Last Sunday, we went back to the auction and picked up 11 quail (Coturnix). There were three males, and 8 females (I THINK, I can’t vent sex for the life of me). There are blondes, Texas A & M quail, traditional brown, and ones that look like tuxedo quail. They weigh, on average, of 0.4 lbs. Currently they are housed in a 4′ x 2′ wire enclosure on the floor of our car port. They have enough space per bird (a little less than 0.75 square foot per bird), which will have to do for now, until I can find a bookshelf, or some pallets to re-purpose.

This is the far end of the quail end.

So, I couldn’t find game bird food. Quail need up to 30% protein to lay eggs. So, I am using a finisher crumble with 22% protein, with wet spent grain from the beer process (which has between 25-30% protein, as well as many other nutrients). It will have to do for now, until I can find some soybean meal.

On another note:

I went through and weighed everything on our little homestead from last week (seven guinea pigs, five broiler chicks). The chicks were like MONSTERS! Especially the Cornish X.

These meat chickens are growing REALLY FAST!

All of the chickens doubled in size! Which is a feat it took my Rhode Island Reds 4 weeks to do (not 1!). The Cornish X weighs 1.34 lbs (up from 0.66), and the average on the other 4 is 0.57, up from 0.26 lbs.

This is Butters, who runs and greets me

Butters, my favorite Guinea Pig, always greets me with food loudly, and is up to 1.94 lbs from 1.88. Since we got her at auction, I don’t know how much she ate, and if the access to tons and tons of fresh grass (not so much on the pellets) resulted in weight gain. She also is getting a lot of exercise too, so I don’t feel bad.

Steve-O is my breeding boar

Speaking of exercise, the male that is currently in with the females (my Petsmart male Steve-O), he lost 0.19 lbs. I think this is because he was in a pet home, with no exercise, eating only pellets. Also, because he is literally chasing tail all day. He is eating, and appears healthy.