🌿Faster Than Fast🌿
.
Everything about the life of a quail is fast. Upon hatching they are a completely different bird than chicken chicks. Chicken chicks will stagger around a bit while they get their legs under them. Quail chicks stand up and take off at a speedy run.
🌿
The chicks are so fast that after hatching I do not open the hatching lid until I have it set down inside of the brooder so when their little motor legs launch them up and over the side of the hatching trey they safely plop into shavings as opposed to running right off of a counter!
🌿
Each week a quail grows remarkably fast and by 8 weeks they are fully grown and ready to start laying eggs or be processed for meat (if you are wanting to #closetheloop on your protein sources).
🌿
No matter how well we keep them they seem to naturally pass away after 2 years. I believe it is because they come into the world swiftly and are designed to come out of it swiftly. They hatch out in large numbers in the wild and are an important part of the natural food chain for animals higher up. A 2 year old quail is something that I do not believe exists in the wild, a one year old quail would be a great grandfather quail for sure!
🌿
The baby quail in this photo are fresh hatchlings and there is nothing softer then gently moving your hand about them. They are smooth as silk! ❤️