One day Daniel found an abandoned nest of 11 quail eggs in the backyard. We brought them inside, and read online that you can use an electric skillet as an incubator. So we thought, let's give it a try! We kept the eggs at 100 degrees for three weeks and then miraculously, they hatched! 9 out of 11 eggs hatched! It was truly amazing to see! We then researched how to make a brooder (a plastic bin with holes on the top and a heating lamp to keep them at the right temperature) and we raised these baby quail. Daniel built a coop in the backyard for them once they were full grown (6 weeks). It has been a fun experience that we have had this summer having these quail.
Here is a picture Micah drew of a baby quail on my cell phone. He is such a talented four-year-old!
Sadly, half of the quail ended up escaping the coop and getting lost. They never did produce eggs like they were supposed to, so we decided we should use them for their meat so they wouldn't go to waste by escaping and dying. We didn't have a plan to keep them forever anyway. So my farmer husband respectfully ended their lives and prepared them for us to eat. They are currently in the freezer. My gratitude for grocery stores has increased. I am thankful to have had this experience and I definitely respect the life cycle in a whole new way. Thank you little quail.
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