Andrew Bier

Yes this is so important, and weird it took so long to understand.

In aquaponics we know its not just free nutrients, but they must be produced or combined, in addition in animal/mammel biology many processes must happen to make many of the minerals or nutrients available, it only make sense that plants need these same processes but in a more indirect environment. Hence why composting is so important, or a live fertilizer. You can'y expect your plants be health or have a good immune system without good bacteria. Just like our Own guts.

I am planning to start raising Jumbo Coturnix for both eggs and meat. I got an old 40 gallon breeder aquarium, which I plan to use as my initial brooder. I plan on buying my eggs off ebay with theses off Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TTYLIKY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A2OFHS8DA4T0GA&psc=1 ,a 30% protein starter crumble
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007E5H4VC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 ,standard stand water and feeder for chicks
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4PLOU9/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1SOTW8P37SHNK&psc=1 ,
Farm Innovators Model 4250 Digital Circulated Air Incubator with Automatic Egg Turner    
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CGA1BHM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 ,
Farm Innovators Model 3400 Quail Rails, 6-Pack
I also have easy access to heat lamps, and given I live in Fresno Ca, 100 degrees F is easy to maintain, tbh it will be hard to get down to it some months

as for their cages I plan on buying these:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4F0AAOSw05JbdPvJ/s-l500.jpg
https://www.ebay.com/itm/QUAIL-LAYER-CAGE-BREEDING-PENS-HATCHING-EGGS/273409905526?epid=27025557652&hash=item3fa8801376:g:4F0AAOSw05JbdPvJ

they are about 2'x2'x18", so I figure 4-8 quail each,... at the moment lets assume I cram them full at 8 each.

So for egg layers I need 30ish Hens, for ease of math Im going to say 32. Im a game programmer so terms of 4, 8, 16 and so on work for me. Also as for raising the chicks to maturity I'm going to assume an average/max of 96 days for meat.
At minimum for the eggers I need 4 cages...
so question: Do Roo's help hens produce eggs just by their presence, or are males only needed to make fertile eggs. For instance say you had 1 male in a cage next to 3-4 hens, but no access to them... would the hens lay more eggs?

Next, what is the usual spawn rate of males to females? Lets assume My first 4 cages are just for eggs, fertile or not it does it matter. What is the best way to grow out males, what happens when males are crowded with other males, should I just cull extra males?

Ok last still going on 8 quail per cage, with a 96 day meat harvest, Im trying to figure out how many I should need for 2 people to each eat 2 mature quail, and a 3 chicken egg size breakfast, per day/year... I also assume 1 chicken egg = 5 quail eggs. So far I'm getting 12 or 16 cages. Im just hoping someone here know the math better than me.

NP Amamnda, btw also onions... and also citrus is bad too... which is funny cuz i started them on orange peels

Hello,
So I have a full container of Invertebrate Pellets from Aquatic Arts, that I had bought for a shrimp aquarium that is now defunct. I'm planning on feeding it to my crickets, as crickets seem a lot like land shrimp

The ingredients are: Spirulina, Fish Meal, High Gluten Wheat Flour, Green Pea Powder, Propylene Glycol, Fish Oil, Stabilized Brewers Yeast, Dry Lecithin, Zucchini Powder, Carrot Powder, Garlic Powder, Zeolite, with Vitamins and Minerals.

For the most part, the ingredients seem fine but I'm a little concerned that the garlic may be toxic to them, does anyone know if its safe? Usually I feed my crickets dry oats, nuts and dehydrated fruits and veggies to keep mold at a minimum, but I found these pellets and think that they might be even less likely to develop mold.

Thanks,
Andrew

update- ok, I found the info I needed... yes garlic is toxic to insects as its a natural insecticide... so the pellets are probably a bad idea, i just stick to my ground up nuts and stuff.