WE HOPE THAT WE CAN SHARE SOME HELPFUL TIPS AND POINTERS TO THOSE WHO ARE JUST STARTING OUT WITH RAISING GAME BIRDS.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT RULE IN RAISING BIRDS IS; NEVER BE LAZY! IF YOU EVER FIND YOURSELF THINKING, "THEY'LL BE FINE," OR "I CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT LATER," STOP! TAKE CARE OF IT NOW. ESPECIALLY WITH CHICKS AND EGGS, YOU MUST DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE THEIR ENVIRONMENT RIGHT, IF YOU DON'T YOU COULD LOOSE ALL YOU HAVE INVESTED TIME AND MONEY IN.
WHERE TO BEGIN
THE FIRST PLACE YOU WANT TO START IS TO DETERMINE WHAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF RAISING BIRDS. THERE ARE MULTIPLE ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION AND EACH ANSWER WILL TAKE YOU DOWN A DIFFERENT PATH.
1. RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR FUN, (KEEPING THEM YEAR ROUND TO ENJOY WATCHING THEM).
- THIS IS A GREAT OPTION FOR KIDS, AND ADULTS WILL GET ENJOYMENT OUT OF IT TOO. WITH THIS OPTION I SUGGEST KEEPING YOUR NUMBERS SMALL, A LOT OF BIRDS CAN COST A LOT OF MONEY, THEY CAN CREATE A LOT OF SMELL, AND CAN BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DECEASES. THEY WILL ALSO TAKE UP MORE TIME AND ENGERY WHICH MAY CAUSE KIDS TO HAVE LESS FUN AND LOOSE INTEREST. - WITH THIS CHOICE YOU MAY WANT TO PURCHASE A SMALL INCUBATOR AND START FROM EGGS. ALTHOUGH THERE WOULD BE MORE COST INVOLVED THAN JUST PURCHASING CHICKS THE BEST PART OF THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE IS WHEN THE CHICKS HATCH. EVEN TO THIS DAY I CAN SIT AND WATCH CHICK POP OUT OF EGGS FOR HOURS AT A TIME. -IF PURCHASING AN INCUBATOR IS NOT AN OPTION FOR YOU THAN PURCHASE CHICKS IS THE WAY TO GO. MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO FIND A LOCAL BREEDER TO SELL YOU CHICKS, THIS WAY YOU CAN GLEAN INFORMATION FROM THEM ABOUT THE PARTICULAR BREED YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO RAISE. HELPFUL HINTS: -BE PREPARED. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GETTING INTO, WHETHER IT'S READING SITES LIKE THIS OR TAKING OUT BOOKS FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT COMES NEXT IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE BIRDS. OTHERWISE YOU WILL END UP TEACHING KIDS ABOUT DEATH BEFORE LIFE. -CHOOSE THE RIGHT BREED. NOT ALL GAME BIRDS TAKE THE SAME AMOUNT OF CARE. SOME NEED A LOT MORE ATTENTION THAN OTHERS, SO MAKE SURE THAT THE BREED YOU GET (AT LEAST WHEN FIRST STARTING OUT) IS A HARDY BREED THAT CAN TOLERATE SMALL MISTAKES ON YOUR PART.
2. RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR MEAT
- RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR FOOD IS A GREAT WAY TO EAT HEALTHY AND CONTROL WHAT GOES INTO YOUR MEAT. WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING BIRDS FOR MEAT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS BREED. YOU WANT TO CHOOSE A BIRD THAT GROWS FAST AND PROVIDES A GOOD AMOUNT OF MEAT. THE BEST OPTION FOR THIS IS THE CORTURNIX QUAIL. AFTER HATCHING THE COTURNIX QUAIL ONLY TAKES BETWEEN 6 TO 8 WEEKS TO REACH FULL SIZE. ONE ADDED BONUS TO RAISING THESE FAST GROWING QUAIL IS THEY BEGIN LAYING EGGS AT AROUND 8 WEEKS. SO YOU END UP WITH A GOOD MEAT AND EGG SOURCE.
3. RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR DOG TRAINING/HUNTING
-WHEN RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR DOG TRAINING OR HUNTING THERE ARE A FEW FACTORS TO CONSIDER. FIRST, DO YOU WANT TO INVEST TIME AND MONEY IN RAISING YOUR OWN BIRDS, OR IS IT BETTER FOR YOU TO PURCHASE FULL GROWN FLIGHT BIRDS FROM A LOCAL BREEDER? SECOND, YOU MUST CHOOSE A BREED THAT SUITS YOUR NEEDS. THE MOST POPULAR BREEDS RAISED FOR DOG TRAINGING ARE FROM THE BOBWHITE FAMILY GROUP. THESE BIRDS ARE HARDY AND STRONG FLYERS. THE LAST FACTOR IS COST. WHEN RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR DOG TRAINING OR HUNTING
4. RAISING GAME BIRDS FOR BUSINESS
-BEFORE BEGINNING YOUR OWN GAME BIRD BUSINESS, WHETHER YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE RAISING BIRDS OR NOT, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. SIT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WILL BE INVOLVED, WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL BE, DO YOU WANT TO SPECIALIZE OR DIVERSIFY, AND WHAT DOES IT COST. START UP COSTS IN BUSINESS ARE HUGE, EVEN IF IT IS A SMALL BUSINESS, SO MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO INVEST. THIS ALSO GOES FOR TIME, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO SET ASIDE FOR A NEW VENTURE; WAIT, OTHERWISE YOU COULD STAND TO LOOSE OR BURN YOURSELF OUT. -AFTER DECIDING TO START YOUR BUSINESS, LAY OUT A GAME PLAN, STICK TO IT WHENEVER POSSIBLE BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO GO DOWN WITH THE SHIP. IN OTHER WORDS DON'T STICK TO THE PLAN EVEN IF IT IS GOING TO RUN YOU OUT OF BUSINESS. A GOOD PLAN IS FLUID AND CHANGES AS THE ENVIRONMENT IT IS IN CHANGES. -LASTLY, KEEP IN MIND THAT THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES, ESPECIALLY WHEN RAISING BIRDS. ALL IT TAKES IS ONE DECEASE AND YOUR ENTIRE STOCK IS WIPED OUT. SO PLAN AHEAD FOR THE WORST CASE, SAVE UP MONEY FOR WHEN THINGS GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, THAT WAY YOU CAN SAY THAT YOUR SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVED SOME DIFFICULT TIMES AND IS STILL HEAD, RATHER THAN ADMITTING THAT A LACK OF PLANNING AND SOME BAD EVENTS CAUSED YOU TO FOLD.
THE NITTY GRITTY
THIS NEXT SECTION DEALS WITH ACUTELY RAISING GAME BIRDS. AS I SPECIALIZE IN QUAIL AND BREED SOME PARTRIDGE, YOU WILL FIND THAT THIS INFORMATION IS MOST HELPFUL IN THOSE SPECIES, ALTHOUGH SOME CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER BIRDS.
THE BREAK DOWN:
EGGS
INCUBATION
CHICKS
ADULTS
BREEDING
FLIGHT BIRDS
DECEASES
PROBLEMS
EGGS - ORDERING, KEEPING, STORING, AND HANDLING
EGGS ARE A GREAT WAY TO START, ALTHOUGH IF DONE WRONG YOU WILL LOOSE ALL OF THEM, THERE REALLY IS NO ROOM FOR MAJOR ERRORS.
ORDERING WHEN ORDERING EGGS FOR AN ONLINE SORCE, MAKE SURE YOU LOOK FOR THE FOLLOWING THINGS: (IF THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE NOT DISCUSSED BY YOUR SUPPLIER, YOU WILL WANT TO CONFIRM WITH THEM THAT THESE STEPS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS.) - CLEAN EGGS - EGGS COVERED IN BIRD POO OR MUD DON'T HATCH. THIS IS BECAUSE THE PORES ON THE EGG WHICH ALLOW IT TO BREATH BECOME COVERED OR CLOGGED. ROLL OUT CAGES ARE BEST FOR THIS, ALLOWING THE EGGS TO ROLL OUT OF THE CAGE AWAY FROM THE BIRDS WHERE THEY COULD BE BROKEN OR COVERED IN POOP. - FRESH EGGS - EGGS CAN BE STORED FOR A WHILE, IF DONE PROPERLY, HOWEVER, WHEN ORDERING EGGS ONLINE YOU WANT THEM AS FRESH AS YOU CAN GET THEM AND MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHEN THEY WERE LAYED. I ALWAYS LET MY EGGS SIT FOR A FEW DAYS BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE INCUBATOR. - FERTILE EGGS - WHEN BUYING EGGS FIRST YEAR LAYERS ARE BEST. HIGHER FERTILITY USALLY COMES WITH THE BIRDS FIRST LAYING SEASON. YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BREEDER DOES NOT OVER STRESS THE MALES. YOU WILL GET A HIGHER FERTILITY RATE THE LOWER THE RATIO OF MALES TO FEMALES. YOU WANT TO SEE 1 MALE TO 2 OR 3 FEMALES AT MOST. ALSO, BIRDS RAISED IN COLONIES ARE GOOD TOO AND THE MALE TO FEMALE RATIO CAN BE A LITTLE HIGHER WITHOUT TO MUCH FALL IN FERTILITY. - SHIPPING EGGS - WHEN IN COMES TO A SUPPLIER, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY SHIP THE EGGS WITHIN THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE WEEK. IF NOT THE SHIPPING SERVICE COULD LEAVE YOUR EGGS OVER THE WEEKEND. THIS MAY NOT BE A ISSUE, UNLESS ITS VERY WARM OUT OR (WHEN BUYING IN THE WINTER MONTHS) VERY COLD OUT. PROMPT SHIPPING SERVICE IS WHAT THEY NEED, THE LESS TIME SPENT OUT OF YOUR HANDS THE HIGHER THE CHANCE OF SOMETHING ACTING ADVERSELY ON THE FERTILITY OF THE EGGS.
KEEPING WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING EGGS BEFORE INCUBATION THE SHORTER THE LENGTH OF TIME THE BETTER. I AIM FOR BETWEEN 3 - 10 DAYS FROM BEING LAYED, FOR QUAIL EGGS, AND FROM 7 - 25 DAYS FOR CHUKARS.
STORING IN ORDER TO STORE EGGS FOR THE TIME PERIODS DISCUSSED ABOVE, YOU MUST HAVE THE PROPER STORAGE CONDITIONS. FIRST, YOU MUST HAVE A COOL AREA TO STORE THEM IN. I USE MY BASEMENT, WHICH STAYS COOL ALL YEAR ROUND (IN THE 50'S F). THE SECOND IMPORTANT THING IS HUMIDITY. YOU WANT TO KEEP THE EGGS IN A PLACE WITH HIGH HUMIDITY, ABOUT 75%. THE THIRD THING WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO EGG STORAGE IS ROTATION. JUST AS YOU MUST ROTATE OR SHIFT THE EGGS DURING THE INCUBATION PERIOD, YOU MUST ALSO DO THE SAME DURING STORAGE. IF THIS IS NOT DONE, THE EGG WILL DIE AND NOT DEVELOP DURING INCUBATION, BUT MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP THE SMALLER END POINTED DOWN. FOR THIS I PURCHASED A SECOND EGG TURNING UNIT THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE USED FOR THE INSIDE OF A INCUBATOR, ALTHOUGH THIS PROCESS CAN BE DONE BY HAND. (NOTE: IF DONE BY HAND, TRY NOT TO HANDLE THE EGGS TOO MUCH, THE OILS FROM YOUR HANDS CAN CLOGE THE EGGS' PORES AND ALSO PREVENT THE EGG FROM DEVELOPING.)
INCUBATION - CHART, TIPS, DO'S AND DON'TS
If you are just beginning to hatch your own eggs, I would strongly suggest purchasing a incubator kit. By doing this you will have all the items you will need and they usually include simple step by step instructions. This being said, there are many different options to choose from when picking a kit. My personal favorite is the 2362N Circulated Air Hova-Bator.
Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) INCUBATION PERIOD: 21-23 days CLUTCH SIZE: 7 to 28 EGG COLOR: White NOTES: Circulated Air incubators: 99 3/4 degrees F; 84 to 86 degrees F wet bulb, reduce during last week of incubation.
California Valley Quail (Callipepla californica) INCUBATION PERIOD: 22-23 days CLUTCH SIZE: 10 to 14 eggs EGG COLOR: Buff/cream with brown spots NOTES: Incubation as in Bobwhite.
Gambel's Quail (Callipepla gambelii) INCUBATION PERIOD: 21-23 days CLUTCH SIZE: 6 to 19 eggs EGG COLOR: Pale buff to white with moderate pink/brown spots NOTES: Lower humidity than two above species, wet bulb of 83 F; hens will lay several clutches in captivity, reports of 50 eggs per hen are not uncommon.
Scaled Quail (Callipepla squamata) INCUBATION PERIOD: 22-23 days CLUTCH SIZE: 8 to 14 eggs EGG COLOR: Pale Buff to cream, light spotting. NOTES: Humidity: 82 to 84 degrees F wet bulb.
Elegant Quail (Callipepla douglasii) INCUBATION PERIOD: 22-23 days CLUTCH SIZE: 8 to 12 eggs EGG COLOR: White NOTES: Humidity as in Scaled; chicks may not start eating on their own. Also known as Benson or Douglas Quail.
Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezuma) INCUBATION PERIOD: 24-25 days CLUTCH SIZE: 6 to 16 eggs EGG COLOR: White NOTES: Keep wet bulb at 82 degrees F; chicks will need help to learn to eat.
Mountain Quail (Oreortyx pictus) INCUBATION PERIOD: 24-25 days CLUTCH SIZE: 6 to 15 EGG COLOR: Pale buff to cream, no spotting NOTES: Wet Bulb of 82 to 84 degrees F.
Chinese Painted Quail (Coturnix chinensis) INCUBATION PERIOD: 16 days CLUTCH SIZE: 4-7 EGG COLOR: Brown, mottled with black NOTES: Very tiny chicks, can slip through 1/2 inch hardware cloth; better known as the Button Quail.
Coturnix Quail (Coturnix coturnix) INCUBATION PERIOD: 16-17 days CLUTCH SIZE: 8 to 13 eggs in the wild; captive hens known to lay over 100 eggs in a season. EGG COLOR: As in above species. NOTES: Also known as the Pharaoh Quail and Migratory Quail; commercially raised for meat and eggs.
When it comes to incubation there a few things that I have found to work the best. First pick an incubator that fits your needs and comes with good reviews. In other words if you want to raise 150 quail at a time, your basic styrofoam incubator will work. If you want to raise a few hundred birds at a time, you will need to move up to a cabinet incubator. Whichever size you choose, DO YOUR RESEARCH!
BIRD 1-10 DAYS 10 Days - 6 WEEKS 6+ WEEKS Quail .5 Inches per Bird 1 Inch per Bird 1.5 Inches per Bird Chukars .75 Inches per Bird 1.5 Inches per Bird 2 Inches per Bird Pheasants 1 Inch per Bird 2 Inches per Bird 3 Inches per Bird
Water Space Requirements for Day Old Chicks
BIRD SPACE Quail 1 Inch per 100 Birds Chukars 1 Inch per 50 Birds Pheasants 1 Inch per 25 Birds
Average Seasonal Egg Production and Hatch-ability of Fertile Eggs
Bird Seasonal Production Hatch-ability of Fertile Eggs Quail 55-65 90% Chukar 30-50 90% Pheasants 60-70 85%