today is the day

[rita]

well i still have 3 and the little one who was looking poorly has rallied round. so hopefully these will survive.
the only problem is they do look like all boys. hope not.

[Marigold]

I'm glad you still have three at any rate. How can you tell their sex st that stage?

[rita]

well i still have 3 little quails left, i think the high protein food i got off ebay has worked. the lady said she makes her own up with quail eggs cooked and mashed down with seeds and freeze dried. they love it. i think i have boys because of the markings on the head and face, but it's still early days yet. i wish i had the food earlier i might have saved the others. it's a learning curb raising these bobwhites.

[Marigold]

Glad to hear that, Rita. The idea for freeze dried high protein food sounds a good one. Fingers crossed for for the others!

[rita]

well i decided not to keep the bobwhites as they are a real handful.
i will be hatching some coturnix next time. very pretty quail tho.
http://i65.tinypic.com/2ufrdpk.jpg

[Marigold]

They've been quite a learning experience, haven't they, Rita? Mind you, I found my Coturnix were much harder to manage than chickens, at least until I had culled all the boys because they were causing such damage to the girls with their aggressive raping. Good endless supply of eggs once I had an all-female group, though. Good luck, anyway - fertility may not be very high in parent birds at this time of year so get plenty of eggs. Better time to hatch, though,with Spring coming and more possibility of putting them out to grass for some sunlight as they grow.
How's your husband getting on?

[rita]

Hello Marigold.
Yes it certainly has been a learning curb.
I was lucky with the boy i kept he was a really nice boy with the girls. they kept him in order.
if i get a problem i will not keep any boys as i like the girls to live in peace. they need to have lots of space so they can have places to escape if they wish.
i have seen some mixed colour quails on ebay so i will probably get some of them.
thank you for asking about my hubby, yes he's doing fine and back at work, though the leg does swell up if he's on his feet to much.
i know what you mean about the chickens being easier, at least they put them self to bed.