ghull999
In the Brooder
My Mearns Quail started hatching this morning so figured I would post a picture since I couldn't find and images of Mearns Quail chicks online.
Mearns Quail Hatching
- Thread starter ghull999
- Start date
Cool!
- Jul 26, 2009
- 71
- 1
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Lucky!! Good for you id love to get my hands on some mearns quail but decided their bout impossible to find! Good luck!
- Thread starter
- #4
- Oct 22, 2014
- 43
- 12
- 24
How did your hatch turn out on the Mearns?
- Thread starter
- #6
ghull999
In the Brooder
Only 1 hatched out of 6 eggs that developed. Not sure, but think my humidity was too high (50%). Costly lesson.
- Oct 22, 2014
- 43
- 12
- 24
Sorry to hear that. I hatched one a few weeks ago myself, same thing, bought 6 eggs, but only one of them developed. Costly mistake indeed! I did find another breeder that I will be getting eggs from in June. He also has some knowledge of hatching and raising.
Sorry your hatch didnt turn out more chicks. I know the feeling. I had 1 survivor from a batch of 16 Black Masked bobwhite eggs. Hatching is definitely a gamble!
A good majority of the Mearns breeders I've talked to keep the humidity just above 25%. I hear that 25-35% is ideal... but I can't speak from personal experience. I just got a 2015 pair of Mearns, hoping for eggs in the next few weeks.
How did you guys do brooding the Single Mearns chicks? Did you have to do any tweezer feeding, or anything like that to get it eating?
There's so little literature regarding Mearns in aviculture...its frustrating. I will say that they're hands down the most laid back species of wild quail I've raised. At least in my experience, They acclimated very quickly to their new environment, and now take mealworms right from my hand!
I just love them and can't wait for the other pairs to arrive in July/August!
A good majority of the Mearns breeders I've talked to keep the humidity just above 25%. I hear that 25-35% is ideal... but I can't speak from personal experience. I just got a 2015 pair of Mearns, hoping for eggs in the next few weeks.
How did you guys do brooding the Single Mearns chicks? Did you have to do any tweezer feeding, or anything like that to get it eating?
There's so little literature regarding Mearns in aviculture...its frustrating. I will say that they're hands down the most laid back species of wild quail I've raised. At least in my experience, They acclimated very quickly to their new environment, and now take mealworms right from my hand!
I just love them and can't wait for the other pairs to arrive in July/August!
- Oct 22, 2014
- 43
- 12
- 24
I had to hand feed my Mearns with a syringe and a liquid mixture. My chick pipped the egg but never started zipping. After 36 hours, I assisted him by zipping his egg for him. I later found out by talking to an experienced breeder that the Mearns will pip through the egg but take up to 3 to 4 days to zip out. So...I almost lost my chick for lack of knowledge. I hand fed him for a week with liquid through a syringe until he was strong enough to eat live meal worms. Now he's as healthy as can be and jogs in place when I make the feeding call for his meal worms. Now I'm trying to wean him off the live meal worms slowly.
They are a digger in nature and grow very long toenails, so if you keep them on wire, you must keep their toenails clipped or they will pop a nail off which will cause bleeding then toe pecking from others. The breeder I spoke to keeps his on board with wood shavings. So if you had a wire bottom cage, you could simply make a wood floor to fit over the wire. If you keep them in an aviary with ground floor, they have been known to dig out and byebye expensive little bird.
Once I found out I only had 1 fertile egg out of six, I added a button quail egg to the bator and hatched them together so he would have a companion to grow with and also help me teach him how to eat quail feed.
I will be getting 10 eggs from a 20 year breeder in June and will definitely get more knowledge from him on raising these gorgeous birds.
Hatching and brooding looks like the hard part but with their natural digging instinct, that can be a learning experience as adults as well.
They are a digger in nature and grow very long toenails, so if you keep them on wire, you must keep their toenails clipped or they will pop a nail off which will cause bleeding then toe pecking from others. The breeder I spoke to keeps his on board with wood shavings. So if you had a wire bottom cage, you could simply make a wood floor to fit over the wire. If you keep them in an aviary with ground floor, they have been known to dig out and byebye expensive little bird.
Once I found out I only had 1 fertile egg out of six, I added a button quail egg to the bator and hatched them together so he would have a companion to grow with and also help me teach him how to eat quail feed.
I will be getting 10 eggs from a 20 year breeder in June and will definitely get more knowledge from him on raising these gorgeous birds.
Hatching and brooding looks like the hard part but with their natural digging instinct, that can be a learning experience as adults as well.
1 out of 6 eggs are developing for me as well. This person mentioned he had 27pair(hard to believe) in his email. Bought the eggs eBay, he's from Edinburgh, IN. Made several attempts to call, voice message left. No response. Their ad stated "fertile" eggs. Loosely worded..frustrating.
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