Can you reuse egg cartons or EggFoam to ship hatching eggs? This guide breaks down the biosecurity risks of porous materials, cross-flock contamination, and how packaging choices impact hatch rates, chick health, and breeder reputation.

If you’ve ever been told to drop an egg in water to see if it’s good, you’re not alone. The float test is everywhere—but it’s widely misunderstood. It doesn’t tell you if an egg will hatch, and it doesn’t reliably tell you if it’s safe to eat. Let’s look at what it actually measures and why it’s not the tool most people think it is.

What to do with a broody hen?

Late-term eggs don’t always look any different—but they don’t behave the same in the incubator. If you’ve ever struggled with poor hatch rates from shipped eggs, this could be why. Let’s talk about what’s really going on inside the shell and why timing matters more than most people realize.

Can you split Marek’s vaccine to make more doses? No—and doing so can leave your chicks unprotected. Learn why this live virus vaccine must be handled precisely and what happens when dosing goes wrong.

Do missing wattles mean a rooster is missing testicles?
No. Wattles are secondary sexual characteristics influenced by testosterone. While testosterone is produced by the testes, the presence or absence of wattles does not indicate whether a rooster has testicles. Wattles can be affected by genetics, injury, frostbite, and thermoregulation.

What is the difference in medicated vs non medicated feed? Which one should I use?

What is safe to wash hatching eggs? Nothing

Sealing a pond with pigs is an old farmer way of doing things that is rooted in science. Save money and get some bacon with your pond.

The Fabulous Fee! My absolute favorite coturnix gene. Find out why in this week’s blog

The Bryant’s Roost feed trial has become one the of the most talked about experiemnts in the quail world in the last few years. It is objective and helpful to so many people. 2025 added yet another feed to the list to read about.

The Egyptian quail is a mainstay of most quail coveys and in this week’s blog, we find out why it is so special.

The pharaoh coturnix quail is the beginning of the beginning. It is the wild type, it is feather sexable and lays the larger eggs. Find out more in this week’s blog.

Fall hatching isn’t traditional but it is a useful tool to get a jump start on next year’s plans. Consider the benefits of fall chicks and how it may serve you better when spring is already so busy.

A quick guide to comparing the 3 most popular quail and to help guide you on your decision making process.

How to be a quail breeder! Clean, clean and clean some more. When it is too hot to ship, we use our time wisely to replenish our own stock and to clean cages.

Good animal husbandry is the foundation of a successful farm.

Self sufficiency looks different for everyone. Today I share what it looks like to me. I am reminded of the saying, Give someone a fish, fee them today. Teach someone to fish, feed them everyday.