Chicks are here!

Some of our chicks hatched over the weekend, but it looks like more may hatch tonight.  Hang in there!  These chicks are in their nice warm box.  Their food is in a shallow dish right now to make sure they can reach it.  I'll be switching to the larger food dispenser tomorrow.

We were all hatched yesterday (Mother's Day) and are sleeping a lot!
Please share your pictures in the comments section!

Nest Cams

Your young bob white quail should be hatching any day now!  Check out the links to nest cams where you can watch wild birds raising their young.  They are fascinating and a great thing to share with your students.  Here is a link for Tips for Watching Nest Cams Online.

 

Osprey on nest at Smithtown High School West

Setting up the quail home

You should have received a large box, heat lamp with clamp, bulb, feeder, water bottle, feed and pine shavings.  One bag of shavings can do 2 boxes.  Tape one end of the box and fold in the flaps on top. Once the box is erected, please cut a hole about 5-6" down from the top to clamp the light on the box. See picture below.

The temperature should be @90.  A thermometer can be set up taped to the side near the bottom or laying on the bottom. The box should be set up as shown below.

The shoe box is for the chicks to go when they want to get out of the light but still get the heat.  Remember to place the shoebox on its side so the chicks can go in and out easily.

The water dish will get very dirty and will need to be cleaned out and have water replaced daily.

Candling your quail eggs.

This is how the egg should be held over the candler.

 

Below is what a good egg should look like.  It will appear red with veins with some empty space.

 

 

Below is what a bad egg will look like.  EMPTY

What should you do with this empty egg?  Mark it with a permanent marker, put it back in the incubator, and check it again in a few days. 



Email from Eric Powers

Hello!

I should have sent this out long ago, but alas I'll do better in the future. It looks like my email is working better as well now.

Welcome to the 10th Annual Quail vs Ticks Study!!!! I can't believe that I've been doing this for 10 years now…! And it's only possible because of YOUR participation, so THANK YOU!

How's it going so far this year? Most have already started incubating their quail eggs, and a few schools will be starting their incubating soon. Please keep in touch…let me know when your Quail eggs hatch, and how many…so I can plan out space and food at the Quail Flight Cages at Caleb Smith State Park.

You'll need to get your DEC Collect/Possess Permit, which costs $10 per year. You can download the permit from the NYS DEC website. (Normally I would insert a link but then most schools will put this email into junk mail because of the hyperlink!)

If you are RENEWING your license, then you'll need to send in your "Annual Report" along with your renewal paperwork. Just state the simple facts for this annual report, something like this, "In March 2012 I incubated 25 northern bobwhite quail eggs with my 2nd grade students. 20 chicks hatched. We donated all surviving chicks to Eric Powers of Your Connection To Nature, to be included in his Quail vs Tick Study 2012."

If you are applying for your permit for the first time, I can walk you through it…just ask.

Need Quail Food? I found a local source…they donate 1 bag of Quail Food to the project for every 2 bags that purchased under the name of "Eric's Quail Project." Here's their info:

Harvest Pride, 639 Old WIllets Path, Hauppauge NY 11778 631.928.8888 Talk to Butch or Demitrius.

Remember to check on YouTube and search for "YC2N" or "Ranger Eric" in order to watch the 2 videos: How to setup your incubator and how to setup your classroom brooder.

This year, we'll be releasing at:

• Main Release Site: Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, Smithtown.
• Blydenburgh County Park
• Hedges Creek County Park
• and possibly at Orient Point State Park

Please pass around the attached flier…it's an invitation to the 10th Annual Quail Release at Caleb Smith State Park on Saturday June 29, 2013 @9:30am. I hope to see you and all of your students there!

Keep in touch. Tell me what you need...

Sincerely,

Eric

Quail Eggs have arrived

Quail eggs have been delivered to the classrooms!!!!  Hatching should occur around May 9th.  Incubators should maintain a temperture of 99-100 and water should be be in tray # 1 only. Please check during the day to make sure the egg turner is working.  Any questions/problems, please let us know.

Helpful Info

Here are some sites/articles about Eric Powers who raises the quails until their release in June.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jrBZh7tPMQ

http://rsufsd.drupalgardens.com/sites/rsufsd.drupalgardens.com/files/BWQ%20Release%202012.pdf – This was last years release

http://bobwhites.wordpress.com/original-research-expert-interview/

 

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/quails-freed-to-take-on-ticks-in-smithtown-1.3815399