Hi there
It seems to be a fairly rare occurence - a Coturnix Quail successfully hatching her own young - so I thought I'd show you my clever girl who has done just that.
I'd been busy for a few days and hadn't collected her eggs, had just been feeding and watering. After a couple of days I checked and she was sitting on her 5 or so eggs which she had gathered in a nest in the corner of the hutch. This in itself is unusual as she normally just drops her eggs any old place and leaves them where they lay.
I left her sitting on them to see what would happen. She kept laying until she had 17 eggs. I noticed that she became very aggressive toward the male quail - chasing him around the pen and attacking him. I moved him out and put him in another pen with some girls who were much happier to see him.
I did this not only for his sake but I was by now getting pretty excited that she might remain broody.
She did indeed remain broody and sat for 23.75 hours a day pretty much. She only got up to quickly dust bathe, eat and poop. A really big poop by the way due to saving it up all day I guess!
After around 16 or 17 days (I didn't know exactly how long she had been cooking them properly, I came home, checked and OHMYGOSH she had 8 hatchlings tucked up under her!. I removed the broken shells and they kept on hatching til she had 12 gorgeous babies. 7 brunettes and 5 blondes.
On her eggs - spread out flat like a pancake to cover them all.
The happy sight I was greeted with - two little stripey heads just beneath her beak there.
A mass of little quails with some eggs still there. The remaining 5 eggs didn't hatch by the next day and were indeed duds.
Mum bringing the babes out into the sun the next morning. They move about tucked up under her for warmth. She's very protective and tucks them under her when I come close and lets them totter about if I keep my distance.
So there you have it - so far she's been an incredibly protective and attentive mother, I'm very pleased!
It seems to be a fairly rare occurence - a Coturnix Quail successfully hatching her own young - so I thought I'd show you my clever girl who has done just that.
I'd been busy for a few days and hadn't collected her eggs, had just been feeding and watering. After a couple of days I checked and she was sitting on her 5 or so eggs which she had gathered in a nest in the corner of the hutch. This in itself is unusual as she normally just drops her eggs any old place and leaves them where they lay.
I left her sitting on them to see what would happen. She kept laying until she had 17 eggs. I noticed that she became very aggressive toward the male quail - chasing him around the pen and attacking him. I moved him out and put him in another pen with some girls who were much happier to see him.
I did this not only for his sake but I was by now getting pretty excited that she might remain broody.
She did indeed remain broody and sat for 23.75 hours a day pretty much. She only got up to quickly dust bathe, eat and poop. A really big poop by the way due to saving it up all day I guess!
After around 16 or 17 days (I didn't know exactly how long she had been cooking them properly, I came home, checked and OHMYGOSH she had 8 hatchlings tucked up under her!. I removed the broken shells and they kept on hatching til she had 12 gorgeous babies. 7 brunettes and 5 blondes.
On her eggs - spread out flat like a pancake to cover them all.
The happy sight I was greeted with - two little stripey heads just beneath her beak there.
A mass of little quails with some eggs still there. The remaining 5 eggs didn't hatch by the next day and were indeed duds.
Mum bringing the babes out into the sun the next morning. They move about tucked up under her for warmth. She's very protective and tucks them under her when I come close and lets them totter about if I keep my distance.
So there you have it - so far she's been an incredibly protective and attentive mother, I'm very pleased!
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