Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well I did something silly today...
I was going to post this today and ask "what now"


however now... barely 3 hours later...



I want to know WTF now?
These quail were all in the same pen and mixed sexes, however, they were all adolescent.
I would like to know, is there a point in me trying to keep this warm (mum wasn't broody) or is it likely to be infertile, and I should eat it?



so (alcohol addled mind attempting to be concise here. Pleas answer every point)

1. Do I keep the egg for hatching?
2. Without an incubator, what's my best hope?
3. How do I sex quail... I don't know if the guy said "the lighter coloured one with the small spots is male" or "the males are lighter and have smaller spots.
4. how much room do I need for them?
5. how many eggs will they produce?
6. will they brood much?
7. can I leave the chicks with the parents?
8. should I segregate males from females or just keep the ration of 1:3?
9. Am I in over my head?

If you want babies incubating is more efficient, if you're sort of take it or leave it just give them somewhere to nest and eventually one of them will get broody and sit...they won't all take on the first batch though. Incubating is more efficient because they stop laying once they start brooding...but an incubator that's auto turning will cost $200+
There are heaps of resources online about caring for them.

With manual turning, an incubator is but a heat lamp with a thermostat yes?
How often do they need to be turned?
Would this egg likely be viable? It tasted great! But had no Ted spot in the yolk.

Chances are slim that one will get broody. I did have a batam hen that I could slide eggs under and she would set them. Incubator is best.
See what I mean about them being messy with food. A good "bottom hen" wouldn't have to be fed much after cleaning up after the quail and you would get eggs from her also. I got about a dozen when I decided I wanted to try a buffalo wing type receipe on the first batch. 2nd batch should be laying in a couple weeks.

thanks BRB. Buffalos have wings?
Can anybody help me with questions
3,4,5,8 or 9?

Also 10. Can I build an incubator? Or am I wiser to shell out for an autoturning one.
I found one only on eBay. $200 and it only incubates 7 eggs

Oops, I'll try again. Female has a vent

Male has a bulb
I couldn't remember where I got the photos or I would have linked.

4) depends on how many. They are content in intensive cages.
5) good hens will make 5 or 6 eggs a week
6) they are terrible brooders. Some say the jap breed would die off with out intevention.
7) like chooks they bond with the chicks in their hatching or brooder. Pecking will occur but some mitigate with red light bulbs.
1:3 - 1:5 is fine. 1:3 gives better fertilization percentages but 1:5 is easier on the hens and you will have less hens that are bald on the backs of their heads.
9) heck-no!

Oh yes and question 10...IDK
mine is store bought still air little giant incubator with auto turning. I'm still not satisfied with the percentage hatching, 50-60% on a good hatching. I think the fan will help keep the temps in the incubator even and more stable, but I'm not sure. I don't like throwing 50% of the eggs away or into the composter. Just me personally go with electronic thermostat..less fluctuation than a wafer which heats..expands...
Auto turner= less bother
and the fan.
There isn't much to them if you get good components.

You probably know this but I have read if you use a fan forced incubator, that you should keep it cooler. 1 or 2 degrees your scale I think.
I should like to find a cheaper incubator somewhere...
have you experimented with different temps? perhaps this could change your success rate?

I guess it depends on when you find the eggs too.
how long can the sit cooling, neglected before going into the incubator and still be OK?

I have been getting them on ebay shipped priority mail. Never hatched my own yet. That may be where some of the losses occur with hot daytime temps in shipping trucks and cool nights. But I haven't heard that about the cooler temps with a fan.
I understand you can keep for about 7 days if kept around 60F.
Refidgerator is too cold.

Sorry BRB, didn't mean to let you down...



But I didn't have any taters to mash!

Didn't let me down, eating em is what it's about

You're best to keep eggs and collect them for about a week before putting into the incubator...incubation starts from when they go into the incubator so they all hatch about the same time. If you put them in one at a time you'll get a continual flow of babies instead of batches which is alot more work. I think once they are 5 days old, the fertility drops about 15% per day. If you collect eggs for a week, put in a batch, collect another week, put in a batch...then your incubator is full so you eat eggs for 2 weeks and start again in a fortnight.

Fertilised eggs only get the red spot if they've been warm enough to start incubation. If you're not planning on incubating the egg just whack it in the fridge and no red spot. If you're not sure how old it is, just throw it out...nothing quite as gross as cracking a chicken fetus into your breakfast. www.backyardpoultry.com.au has stacks of info.

Don't get too into it though, because you'll become what I like to call 'a chicken man/woman' devoid of all sense of style, hygeine or decorum. My wife is the one that likes the birds and while I tolerate her track pants around the place, if she tried to wear them out shopping the birds are all going.

oh, and manual turning happens 4 times a day...total pain in the tuckus.