Home Hatching FAQs:
Why quail instead of chickens?
Coturnix quail are great for rural or urban environments because they’re small, quiet, and grow FAST. They hatch in roughly 18 days instead of 21 days for chickens. They also start laying delicious eggs as early as 6 weeks after hatching whereas chickens can take 16-24 weeks (depending on breed). Lastly, quail chicks are adorable!
What’s the Hatching Kit & Program cost?
$200 for the complete program plus a $50 deposit on the equipment. So $250 upfront with $50 refunded if the equipment is still working properly upon return.
What’s in the elementary curriculum?
50 pages with enough variety for all elementary students. It has experiments, simple math problems, and fun activities like coloring pages and mazes for youngsters along with more detailed scientific and historical information for older kids. It also has links to online resources and videos.
What’s the time commitment?
Four weeks from beginning to end. There’s some flexibility but generally it would start around the first of the month and end by the 29th.
It’s up to you how much time is spent on the curriculum but caring for the eggs and chicks is pretty easy. Someone will need to add water to the incubator’s water port twice per day (once in the morning and again in the evening). That’s really all you need to do until the chicks hatch around day 18 aside from candling the eggs on day 10 and putting the eggs on “lockdown” on day 15. Once the chicks hatch, you will need to move them from the incubator into the brooder and monitor their food and water but that doesn’t take much time either.
How will I get everything? What about returning?
If you’re within 20 miles of Rockford, MN, I will deliver and pick up everything for free. If you’re outside of 20 miles you can get/return everything yourself or I will deliver for a fee.
What about city ordinances regarding poultry?
If you’re returning the chicks after a week, there’s nothing to worry about because the chicks won’t be outside. If you’re keeping the chicks, I can help look up your city’s code. Depending on where you live, lot size, and where the quail are kept, nobody may even know you have them. Quail hens are virtually silent. Quail roosters do crow but they’re not nearly as loud as chicken roosters.
Where do I put the equipment?
The incubator and brooder must be inside your home through the entire process, not outside or in the garage. Both should be placed on a table or counter top where dogs, cats, or small children can’t accidentally cause problems with the equipment or baby chicks.
How many will hatch from a dozen eggs?
Not all eggs will hatch but if the instructions are followed, there should be 6 to 8 chicks. If I return the chicks, what happens to them? The chicks will be brought back to my farm and put in “quarantine” for a while to make sure they’re healthy before they can join my quail covey.
If I keep the chicks, what equipment do I need?
You’ll need a brooder, feed, and eventually a cage or pen for them to live. I can provide additional information if needed.