what do I do with.....

Well it haven't taken me long to have a post in this part of the forum.

Anyway....

As my search for birds is getting no where fast, getting some eggs seems to be the next thing, well incubator first them eggs lol

But I'm really worried about having loads of males. what will I do with them all??

Ok, I could give them the chop and have them for dinner - not eaten quail is it like chicken?? lol
And how am I to kill them??

And I need help in which incubator to get?? - they all seem the sameto me (you can tell I'm new can't you! )
I'm wanting a cheap small one but I don't want to make my own, must be idiot / newbie proof!

ange xx

hi ange
i have a covatutto incubator which has done great with quail eggs.i usually hatch at least 80% with it.i think its a covatutto 20 or somthing.its a forced air incubator.however it did cost me £45 so really its a matter of how much you are willing to pay and how many you are planning to hatch????i did by a still air covatutto which is one with a bulb but i hardly hatched any quail with that and the chicks that did died soon after hatching

for around £50 which is cheap for a new one p & t poultry do a auto turning forced air incubator its called a smart just type in the name above on the web they have lots more also to choose from it all depends on how much you want to spend.
the male quaill on the other hand are a bit like most other birds and animals not wanted so its up to you what you do but they do taste great

i`ve got a covatutto 12, the light bulb one, its really reliable and so good for small batches of eggs.

best £50 i`ve ever spent!

phillipm1969 wrote:for around £50 which is cheap for a new one p & t poultry do a auto turning forced air incubator its called a smart just type in the name above on the web they have lots more also to choose from it all depends on how much you want to spend.
the male quaill on the other hand are a bit like most other birds and animals not wanted so its up to you what you do but they do taste great

Thanks,
I got my oldest daughter Holly (9) looking for the site this morning before school - and she found it. Nice site, found a few more things I needed to get with is good.

Still a little worried about the males and having to kill them - don't want to get it wrong.
I know this does sound horrible but is there a website or can some one tell me the best why to do it. I know my mum would do it, she's done it before when she was younger and lived at home as they had chickens and kept them for meat. But I'm a big girl I think I should do it (not that I'd want to)

ange xx

Are you planning on eating the males? I'm a vegetarian so I find it kind of cruel to kill something you created but no longer want.
Anyway, I found a site that may help you, good luck.
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/killing-chicken-meat.php

Ange, you can always try advertising the males for a token price for people to have in aviaries - I gave my first large number of males away for free (went and checked the place out first!), if they hadn't been re-homed by 8 weeks it would have been the chop for them.

I don't like the idea of killing either, but I do think its quite good to know you are able to do it as it does seem a little wrong to eat meat but only because you don't have to deal with the nasty side. I hope to be able to do it with the "spares" from this hatch - I eat so many chickens a year I should be able to sort a quail for myself.

Also a good technique to have in case you need to cull an injured or poorly quail.

Or if you get deformed chicks

a quick and easy way to cull your quaill is to hold your bird around the neck between thumb and index finger and not letting go, is to pretend with alot of force to throw it towards the floor in a swinging action this will do the biss ! or just the old fasiond way whilst pulling in different directions twist and pull body n neck im sorry if this is not what you want to hear but its simple ! and im not a person

thanks everyone.

Well like Harrie & Sammyboy said it's good for them reasons too. Esp when I have chickens too.

Well I think I'll try selling them 1st if no lucky there then it will have be be lunch.
The lady I buy all my animal food from should know people with avaries - seeing her today so I'll ask if she does. Might as well start looking for homes now before I get any males.

I should have my incubator soon - it's my birthday next month and I've been doing some hinting to the other half! lol
Well his birthday was last month and ok he hasn't got his pesent yet, but it's a big fancy chicken coop, mind is only little!

ange xx

me too , i have many of quail ( male ) and they are fight, but i hate to eat them or kill them ..

Well in the wild most birds are killed by predators and not every bird has a happy ending. I think as long as they have been kept fairly well and have had a happy life.

In some cultures (mainly were religion is absent and animism predominates), killing and eating animals are seen as part of the web of life. The spirit of the creature is respected by eating it's flesh and not wasting it.

I guess it's a personal thing, but you can get used to killing and eating your own food. It's not a bad thing. It obviously makes it easier if you don't give them names or attribute human characters to them.

That's a good point Andoy.

Sadly I'm a big softie when it comes to my animals.
Like yesterday - I buried one of my quails - Remember I only have 2!!
Next doors evil cat got at it the night before. Other one a little quicker and got away. I still don't know how they got out.

My one and only quail is now indoors, in the guinea pig run that has a house with it.
I'll have to get my finger out and get my incubtor so she has a friend or two to keep her company.

ange xx

I'v found my little golden prefers to come in the house than stay out with the other quails, she'll run around the house, and if i can't see her, i call her name and she cheeps

I've done something I said I wouldn't do......

.......I went to the pet shop and bought some quails!

I have to say they are nice and look really healthy. All chinese painted 2 brown colour 3 silver/grey - and 1 of them is male.
The other 4 and the 1 I had look like females.

The guy at the pet shop said he thought they were over 8 weeks - no one working was in yesterday to say for sure (the quails came in yesterday morning, boss sorted it and he wasn't in)

At what stage will I get any eggs??

ange xx

Hey Ange
if they are 8+ weeks old they should start to lay in a few weeks, one egg a day if they have 12 or more hours of light a day.
good luck with them

Keelan