What do Coturnix quail drink?

Earlier today I received a text message on my phone from a lady who just bought some of my quail. I just wanted to share this with you and hopefully answer this question for somebody else Natalie: "Hi,how are you? we got home and were surprised, got an egg.... :-) Also understand they can stop giving eggs because new place, food... what water do you give them?" Although a simple question, I get asked this a lot. Here is my response to here: Kevin: "That is great news!! If they stop giving eggs put a golf ball or pinging ball with them and they will start right back up. I've never had an issue with them stopping for more than a day. Water: best is clean fresh fresh tap water. When it's super hot out I mix a gallon of water with a pack of Save-A-chick. It's like poultry Gatorade with electrolytes and loaded with vitamins. Also give them once in a while a little watermelon or lettuce. They absolutely love it. You don't have to do any of this but I found if I spoil my birds they treat me well with a lot of eggs." Straight from the horses mouth! Cheers! Kevin

Quail Hatch!

Today is the day!  

Update #1 - Woke up this morning to no hatched chicks. However, it appears that we have our first hatch in progress! A few neighboring eggs have cracks in them, but this one is by far the furthest along. It's happening! :)

Peanut Butter Cup S'Mores Bars

http://melssweetlife.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/peanut-butter-cup-smores-bars/

Caprese Burgers

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/caprese-burger/

Homemade Fabric Softener

After hearing not so great reviews for this recipe, I was not expecting good results, but I have to say that I LOVE THIS!  The clothes smell great and are the softest I have ever felt them.

Recipe for the liquid fabric softener:

What you will need:

• 6 cups boiling water
• 2 cups hair conditioner  (I used Suave because it was the cheapest)
• 3 cups white vinegar
• measuring cup
• empty container 
• funnel 
• large bucket 
• whisk

Directions:

1. Whisk water, hair conditioner, and vinegar in a large bucket until smooth.  
2. Funnel the mixture into your empty container. 
3. Done! :)

Here are the steps that I took:

• Cold water wash setting
• Used 1/2 cup of homemade liquid laundry detergent. Recipe can be found here: Liquid Laundry Detergent Recipe
• Filled a Downy Ball with the liquid fabric softener to the appropriate line
• Line dried

How to Whiten Your Teeth With Hydrogen Peroxide

http://www.livestrong.com/article/15795-whiten-teeth-peroxide/

Homemade Grout Cleaner

Another awesome homemade recipe that will blow your socks off!  There is almost no work required for this one!


BEFORE:

AFTER:

What you'll need:

2 cups vinegar

2 cups water

3 tbs baking soda

Scrub brush (I used a kitchen dish scrubber, nothing fancy at all)

Directions:

Spray on grout, scrub, presto!! That fast, that clean. Awesome.

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Corned Beef Hash Quiche

Corned Beef Hash Quiche 


I wish I had taken a picture of this the last time I made it because it is definitely not something I make on a regular basis.  However, with Fathers Day right around the corner I may be making it sooner than later.  Picture or no picture, this is an awesome and very easy recipe that everyone will love.  

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 small red onion chopped
• 1 16oz can of corned beef
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 (9-inch) frozen deep-dish pie crust

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. 

In a non stick pan, brown the corned beef. 

Layer the corned beef, cheese and onion, then pour the egg mixture on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set. .

No Eggs? Try Golfballs!

On the car ride home from picking up our quails they had laid three eggs on the floor of the dog crate they were in by the time Kevin had pulled in the driveway! We had read that quails weren't picky about where they laid, but were so excited to see them!  Yesterday we were like two little kids checking their box every so often waiting for more.  We waited and waited and checked and checked, but by late afternoon, not a single egg had shown up. A little bummed out, we expressed our concern and disappointment to our neighbor, who just so happens to be my wonderful brother in law, and he suggested we put a golfball in their coop. I thought it was a bit silly but we just so happened to have an old chewed up golfball in the yard, and decided it couldn't hurt. We put the golfball in the coop with the quails, and within 20 minutes we had eggs! I couldn't believe it!

With a little bit of research and some feedback from our awesome Facebook fans, it's seems as though this is a commonly used trick to get your girls to lay eggs. Not only does it help promote egg laying, if you have girls that seem to lay their eggs all over the place and you would like to train them to lay in a specific spot, like you know....the nest boxes that you took the time to build them, throwing in a few golf balls seems to do the trick here as well.  Good things to know I would say! :)

One of our coturnix quails standing guard of the eggs...err golfball and eggs. 

Our golfball.  Isn't it a beauty!? LOL


While you're here, why don't you pick up a few for your girls?! 

Strawberry Tops

Reese had left us a comment in our "Happy Hen Treat Giveaway" post that her chickens favorite treat was the greens from the tops of strawberries.  Tonight after my son downed an entire pint of them, I brought the tops out to the girls to see how they would like them and this was their reaction.  A whole lotta staring.  HAH!!! After dinner I'll go out and check to see if they ate them and i'll post an update.