The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: doganjo on June 10, 2014, 05:15:00 pm
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I stupidly opened the quail hatch open forgetting that I'd already opened the outside run gate so the chooks could come and eat the weeds. She's disappeared and now I have a lonely quail. My boy quail died a couple of weeks ago, and although I have 6 eggs in the incubator that I had hoped would be fertile nothing has happened.
She's making little chirpy noises poor wee soul. :( I'm tempted to buy eggs to hatch but can't afford to have loads of males killing each other.
What to do? She's produced three eggs since her friend went - trying to compensate maybe? :'( :'( :'(
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If you're driving south some time soon you can have some of my quail hens. I get more eggs than we can eat :)
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When did she go Doganjo?
They do sometimes return. We have had esacapees and most have come back in a couple of days. Can you leave an open cage next to the one she escaped from? Keep your eyes open .... she may come back. :fc:
If not, but a couple of females if you wish to continue with them and don't want to cull males if hatching. They are very aggressive as you know. :(
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It was on Sunday - during the day when I was visiting my sister. I thought the eggs might hatch as I'd seen the boy working, but it's a very basic incubator so difficult to gauge humidity and temperature.
Anyone got any idea what the temperature should be and whether I should have water in the wee pockets - it's an Octagon 10 with automatic turning. If I could work out which were boys in the early stages I'd feel confident in disposing but I don't know how soon you can tell.
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Hatching takes 17-18 days. I think the temperature was 37.5 or 38.5 .... depends on incubator. Do you have instructions with yours? ... ours gave temperatures/ humidity levels specific to that incubator. Stop turning at 15 days.
I think we kept humidity much the same as we would for hen eggs.
Males of the 'wild' type colouring can be sexed easily but we couldn't do that until feathered. Mature by 6 wks though so not long to wait. Other colours are difficult to sex by plumage and require vent sexing. Never tried that because by 6 wks the males will be crowing and foam balling anyway and so it becomes apparent.
You could order some eggs off the net .... we ordered from a quail farm in Wales. All wild type colouring and easy to sex by plumage at 5 wks or so. Excellent hatch rate. Healthy chicks and good layers.
HTH
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Hi Doganjo
If you go on the internet and Google Brinsea Octagon 10 and get onto the proper Brinsea Site it gives you the user instructions and all the temperatures for different eggs.
Hope this helps
Mark
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Thanks everyone. I think I might get a female companion for her instead, the gentleman I bought the trio from was on here but I can't remember his username. Lives near me in Clacks.
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oh dear, been there and done that, they escape so quickly. we never saw ours again.
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My own fault forgetting I'd opened teh outside run for the hens to eat the weeds. :'( :'(
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Be very careful with 'introduction' stage, Doganjo. My daughter insisted we buy a female once (don't ask ... a sort of rescue mission ::) ;D) and we had a real job getting any of our quail to accept her or her to accept them. She even attacked one of the males. Just thought I'd mention it so you can be on the look out for any trouble.