Today is quail day18 and waiting - more pictures Post#1

[Stellar]

Some people have button quail in aviaries BUT they are monogamous birds so it is best to have a pair in an aviary...if the aviary is large enough and if there are a lot of hiding places and opportunities to seek their own territories then more than one pair is fine. People do not understand that these birds do not thrive in colonies. I house them in breeding cages, but pretty spacious ones and they are gorgeous breeders which I own. I am so proud of them

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

That is exactly what I am afraid of. That they are gorgeous and addictive. I am afraid I would want all the different colors. So, I think it best I just stay away from them.

I am already wanting Red and Cinnamon j Coturnix and I am curious about Fawn, then I find out that in the Phillipines they have the Silver (that is really just a white with black eyes) and there is a Cream out there that is different from the Manchurian Gold. It just goes on and on. Eye Candy.

DH will make breeding cages when it cools off, but geesh. I went out to collect eggs this evening before I turned on the lights and there wasn't any.

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
I had similar concerns about my springer spaniel. Somehow, it seemed like it would be torturing him to have game birds in the house, yet off limits. But, it has worked out well for everyone. He seems to really enjoy watching the quail, but doesn't get overly excited or try to nudge the cages or anything. They have gotten used to him to the point they basically just ignore him. I think any cat or dog can be trained to be good around them with supervision. I doubt that my dog would bother them if he were left alone in the room with them, but when someone isn't around to supervise, I do shut the door between the room the quail are in and the rest of the house, better safe than sorry at this point, since they have only been around now for 7 weeks.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

OH, I don't worry about the dogs. My Schnauzer has caught a day old baby Quail that my DS dropped. And ever so gently set it on the floor at his feet. I nonchalantly picked it up, told him thank you and put the baby quail back in the brooder. DS learned not to let the babies walk his arm. And he is an adult and should have known better.

No, these are their babies to protect. They catch them in mid air, check out their houses with me, check the yard, chase off Hawks, their job just never ends and it was their choice to do so naturally. I didn't train them, I just show them by doing and then they copy me in their own way. I can trust either of my dogs to be alone with any of my birds at any age. Not the cat.

The cat does ignore them but is curious about them. But like you, I would not trust her alone in their bathroom with the lid off the brooder tubs. If I had birds in the house, there is no question in my mind she would want to play with them. She is strictly an indoor cat, but she likes to play with small things. Twisties, bottle caps and probably baby quail given the chance. Might not hurt them, but they would still die from fright.

I had to house one of my baby ducks for a few days and I just put it in the living room in a tub and she layed by the box for hours upon hours, the duckling ignored her, but she wanted a friend.

This is going to be a long hatch. I think I better order a new heater, thermostate whatever for the bator for next year, along with a few plastic tops to replace the wharped one I have. Tape works, but maybe not that great.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Adorable Quailes!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Thank you.

It's after 11pm so its day 17 and quess what. Pop, Pop, Pop....Pop, Pop...Pop.Pop.Pop.

They are poping like pop corn. I actually went to bed, then decided I had better check the humidity and sure enough it was up cause they are popping. So I have to stay up for a while anyway. Little sleep again.

Had to just put 2 into the brooder that hatched around 7pm., one was pulling the chicks out of the eggs, they are hatching hungry.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Ha ha!

Isn't the way it always is? :rolleyes

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Ya, so after I took the head puller out and the other one, they stopped popping, I am sure they will start up again when I decide to go back to bed and just check on them.

So I am up to 44 now I think. I haven't taken out all the shells yet, that is my back up count. These last were all browns. One really small. Big bertha is in there with them, hope she is gentle. Got to be a girl she is so much bigger than the others.

 

[Stellar]

Quote:
Well I have the Reds and fawns so let me know....those eggs are harder to hatch to their genetic makeup. There are a few colors the U.S does not have yet but maybe one day we will have them, who knows. The cinnamon is just a description of the fawn. I have been working with the coturnix for years..

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

This morning I woke to little quail all over the bator.

I lost the one that hatched way to early and ripped the egg sack, blood all over, stopped the bleeding, cleaned up blood from the bator, and it made it around 24 hours but wasn't meant to be. From a very large egg.

I moved Big Bertha and another hatch mate to the brooder this morning, I found her standing next to the thermomteer resting her head on top of it. She is to big to stay in there with the little ones just hatching. Been 12 hours anyway.

Next spring, probably March, I'll be after hatching eggs of more colors. I am only going to do one more quail hatch of my own eggs in September and then let the quail rest. After the Oct chick hatch the bator gets to rest till Feb. I am supposed to be cutting back, due to health problems. Need to build my immune system back up.

I still have a problem getting them their feed. I ordered their feed again and it didn't come in. 2 hatches, 2 times, same problem. I was lucky in that they had a Purina gamebird Startena bag of food left that someone never picked up. Or I would have been putting some miles on my car chasing after feed.

The breeders, if I have to I can put on Purina Flockraiser 20% or I can give them LoneStar grower 16% for the winter if I need to. But the babies seem to always be a problem. To get LoneStar they need to order 10 bags of whatever feed I want and I only use about 5 my 70+ bird hatches. I don't think it comes in a 25# bag, I'll have to check, that would solve it. If they would only get it in when I order.

I need to be sure of a feed source before I bring in more birds. No, I can't just expand, I only have room and energy enough to take care of so many.