New Quail Coop & Eggs!

The last couple of days have been simply gorgeous outside.  Today was actually tshirt weather!  We’ve been grabbing our chance to work on the new quail coop.

I don’t think I ever showed you my sketch:

As with my costuming, I really don’t like to follow someone else’s pattern.  I just like to come up with these things on my own.

After two days work, here’s where we are:

Different view:

At the last minute, I decided to flip the nest box to the right side, because I realized that will make it possible to see the quail from the kitchen window.  There will be a small green roof on the middle section.  I’ll probably fill it with the musk strawberries I’ve been wanting to grow (that will keep them out of reach of any slugs.)

Loki’s future wives came in the mail today.  Instead of going through a regular hatchery this time, I chose an individual off ebay to buy from.  He had good reviews, so I’m hoping the eggs hatch well.  He did pack them really well, first in a massive box filled with crumpled newspaper, then in a carton wrapped in bubble wrap.

Then each egg was wrapped separately in paper.

Also, he sent extras – a full twenty eggs.  None were broken, so I’ll have to try to candle them to see if the air cells of any eggs are detached, and only incubate the twelve that I feel have the greatest chance of hatching.  Since it’s really, really hard to candle teeny dark-speckled eggs, I’ll probably mostly be guessing.

I was surprised by one of the eggs:

Look – there’s one completely plain egg – no speckles!

I’ll be incubating that one for sure.  I’d heard that some coturnix lay plain eggs, and hopefully, if it hatches and is a girl, she might lay plain eggs also.  That would be a fun addition!

Right now the eggs are “resting” from their ordeal of being shipped.  Tonight before bed, I’ll candle them and choose twelve to put into the incubator.  And hopefully, sixteen to eighteen days from now, I’ll have baby chicks!  Girl chicks.  Fingers crossed.

My little kale and cabbage seedlings are ready to go out into the garden this weekend, which frees up the grow light for ground cherries and tomatoes.

And today at the Food Coop, I couldn’t resist picking up a few Golden Beet starts, even though I’ll be planting my own beet seeds out soon.  It’s just so lovely to have something green and growing in the vegetable bed!