[harefarm]

How old are your quail now?

Mine are various sizes. The eggs I thought were massive compared to the ones my older girls lay. I would prefer smaller birds because it makes business sense - the eat less and lay the same sized egg apparently. 2 days ago they were just the tiny bundles of fluff but I have noticed all the feather shafts appearing today - wings, shoulders and sides!

I love the way they look at you - head stretched up as far as they can and their little heads tilted to one side, looking at you with one eye.

[Clarebelle]

They are 10 days old now and have feathers pretty much all over their bodies bar the head and chest although you can still see the down through the feathers, they are trying desperately to fly! They have been enjoying shredding lettuce and carrying mealworms around! They are all pretty much the same size, even the one with the gammy leg is keeping up with the others, growth wise. Perhaps its because there are only 5 of them there is next to no competition for food etc.

We chose jumbos as we wanted meat as well as eggs and so far I'm pretty impressed by the size they are getting. I also love the way they look at you, they have so much character, my kids love them! They have also started to have more of a chirrup than a 'cheep' and it sounds lovely!

[harefarm]

After say that, my Pekin laid her first egg this afternoon with the cockerel in the nest box beside her. Sweet little thing he is. I had the egg for tea and it was lovely.