#Quail egg (not to scale)

[its-a-beautful-day]

In memory of Kaiju and as a gift to @kaijutegu

I wanted to represent tumblr's favorite lizard with her favorite food and the smile we'll remember her by 💖

[persimmontartkisses]

The quail are laying again. Spring is in full session 🙏

[audley-and-cherry]

ANYWAY the reason why I haven't tried quail eggs yet is because the only farm near me that sells them flies Trump flags and lol, no. Even my foodie ass won't go to those depths.

[kaijutegu]

So how do you make a cake for a lizard?

Start with a gel premix- I use Grub Pie or Chicken Pot Pie. This one was Chicken Pot Pie. I make this up in a ramekin and sink berries or bits of clam in while it's still liquid. It sets to firm jello consistency at room temperature- it's very easy to use.

For icing, I either pipe pumpkin puree or I make a thick Repashy gel- this was Mulberry Madness made with 1/2 the typical water content so that it's thick enough to act like icing.

Then I top it with fruit and a quail egg. It's a lot of fun for a tegu to tear through!

For smaller lizards, you can scale this down. Things like gargoyle geckos and crested geckos are unlikely to enjoy this (they just don't go in for gel food, they prefer different textures), and a leopard gecko would likely just ignore it. But a bearded dragon would probably really enjoy such a treat, especially if you made it with Beardie Buffet or Veggie Burger!

[kedreeva]

I know you've raised several breeds of quail by now- which one has been your favorite? I'm looking into adding one or two quail tractors to my farm to help manage the insect population in the horse pastures as well as roaming them supervised in the barn for the same purpose. (With a hutch in the tack room for the winter and nighttime). I'm just not sure what species to choose! I have quite a few available around me, including button, bobwhite, coturnix, and celadon coturnix.

my "favorite" doesn't really apply to use; my favorite are the bobwhites, but keeping them was a nightmare. In the peafowl pens, the peafowl just ate their eggs. In an indoor pen, they hid their eggs and I was forever finding hidden stashes that were ??? age. In hutches, they seemed miserable and more aggressive. After a lot more reading on research done about it, wild-release captive-born birds pretty much never survive to reproduce, so it was wasted money and time (for the quail, I'm sure the predators in the area didn't mind, nor the outdoor cats).

But for what you want, bobwhites and buttons are not going to really be feasible. Bobwhites you can't really "roam" them even indoors, because you will have a hell of a time catching them if you can even find them- those little shits can squeeze into pinholes you would not BELIEVE if they are trying to hide after landing from a flush, and they're excellent at flying. I let the WHITE snowflake bobwhite I had into the peafowl pen and immediately lost her when she buried herself in a small patch of longer grass along the barn wall within 3 seconds (I did find her eventually but man she was HIDDEN). Buttons are even worse/smaller, and they're not even cold hardy, so you'd have to actually heat them in the winter, not just keep them in a room protected from draft. You'd kind of run into the same problem with other new world quail like valley/gambel's, or blue scale, or montezuma or whatever. They're all still naturally flighty, survival game birds.

The coturnix really aren't that much better, but at least they suck at flying and aren't as flighty to begin with, but you're still likely to be chasing them around the barn to get them back, rather than them returning to a hutch to sleep. The problem with them is they're fairly lazy, and they don't raise their own kids ever (it's just been bred out of them), so you WILL have to buy more or an incubator if you want to replace them, and they are Meat birds and don't tend to live as long as new world quail. But, of all the quail, that would probably be your best bet if your heart is set on quail. They're ravenous, they're meaty and lay eggs daily year round, and they're pretty tame for a game bird. If you like blue eggs, then you can go with the celadons, but they're a lot more work for selection (and I don't mean selection toward standard, I mean selection so their eggs don't go to shit and start breaking/getting malformed due to the ce gene messing with some health stuff if you're not careful about avoiding it- definitely do research before getting them) and more finicky on nutrition, so you may find they don't do as well ranged on pasture as the standard egg layers do.

HOWEVER. If you have the ability to do it, and you're specifically looking for insect population control, you could always go with some bantam chickens instead of quail. Unlike quail that were never bred for it, chickens DO have a "home base" instinct, which means they're unlikely to disappear into the wild, and there's no native wild chicken populations (assuming you aren't in the jungle where chickens originated, but I could be wrong) escapees could interbreed with (unlike with quail, who CAN hybridize with native quail and Cause Problems) if they happened to leave. They can be turned loose into pastures and get all over the place to eat bugs without you having to move a tractor (but can also be tractored if you prefer to place them). And there are some VERY small breeds out there - seramas, OEG, sebrights, d'uccles/booted bantams, d'anvers, etc - and there are some breeds that come in bantam and standard that are still pretty small (silkies, polish, cochins, etc). AND the smaller breeds can have small coops to be roosts overnight, so their housing similarly doesn't need to take up a ton of space.

Alternately alternately, you could have a look at guinea fowl. They're a "game bird" like quail, but they're able to free range like chickens, but they don't necessarily need or even want a coop; they prefer to roost in trees on most farms I've seen. But they're well known for a) readily declining insect populations where they are, particularly ticks and b) being a home alarm system because they WILL scream about anything weird they see, but they're more accurate about it than, say, peafowl, whose definition of "weird" includes things that are very normal. but they're not as small as quail or bantam chickens, and I don't know what the likelihood of absconding is, so you'd have to talk to someone that keeps them- I'm just mentioning them in case you've never heard of them and want to look into it.

So, yeah, Coturnix (any variety) if you're set on quail and you want to let them out of a cage in any capacity that involves returning them to your care, but I'd honestly advise looking into bantam chickens if you're looking for insect control specifically since they have better ranging ability. Or guinea fowl if you find they're your thing.

[credus99-blog]

Aggression/ Danger to humans: Medium, Medium

Element/ Ailment: None

            The Green Duck, or Ljëndiv in Dhënuvgöm, is an avian wyvernid species inhabiting the northeastern continent's forest. Green Ducks eat fruits, berries, leaves, and large insects they find while wandering around the mountain forests. While both genders of Green Ducks have a quail-like feather atop their head, only the males have their characteristic green feathers, with females dull browns in coloring. Belonging to a group of avian wyvernids commonly called Punching Ducks (Ljëmpak), the thumbs of these moderately belligerent animals have become stiff and immobile.  Growing a tough round claw at its tip to focus the impact of its punches to a singular point. Due to this avian wyvernid's arm structure, the Green Duck is unable to punch its arms straight forward; instead, it punches from side to front like a boxer's haymaker. Punching with enough force to easily break the ribs and femurs of humans with a single punch.

            For protection, Green Ducks travel in single-gendered cabals (3-5 individuals for males, 5-10 for females) led by patriarchs or matriarchs who are the oldest individuals in the group. When a cabal is threatened, these avian wyvernids will face a threat and inflate the leather sacks on their throats to appear bigger and produce loud rumbling to ward off a threat. If a threat does not heed this warning, Green Ducks will immediately charge and punch the threat. In female cabals, the youngest adult females attack first, while the matriarchs protect the chicks or juveniles of the cabal.

            In early spring, female Green Duck cabals inflate their throat sacks during mating season and make loud calls to attract male cabals. Once more than one male cabal approaches the females, the larger male cabal will attempt to intimidate the smaller ones with inflated throat sacks and brief threat displays. The two cabals will fight if the smaller cabal does not back down immediately. The fighting will continue until one cabal gives up and runs away to safety. While possessing tough armored scales on their chest, arms, and legs, it is not entirely uncommon for male cabals to suffer cracked bones from fighting multiple opponents at once. Sometimes, male Green Ducks are killed during these fights due to being ganged up on by two or more other males at once. If Cabals are the same size, then sometimes the two cabals will forgo the threat displays and start fighting each other immediately. Once the fighting is over, the winning cabal will mate with the cabal of females, with the oldest males mating first and the youngest ones mating last.

            Once the males have mated with the females, the males will depart and leave the females behind. The females then follow their matriarch to the cabal's communal nest location. Each nest is constructed out of soil, feathers, moss, twigs, and leaves and will contain 4 or 5 eggs each. These communal nest locations are often passed down from generation to generation and have one key characteristic. Each observed Green Duck communal nest is created someplace where the nest is protected on all sides except for one or two entrances. Allowing the Matriarchs (Female Green Ducks who have already gone through menopause) to more easily to defend the nest while the younger females are out foraging. The eggs will then incubate between 50 to 60 days before hatching. The female Green Duck chicks will spend the rest of their lives with their mother's cabal or split off to form a new one once they reach sexual maturity at three years of age. On the other hand, male chicks will leave their birth cabal at 8 months of age to join a smaller cabal or form their own. Green Ducks in the wild live an average of twenty-five years (being reproductively active until they are sixteen), while individuals raised in captivity can live as old as sixty-three.

[merinsedai]

for the @dreamlingbingo

snippet 3/4

Square/Prompt: C5-Age Difference (+ adoptable prompt 'Learning to cook')

Title: Robert Gadling's Diary

Rating: T

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Warnings: n/a

Additional Tags: Bridget Jones' Diary au, general silliness,

first snippet here

second snippet here

Morpheus had taken one look at the disaster of Hob’s kitchen, his disparate ingredients, and the state of Hob himself, and declared that Hob’s friends would more likely appreciate a takeaway. With the addition of a homemade cake, if there was the requisite amount of butter left.

“Soured cream for the cake… blueberries… Ah, we can add a cream cheese icing as well,” Morpheus says, emerging from the depths of Hob’s fridge with his bounty in his arms. “If you can locate the scales and some bowls, we can get started.” 

“I’m not much of a baker,” Hob admits as he moves to follow Morpheus’s instructions. Scales, hmm… maybe that was where he went wrong earlier, foregoing the whole weighing out ingredients thing. He drags an old set of Salter kitchen scales out from the depths of a cupboard and prays they have working batteries. “Not much of a cook at all, really. Never grown out of my gourmet beans on toast phase…”

“Well after tonight, you shall have a new recipe to add to your repertoire,” Morpheus replies, and just the hint of a smile on his lips has a full blown grin blooming on Hob’s face.

“I suppose I’ll have main and dessert sorted, then.”

“Quite right. Now, first things first- the scales.”

They work together for a few minutes, and Hob discovers it’s actually quite fun being someone’s sous-chef. He is quickly developing a thing for being told what to do, especially when the direction is delivered in that clipped and efficient tone. Dammit. He has to focus.

“It wasn’t my lawn, by the way,” Morpheus says apropos of absolutely nothing, and Hob glances up from his phone, where he is currently googling how large a ‘large egg’ was supposed to be, since his remaining three were a tad on the diminutive size. Well. Relatively diminutive. They weren’t quail eggs or anything. 

“Eh?”

“It wasn’t my lawn. That you were running around, back when we were children,” Morpheus continues, staring down at the sieve. And honestly, has anyone ever sieved flour in such a meticulous way? There is not a speck of it on the work surface and certainly non marring the unrelieved black of Morpheus’s clothes. Hob had gotten flour smeared all down his front just by lifting the pack out of the cupboard, for God’s sake. 

“No?”

“It was the paddling pool.”

“Well, suppose that gives the ‘no clothes on’ more context. Though I dunno, maybe I was just prone to taking my clothes off at strangers’ homes, I can’t say I remember.”

“Well, you were only four so I expect not. I was eight. It made quite the impression on me.”

“Seminal moment for you, was it?” Hob laughs, and Morpheus smiles too, though it is a wry twist of his lips. Completely lacking in any humour. 

“Not as such. But I remember thinking how free you looked. How happy. Not a care in the world. Racing through my mother’s carefully curated flower beds, covered in mud and laughing. Just laughing,” he looks up and meets Hob’s eyes then, and he looks rather sad, a little wistful. “I could never have done such a thing. Even then, at eight, there were expectations upon me, rigid rules that had to be followed. Children were quiet, they were unseen, they certainly did not make spectacles of themselves at garden parties. I thought you must’ve come from a happy home, to be indulged so. Your parents did not care. Your mother washed you off in the pool and wrapped you in a towel. Your father laughed. It was the first time I saw what a family could be… should be.”

“Ah mate,” Hob says, feeling rather devastated for him. He slips his phone in his pocket and steps closer to Morpheus. He really wants to give the other man a hug- he knows that’s what he would like if their situation was reversed- but he’s unsure how Morpheus will react, so he settles for an awkward pat on his elbow. “That’s rough, I’m sorry.”

[riddles-n-games]

Hawthorne Quails

So, this is part two of our poultry headcanon for the Hawthorne brothers. Shoutout to @hathorneheiress for doing part one with chickens.

Nash: Quails are the exception to his distaste for birds. He likes the classic Coturnix quails, enjoys their company and a good omelette made from their eggs. The ones he raises often trail him and they love his shiny cowboy boots, darting in and around his legs as he walks around throwing the seeds. One of his oldest hens that's still around after eight years is called Coxie and has a ripped wing from a nasty encounter with a hawk but she somehow managed to fight back. Nash found her in time to be saved and now she is more of an indoor quail. She loves him a lot.

Grayson: As with chickens, he loves the more fancy breeds and his favorite two are the King and Blue-Scale. As King Quails are also known as Button Quails, one of the first he owned was a female called Buttons that sadly passed after two years. He loved her the most but thankfully he still has chicks from her. However, for competition showing, he loves using Blue-Scale and Elegant Quails. The only issue is that he sometimes mixes the two species despite them looking quite different in coloring. One time he was giving a speech somewhere about the two and halfway through his speech did he realize he was talking about the wrong birds. The audience kind of looked bamboozled and even the quail he held looked offended. Jameson never lets him forget it. (He often is quoted as saying, "Only you, Gray, could offend a bird. Only you.")

Jameson: He likes Bobwhites and California Quails but prefers the California ones. They have really fun colors and he's always found their plumes funny as a kid. Plus, he loves their spunkiness; he always said that if he were to be a quail, he'd want to be this species. This boy literally runs an Instagram page for his quails and always gets them to wear funky hats or little collars. One Christmas, when he was eight, he got his quails footwarmers. A favorite pastime for him in the summer is taking a nap under a tree with his quails often liking to climb on top of him and having a nap with him. A year into their relationship, when Avery was feeling sad during the week of her mom's birthday, he set up a surprise with a quail coop in one part of the greenhouse and gave her a quail to cheer her up. It became a hobby for them to share and it gives them something to do when they want to relax.

Xander: He loves these birds. They entertain him and vice versa, he somehow manages to play chase with them and then they go after him. Of the Hawthorne brothers, he's the Disney princess that somehow manages to attract all the quails. They adore him. His brothers still don't understand this phenomenon but Jameson calls it the Xander effect, meanwhile, Xan himself likes to call it Xander's law of attraction or simply Xander's law, for the sake of giving it a scientific context. His law states that in the case of any animal becoming attached to him is not any fault of his own, it's only because he is the best Hawthorne so it is only reasonable that this happens. His favorite species of quail are Gambel's, Mountain, and Montezuma. In honor of Avery, as his BHHF, he named one of his Gambel's Gamble, another Gambit, and a third Queenie, after the queen's gambit.

[phytochorion]

Volant Vertebrates of Foliest II: the Birdonts

While therodactyls are the dominant flying clade in the world of fairies, they do not rule the skies alone. A separate radiation gave rise to their main competitors, the birdonts.

Evolving from arboreal gracilisuchid ancestors, the birdonts took advantage of the ecological reshuffling in the wake of the Induan Prominence to seize hold of aerial niches. Their earliest forms glided on wings formed by extended ribs, similar to several small reptiles in Earth's history that independently evolved this trait.

Unlike any clade we know of, however, the birdonts eventually developed this mode of gliding into powered flight. Their scales became stiff, filamentous feather-analogues, granting their wings a greater surface area while adding little weight. Their ribs developed an additional joint and larger muscle attachments, allowing them to follow their insect prey into the skies.

In early forms, several pairs of ribs functioned as wings, each with their own set of muscles, but this inefficient mode of flight was quickly selected against, and nearly all modern species have but two or four wings.

Shown here are a range of birdonts that have adapted to diverse niches and life-history strategies.

A generalist seed & insect eater, similar to a finch or robin in our timeline. Its functional forelimbs, independent from its wings, betray its ancestry from the other side of the archosaur family tree.

A nectar-feeder that uses its four wings for incredibly maneuverable, but energy-hungry, flight similar to a hummingbird.

An arboreal form that uses all four limbs for climbing and only flies if threatened.

A strange and derived flightless species, rather like a quail or small ratite, with the ribs that once formed its wings repurposed as hooks to clutch food or nesting material.

An almost entirely aerial form, it has lost its limbs altogether and glides around the world on two pairs of ribs. Each sports a curved spur that allows it to cling to cliffs or tree trunks when the time comes to lay its eggs.

With the perhaps unintuitive path that evolution has taken them down, the birdonts have almost never grown very large. Their own atypical mode of flight, as well as competition from therodactyls, has precluded them from dominant aerial niches. In at least one case, however, they have flipped this trend on its head.

The greater bushelback is a herbivore the size of an emu, which, by this world's standards, is colossal. Related to the flightless birdont in the previous image, but even more derived, their ribs have become scythe-like appendages that allow them to browse in every direction at once. This trait serves them well in the forests of Foliest, as herbivores must contend with the fairy guardians of plants. The larger and hungrier a herbivore, the bigger a target it places on its own head, and the more it is harassed by fairies when it tries to eat. This has placed a selective pressure on Foliest's terrestrial herbivores not to grow too large.

The bushelbacks circumvent this issue by browsing on the move. They prune vegetation with one limb and move it to their broad bill with another, walking all the while. If they find especially suitable foraging, they will gather it into a bundle held by their ribs and carry it away on their backs, hence the name. In so doing, they can be a safe distance away before the irate sprites arrive. Being the only animals adapted to this unique niche, the bushelback family has enjoyed tremendous success, and overcome constraints faced both by their birdont kin and forest floor-dwelling competitors.

[ismailfazil1-blog]

Big Taste, Small Package: Why You Should Consider Quail Farming

Quail farming, the raising of these small ground birds, has been gaining traction in recent years. While chickens reign supreme in the poultry world, quails offer a unique set of advantages that make them attractive for both small-scale homesteaders and potential commercial ventures. Let's delve into the reasons why quail farming might be the perfect fit for you.

[xiaoyanjiangw]

[Johnlock]The Youtuber Who Raised The Fire Dragon Cub

a story for Johnlock,use Chinese to translate into English

John, a breeder and youtuber of a pet dragon, spends $100,000 a month on Sherlock, unaware that the dragon secretly transforms into a human form to sleep in his arms every night.  

*

"Sherlock?" Dr. Watson looks dotifully at his family member, a fire dragon the size of a full-grown woman's hand.  

The little creature rolled over in the doctor's palm, its eyes a rare shade of blue, its scales ivory white, and a streak of orange across its back.  

The rare orange rock dragon.  

Quiet most of the time, they are arguably the most clingy dragon species discovered since the 21st century, pouting, flapping their paws on the floor, or nibbling their owners' fingers when they're annoyed.  

"Oh... that was all the fancy advertising for the pet dragon store! Actually, they are cuter than you see!" John smiled contentedly at his phone, as the number of people in the live broadcast room increased by 2,000 immediately after the camera pointed at the little fire dragon! He bent down and kissed the little fire dragon, and the white creature quickly looked up to observe his new owner.  

       ��Sherlock…… This is so cute, guys, I'm gonna hold on a second, what... you're scrolling so fast I can't read..." John holds the dragon on his shoulder, scrolling through the comments: "Blogger, I want to know how the mandarin rock dragon feels to the touch" "My God, he's so cute, I suggest you send him to me for a few days!" "Can I see Sherlock's belly?"  

       “OK… I'll answer this one first. How does it feel??" He took the little creature off his shoulder and put it back in his hand. The dragon quickly took hold of John's fingers. It nibbled gently at the doctor's hand.  

“Soooooo Cute!”  

"Please, I'm a student. Send me."  

Sherlock's vertical pupil scans the scrolling bullets from time to time, and he's... bored!  

Number of people in the live studio: 5,000!  

The cat continues to bite John's finger, hoping he'll finish broadcasting and play with him, but John doesn't notice. The man continues, "It feels like a ripe avocado, soft!" He pulls out his finger, "Hey Sherlock, can I touch your tummy?"  

The dragon spit a stream of fire in John's face. The fire was the size of a quail egg. It shot into the air and turned into a fireball.  

"Oh... did you see that! " John picked up Sherlock and held him to his chest. "He's attacking me. It's so cute! "  

John can't remember how many times he's said "cute" and can't resist kissing his dragon again. Sherlock climbs onto the man's shoulder and closes his eyes.  

The scales gradually turn a beige color similar to John's beige sweater. "The mimicry of the dragon... it's really, really amazing. I'm amazed by every change in Sherlock!"  

John looks at Sherlock's paws tightening around his shoulder. Oh... the poor thing must be tired!  

"Sorry everyone, I'm off the air now, see you tomorrow!" He didn't have time to watch the barrages, so he turned off his phone.  

* Please provide the following information in English:  

"Sherlock, Sherlock! Let Daddy kiss your tail!" John grabs the baby and takes it into the bedroom. He holds the baby and lays down on the bed.  

"Mmmmm..." John kissed his dragon three times. He was so soft and sweet!John didn't know how he did it. He rolled on the bed, his dragon looking at him helplessly.  

God...John, this guy is a real psycho.  

Sherlock rubbed his paws together. If it weren't for his need for food and shelter, he would have killed this guy!  

But...the dragon is afraid of the cold, and the evil man doesn't have the money to pay the heating bill, so he has to turn into a human form and snuggle into a man's arms at night to stay warm...!And as for the money he makes from his blog...well, it's all spent on expensive food and weird little clothes for Sherlock...  

Sherlock doesn't know what he's thinking, John is actually very smart, but every time he walks into a pet dragon store, he spends a lot of money on completely unnecessary but cute dragon items... including but not limited to: six-color animal-shaped cookies ($888/pound), a crocheted dragon hat ($2,388), custom-made dragon slippers ($8,888)...  

Oh my God John!Why did you fall for these things!  

Sherlock hates the slippers! They're so tight and slippery that every time Sherlock puts them on, John says things like "Oh, how cute" and "I'm going to kiss you to death today"...! The hat. He doesn't understand why people put hats on a dragon. It looks like a clown! (But every time he puts it on, John gets 10,000 people watching live on his show.) The most incredible thing is the cookies. They're just cheap flour, butter and eggs. It's just a fancy look. Don't forget that John can't even afford to turn on the heat.  

Heating......

 

Sherlock is freezing every night, so he turns into a human form when John is asleep and sticks close to the guy... which is... quite silly!  

*

John fills the bathtub with water, "My lovely Sherlock, Daddy is going to have a little talk with Mrs. Hudson now, shall I put you in the bathtub? If you have any difficulties, you can dial the pet phone... I really hate to leave you... "John leaves the bathroom with a three-step back... oh... the dragon probably knows why John is going to see Mrs. Hudson...  

A pet phone... probably the $300,000 gadget scam that's keeping John from paying his rent!  

"If you love your pet, please buy the world's first touch barrier-free communication watch! Contact your baby anytime! If there is danger, the watch will automatically alarm, and the police will rescue your baby within 1 minute!!! What are you waiting for? We promise to make only the best products for the owners! You surely don't want your dragon to fall in love with other owners, right?  

Sherlock doesn't understand why this junk with a strange location is in the house. It's a miniature location device. If Sherlock touches the device on his paw, it will automatically connect to John's matching watch.  

300,000... Sherlock sinks into the bathtub in a fit of rage. They can turn on the heat for the rest of their lives!  

       John……… Stupid!  

He must tell John about these things!  

*

It was so cold, and the hot water made the dragon forget everything... oh, he was turning into a half-man without realizing it.  

That's so good... I could lie there all the time...  

Sherlock heard footsteps and immediately submerged himself under the water.  

"Sherlock, I .."  

John stops breathing. "Who are you?" He lifts the man from the bathtub. "You..." The doctor's surprise at the pale blue vertical pupils is slightly amusing to Sherlock.  

"I... yes, I am your..."  

"Oh Sherlock! You're old enough to take human form already?! "John hugs the wet Sherlock. "Oh my God, let Daddy look at you. Why didn't you tell me before?"  

"You are so sweet and soft .."  

"All right, just don't describe me as sweet and soft .."  

"Oh... clothes! I bought you a lot of clothes in advance, but you are much thinner than I thought, I don't know if you can wear them..."  

John leaves the bathroom again, leaving Sherlock alone in the bathtub.  

............  

John is a lot more morbid than Sherlock knows, he knows about the weird human habit of calling himself the father or mother of a pet... but John... kissing and cuddling a humanoid dragon... which, if he remembers correctly, is... a very intimate human gesture... John always does these stupid things!

TBC

[gelastocoridae]

Convergent evolution does not relatedness make. But! If you know what to look for beyond skin deep a lot of morphological traits, especially in combination, can be great indicators (helpful in IDing species that outwardly look the same) of their place in the family tree!

E.g.

The shape of the angular process of a mammal jaw bone tells you if it's a marsupial without fail. (Between that and the teeth, you can spot a piece of opossum skull from miles away in a pile of countless other bones. I sure have.)

The shape of auditory bulbs in the skull helps tell orders of Carnívora apart.

The shape of teeth and the number of toes help tell groups of ungulates apart.

The cusps of teeth, number of teeth, and spacing of teeth will help categorize entire Genuses, Families and Orders!

The pre-maxilla and nasal opening in the skull tells you if it's a bat. Gotta echolocate somehow.

Beak and foot shape combined, or posture, voice, or diet - while not always rules - really do help you tell families of birds apart! Falcons have less powerful talons and longer toes than other raptors, plus a notched beak, and often hold their food in one foot like it's a candy bar a parrot would. The feet will tell you if it's related to a hummingbird and not a swallow (*cough* swifts *cough*). From a distance a dove on the ground is definitely a dove, a quail/gamebird is definitely a quail/gamebird. A corvid definitely sounds like a corvid (especially as babies being fed), including jays.

The gut type and incisor teeth will tell a pig relative from another "hooved" animal (quotations bc elephant/rhino/hippo feet are hooves too).

All sharks lack a swim bladder; they stay afloat with a huge fatty liver instead.

All salmon/trout have a tiny dorsal lobe/boneless fin in some way. (Plus different "fish" groups can be distinguished by scale type, mouth placement, fin and tail shape/placement, etc)

Does it produce milk from a mammary gland? It's a mammal. Does this mammal lay eggs? Cool technically so do the rest of us if you wanna get into it but also congrats now you know it's an echidna/platypus.

Does it have a cell wall? Yes. Does it have chloroplasts and make its own food? No. It's a fungus.

When it is a cluster of cells just developing, is it bilaterally symmetric? No? Wait, yes and then no? Ok that's a starfish.

Does it form its butt hole before its mouth hole or the other way around? Well that's what makes us more similar to starfish and sea anemones than to octopi, and arthropods

And that's just for starters! You start with the general traits and narrow it down. That's how it works without genetically sequencing every single thing on the planet.

That rabbit/hare post is messing me up. I’d thought they were synonyms. Their development and social behavior are all different. They can’t even interbreed. They don’t have the same number of chromosomes. Dogs, wolves, jackals, and coyotes can mate with each other and have fertile offspring but rabbits and hares cant even make infertile ones bc they just die in the womb. Wack.

[poultryequipment66-blog]

Quail Cage Automatic Quail Cage Tier 6 are made of high-strength galvanized steel wire, offering excellent corrosion resistance and durability. They are ideal for poultry farms, commercial farms, and large-scale quail farming operations.

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Key Differences Between Quail Incubators and Other Bird Incubators

When it comes to hatching eggs, using the right incubator is critical for success. While many people may think that incubators for all bird species are essentially the same, there are distinct differences, especially when it comes to quail incubators. These differences are due to the unique requirements of quail eggs in terms of temperature, humidity, and egg handling.

In this article, we will explore the key differences between quail incubators and other bird incubators, helping you understand why quail need specialized care and how you can ensure a successful hatching experience.

The Size and Capacity of the Incubator

Quail Incubators

Quail incubators tend to be smaller than those designed for larger bird species such as chickens or ducks. Since quail eggs are smaller and more delicate, quail incubators are built to hold fewer eggs at a time. A typical quail incubator might accommodate 12 to 48 eggs, making them more suitable for smaller-scale breeders or hobbyists. The compact size of these incubators is ideal for those who don't need to hatch large batches of eggs at once.

Other Bird Incubators

On the other hand, incubators designed for larger birds often have a much higher capacity. Incubators for chickens, ducks, or turkeys can hold hundreds of eggs, and they are designed with larger trays and increased space to handle bigger eggs. These models are built for higher volume operations, such as farms or commercial hatcheries. Their larger size can make them more cumbersome for small-scale users or hobbyists who only intend to hatch a few quail eggs.

Temperature and Humidity Requirements

Quail Incubators

One of the most significant differences between quail incubators and those for other bird species is the temperature and humidity settings. Quail eggs require slightly different conditions to hatch successfully. For quail eggs, the ideal temperature range is 99.5°F (37.5°C), and the humidity should be kept between 45-50%. These precise conditions help ensure the quail embryos develop correctly and don't overheat or dry out during incubation.

Since quail incubators are built specifically for these conditions, they often have more sensitive temperature controls and humidity regulation features to maintain this delicate balance. Many quail incubators are equipped with digital displays that allow for precise adjustments to ensure the best environment for the eggs.

Other Bird Incubators

Incubators designed for larger birds, such as chickens, require slightly different settings. For chicken eggs, the ideal incubation temperature is also around 99.5°F, but the humidity level can be slightly higher—between 50-55%. Ducks and turkeys require even higher humidity levels of around 60%. The larger egg size of these birds allows for a bit more flexibility in temperature and humidity control, but it's still important to maintain consistent levels to ensure successful hatching.

Some bird incubators are equipped with automatic humidity control systems that are more suited for chickens and ducks. However, the settings often cannot be adjusted as finely as those in quail incubators, where maintaining specific humidity levels is critical.

Egg Turning Mechanism

Quail Incubators

The process of egg turning is crucial to successful hatching, and quail incubators often feature an automatic egg-turning mechanism that helps ensure that eggs are rotated regularly. This prevents the embryos from sticking to the eggshell and promotes proper development. Because quail eggs are so small, automatic turning is essential to prevent manual turning, which would be difficult due to their delicate nature.

The turning process is typically set to rotate the eggs every hour to mimic the movements of a mother quail. The ease of having an automatic egg-turning feature makes quail incubators a popular choice for hobbyists who may not have the time or patience to manually turn the eggs multiple times a day.

Other Bird Incubators

While many incubators for larger birds also feature automatic turning mechanisms, these incubators are often designed with larger egg sizes in mind. The turning trays for chickens or ducks are often spaced further apart to accommodate their bigger eggs. Some bird incubators may require manual turning, which can be cumbersome, especially for large batches of eggs.

For those breeding chickens or ducks on a larger scale, automatic turning systems can make the process easier. However, these systems are often not as finely tuned as those found in quail incubators, as the larger eggs can withstand less frequent or less delicate turning.

Space and Ventilation

Quail Incubators

Quail incubators are built with precise air circulation and ventilation systems to maintain the optimal environment for quail eggs. Given the smaller size of the incubator, the ventilation system is often designed to maintain a consistent airflow without creating drafts that could cool down the eggs or cause fluctuations in humidity levels. The airflow in quail incubators is typically more focused, ensuring the eggs remain at a steady temperature.

Other Bird Incubators

Larger bird incubators have more robust ventilation systems to handle the larger space and the bigger eggs they house. These incubators may have larger or multiple fans to circulate air, which is crucial for maintaining even temperature and humidity in a bigger space. The increased capacity of the incubator means the airflow must be more powerful, as the eggs are often spread out in larger trays.

The larger space in these bird incubators also means they are more likely to feature adjustable vents or additional humidity controls to ensure the correct conditions are maintained for a higher volume of eggs.

Incubator Design and Egg Size

Quail Incubators

The size and design of a quail incubator are carefully tailored to the small and delicate quail eggs. Since quail eggs are much smaller than chicken or duck eggs, the trays and compartments inside the incubator are designed to securely hold them without risk of shifting. Quail incubators may have adjustable trays to accommodate different egg sizes, but they are generally compact, allowing for better control over the incubation environment.

Other Bird Incubators

In contrast, bird incubators for larger species are designed to accommodate eggs that are significantly bigger and heavier. Chicken and duck eggs, for example, require sturdier compartments and racks to hold them. These incubators typically have adjustable trays that can be customized for various egg sizes, but the overall design is larger, taking up more space.

For those breeding a variety of birds, an incubator designed for chickens or ducks might be larger and more versatile, but it will not be as finely tuned to the needs of smaller eggs like those of quail.

Conclusion

While all bird incubators serve the same fundamental purpose—to provide the ideal conditions for eggs to hatch—quail incubators are designed with specific considerations to meet the needs of quail eggs. From size and capacity to temperature and humidity control, quail incubators offer specialized features that cater to the unique requirements of quail hatching. Whether you are a hobbyist or a professional breeder, understanding these differences can help you choose the right incubator for your specific needs and ensure a successful hatch every time.

[kedreeva]

Wait, you were raising bobwhites for release? I'd be interested to hear more about that, is it common to do? I work in the environmental field in Canada and we're stricter about wildlife here, DIY-reintroduction without expert oversight is a foreign and frankly very scary idea to me haha. They ARE released for hunting in areas far from our remnant native populations here too, but such activities require licensing. Apologies if I misunderstood your mention of survival rates after release entirely lol.

I don't know how many folks raise them specifically for release, and I can't speak for outside of Michigan, but they're fairly commonly kept in MI. Anyone can keep less than 12 with no permit, but more than 12 or if you want to breed them you do need to get a permit through the state. The permit allows you to keep, breed, sell, butcher, and release up to certain amounts (how many depends what type of permit). Depending where you live you might also have to get permission locally (for example I had to be approved for it through my township). The permits have to be renewed through the DNR yearly and involve keeping records of your captive population and accounting for every bird (and bird part) in your care or that left your care and how, as well as inspections of your care facility to make sure they're suitable for the birds and maintained properly, all of which I did for the two years I was keeping them. I wasn't just randomly raising birds with no oversight or permit, I very much did a lot of work to be able to do it legally and locally- work that ultimately didn't pan out, as by the time I had them figured out and the permits to breed and had them going, HPAI hit and I gave them up in order to utilize my indoor spaces for my peafowl.

HOWEVER, there's also a weird grey area where, for instance, if a permitted person sells eggs to someone, those eggs would come with a temporary permit to hold wild game (issued by the seller) and that permit covers a short period (iirc it was 4-6 months or so) and the birds then had to be butchered, released, or transferred to the person's own permit. So technically, anyone who could (by local regulations) have game birds could buy eggs, hatch, raise, and release birds legally. But again I don't know how many people actually do that ever, since that would be expensive, though I would guess at least some people do it for canned hunt type deals.

Of course, there's also people just... Raising quail with no permits, at decent scale. The enforcement of the law with them is... Not great. There are plenty of people selling them at bird swaps or farm events and I have never once in like 25 years, seen anyone there with a permit or giving temp permits- presumably because you CAN own up to 12 without a permit, and most people are only buying a pair or a few anyway at swaps, so they could be considered "pets" like my first few were, before I wanted to breed. I see people listing them in quail FB groups and I'm almost certain they either don't have permits or won't be issuing the extended permit to the buyers. So there are definitely some cracks to fall through, but you're not SUPPOSED to be doing it that way. You're SUPPOSED to be getting a permit and being inspected and doing it according to the rules the DNR has.

But I was more mentioning release because large breeding facilities have participated in several scientific studies with large, tracked releases to test viability of the government paying for a large scale captive breeding and release repopulation effort in areas the native populations have dwindled, for conservation purposes. Facilities had been doing so (largely for hunting populations), but up until they started tracking they hadn't been sure how much good it did, if it even worked at all. Ultimately, they didn't work out either- the end finding was that pretty much all the captive born birds died quickly and without breeding.

Finding those studies was a huge factor in me axing my own breeders, since what I had wanted to do wouldn't work even if I'd wanted to fuss with keeping them through Bird Pandemic. Fostering viable habitat is a better option, as is getting rid of outdoor cats which have been a major factor in their decline here. So, that's what we do now.

[sb-group-nepal]

Poultry Housing System: A Comprehensive Guide

The poultry housing system is crucial to a poultry farming operation’s success. It directly affects the farm’s profitability and the birds’ welfare, production, and health. Whether you are a smallholder farmer or a large-scale poultry producer, understanding the different poultry housing systems and their advantages is essential.

In this article, we’ll examine the types of poultry housing systems, their components, ideal housing conditions, poultry management practices, and recent innovations in poultry housing.

A poultry housing system refers to the physical structure and arrangement designed to provide shelter and a controlled environment for poultry birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, and quails. The main objectives of a poultry housing system are:

To protect birds from extreme weather, predators, and theft.

To provide a comfortable environment for optimum growth and egg production.

To facilitate efficient feeding, watering, and waste management.

To control diseases through proper hygiene and ventilation.

Importance of a Proper Poultry Housing System

A well-planned poultry housing system has several benefits:

It enhances bird health by preventing stress and reducing exposure to diseases.

Improves productivity in terms of egg laying and weight gain.

Reduces mortality rates and boosts overall profitability.

Ensures biosecurity by limiting contact with external threats.

Optimizes labor and feed efficiency, saving time and resources.

Factors to Consider Before Designing a Poultry Housing System

When setting up a poultry house, it is essential to consider the following factors:

Type of Poultry: Different types of poultry (broilers, layers, breeders, or free-range birds) require specific housing systems to meet their unique needs.

Land Availability: The amount of available land determines whether you can opt for a deep litter system, a battery cage system, or a free-range system.

Budget: Capital investment influences the choice between intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive housing systems.

Biosecurity Measures: The housing must allow easy implementation of biosecurity measures such as isolation, disinfection, and controlled access.

Types of Poultry Housing Systems

There are three main types of poultry housing systems: Extensive, Semi-intensive, and Intensive. Each has its characteristics, advantages, and limitations.

Extensive System

In the extensive system, poultry birds can roam freely in open fields or pastures. This traditional method is mainly used in rural areas.

Advantages:

Low cost

Natural behavior and foraging

Low labor requirement

Disadvantages:

High exposure to predators and diseases

Low productivity

Difficult to manage and monitor

Semi-Intensive System

In this system, birds are confined at night and allowed to roam in a fenced area during the day. It’s a balance between the extensive and intensive systems.

Advantages:

Better disease control than extensive systems

Improved productivity

Birds can forage and exercise

Disadvantages:

Moderate cost of setup

Requires more space than intensive systems

Intensive System

The intensive poultry housing system confines birds entirely within a building. It is the most productive and commonly used system in commercial poultry farms.

There are three popular intensive systems:

Deep Litter System

Poultry are kept on a floor covered with litter like sawdust, rice husk, or straw.

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