Lesley Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Our quail have started laying again! - I thought they were never going to start I nearly didn't open up their house, but i did.... and there were two little eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Congratulations - its wonderful when you find a 'first' egg of the year. This awful weather has delayed them somewhat this year methinks. We have had enormous hailstones today - which prevented me from installing my batch of quail into their new home - although covered etc didn't want to risk it. Maybe the end of next week - when a bit of sunshine is forecast. Will you be eating your eggs or hatching them Lesley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Yay I got my first two eggs today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 I've been getting them for a few weeks now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 12, 2008 Share Posted April 12, 2008 Yay I got my first two eggs today Brilliant Bronze - maybe you can hatch from your own eggs. Well done you - its a nice feeling isn't it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted April 13, 2008 Author Share Posted April 13, 2008 I've been getting them for a few weeks now. You sold me the duff ones then Martin? We'll be eating them Dilly - I'm done with hatching for a while. Those first two will be for grandchildren - they are coming today for the Curry Fest that I'm cooking for. One dish is Egg Curry and I'm making tiny portions for them with a quail egg each! We had one more yesterday.......that one is mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Yay I got my first two eggs today Brilliant Bronze - maybe you can hatch from your own eggs. Well done you - its a nice feeling isn't it I don't think I will be hatching more. I'll just be keeping them for eggs. They're a bit like celery and the hassle put into preparing them isnt worth the meal. I'm looking forward to our first eggs though. We're thinking of a salad. 2 birds frozen 7 to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Well done Bronze - I have yet to do the deed - 2 weeks to go. There is a lot of work in raising them isn't there - and like you I am going to have the girls as pets for their eggs - and see how I go with the ones I have. Wouldn't it be perfect if the hatching ratio of males to females was higher. I would be happy if it was even 50: 50 Like you I think I only have about 5 females out of the 18 successfully hatched Best wishes lottie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daj198 Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Do the males crow, or are they just annoying because they don't lay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Too many males will fight you need one male to every 5 approx females for the females to lay (I understand) so when you get more males hatching than females you have a lot of surplus males I have thought that through and like the experienced quail keepers on the forum my plan is to eat the surplus males but I anticipate that will be difficult and I suspect there will be tears and refusal to eat from the children. The quails won't be getting names as I'm not sure I could eat anything with a name... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Quails will lay eggs without a male - just like chickens (I checked that out before I started incubating eggs) The male:female ratio you mentioned Patricia is if you want to get fertile eggs. You are quite right. Some people breed them in pairs, and different ratios up to the one you mentioned. I have four females to one male, and I will be keeping the females I have hatched in one group on their own as my egg laying girls. I am going to hatch some more later in the summer from two different sources to ensure I have different blood lines, so that in the future, if I want too, I can breed from my own stock. Like you Patricia - it will be a 'gulp' moment coming to terms with eating the males. But it is all part of taking responsibility (my own opinion about myself) for having quail. They are having a great time, and being well looked after, and well cared for with the best food etc I can give them all. In a week's time I hope to have them outside with the wind on their wings and the sunshine to bathe in. Weather permitting of course. I am not looking forward to the moment when they have to be culled - but will face that when I come to it. So far it has been a very rewarding experience and I have learned a lot about all sorts of things - so quite an education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Just 'sorted' another couple. they're quite difficult to do as you have to open them right up because theyre too small to clean out otherwise (though I did manage one as it was slighlty bigger) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Brilliant Bronze - did your husband do the 'deed' for you? I think it is something that gets easier the more practice we get. I am fine with game birds and rabbits etc had lots of practice, this will be different as, like you, I will have 'grown' them myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow Posted April 14, 2008 Share Posted April 14, 2008 Well done Bronze - I'll be looking for advice when the time comes. I've never cleaned anything before (although I did do a saturday job as a meat wrapper as a teenager). Dilly's words about being part of the responsibility for having quail sum up how I feel about it. I'm not veggie and whilst I'll respect anyone who choses to be veggie I don't personally feel the need although I'm not a big meat eater. I think we need to be responsible about how meat is reared and how much we consume so that it is humane and sustainable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
