Modifying a Rabbit Hutch for Quail

At last, some sunshine! This has awakened a little productive spirit in me and I have cracked on with my quail preparations by finishing the hutch refurbishments & alterations.

Formerly a rabbit hutch, a few modifications were needed to make it suitable for quail. Firstly, it needed a good scrubbing out and disinfecting.  I have previously used this as an isolation wing for my hens so this was particularly important.  Next I took down the partly-chewed dividing wall as this won't be necessary for quail.  As bunnies enjoy a dark sleeping area, the door on the left was solid wood, but my quails will enjoy more light so I replaced this with wire mesh.  The hutch looked a bit dull, so after perusing all the wood treatment options I chose one that would add a splash of colour, something like sea grass I think.  The roof was a little tired and had showed signs of leakage so I replaced the felting with a kindly donated off-cut.  Finally I added the cabin hook latches to enable me to open the doors independently of each other, and also to stop them being pushed inwards.  It is now ready to become the new residence of a small family of quail. Roll on hatch day...

In which it is found Quail eggs are incredibly difficult to candle...

One of my favourite activities is sitting in a dark room, clutching my 'egg torch' and checking for signs of life inside those little shells.  Tonight I've discovered two of my Quail eggs are probably clears (that is, they are infertile) and ten of them might not be. Thats as good as it gets. They are fiddly little buggers to handle, and because of their dark mottled pattern and fairly thick shell almost impossible to see through.  So now all I can do is wait. I'm not going to handle them any more as I don't think it does them any favours, and to be honest I don't think it will tell me much more.  I'm slightly concerned about one which looked vaguely like it had a blood ring, I really don't want any bad eggs going explosive on me (or on them more like!).  I might have to re-check that one in a couple of days and if in doubt, chuck it out - better to lose one possible viable chick than all twelve.

At last, some hatching eggs

I finally decided I'd waited long enough for bad weather & winter to pass and ordered some hatching quail eggs. They are currently cooking nicely in the Brinsea Mini Advance. So far, so good. Last year, I hatched 3 out of 10 mixed hybrid layers. For my first attempt I was quite pleased. I'm hoping for a few more this year as I have altered several factors. Firstly, the mini advance is automatic, so eggs get turned more frequently, including through the night, and at regular intervals. Secondly, I'm trying much harder to leave well alone!  I remember the first time I candled the hens eggs last year & the absolute delight at seeing those tiny embryos dancing around inside the shell - it was pure magic.  Well, once I had seen that it was all too tempting to have another look, & retrospectively I probably did this far too often. I'm sure at one point I had at least 7 live in the shells.  Tonight I will attempt to candle the quail eggs & see whats going on, and after that I will sit on my hands...