten quail but I assume much like chicken?
DeleteThink a very tender chicken with tiny bones (the bones are a bit of an aggravation but the tender meat is wonderful).
DeleteWow! So many chicks! It can provide your with a meal of quail throughout the year.
ReplyDelete19 quail will provide about 3 meals for the three of us. You have to, at least, make 2 quail each, 3 is better but Michelle will only eat one anyway if she eats any at all.
DeleteYay and they are very cute. Congratulations. Now for the fattening up I presume.
ReplyDeleteAbout 10 weeks is what I like to fatten mine up for. They are mature by 6-8 weeks but they fill out more for a couple weeks after that.
DeleteThey are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteNow you got me interested in raising some ;)
What type of quail are they?
Carolyn
These are corturnix or Japanese pharaoh quail. You can also get the English white corturnix or the Texas A&M (just keep in mind that the Texas A&M aren't really that anymore, too many people have bred them who don't know what they are doing) but I think the brown ones are better. Keep the biggest as breeders and cull the little ones and extras.
DeleteThey sure are cute, being single, it would be tuff for me to keep a lot of animals out in the bush. I would have a full time job keeping the predators away.
ReplyDeleteYou'd just need a good barn or a heated basement or maybe a spare room like where I keep my chicks, lol.
DeleteWow, so many! You're going to be busy!
ReplyDelete