BROODY CORTURNIX

[chickbird]

ONE MORE HATCHED TODAY, SHE STILL HAS ABOUT 9 EGGS UNDER HER, I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER QUAIL HAVE BEEN GETTING IN WITH HER AND LAYING, SHE GOT OFF TODAY AND ATE AND GOT WATER AND GOT RIGHT BACK ON,

 

[chickbird]

SHE HAS HATCHED 7 WITH 4 LIVING, 3 WERE MASHED IN HER NEST. SHE DOES NOT CARE FOR THEM, I HAVE HAD TO TAKE THEM.

 

[Tikkajazz94]

Awe, thats a bit sad to hear I know it would be awesome to have a quail look after its own young

 

[jbobs]

I guess it's still pretty impressive that she sat on them and turned them for that long - just doesn't have the sense to take care of them. I had a few tht were pretty persistent over the years but they always lost interest after a couple days so actually getting chicks is cool. If you had the time/energy/desire you could separate her off, get a clutch of eggs from just her and have her hatch them and see if any of the offspring grow up to have the same trait. You might have to take them away at birth to raise them but eventually you might end up with birds that get broodier and broodier by the generation.

I have also heard that people used to use doves to hatch quail eggs - I wonder if anyone here has tried this? I had a pair of ringneck doves that tried to hatch a chicken eggs one time, but the egg was almost as big as they were LOL

 

[chickbird]

AN INTERESTING TIDBIT, WHEN SHE GOT TIRED OF SITTING SHE TOOK HER BEAK AND ROLLED ALL OF THE REMAINING EGGS OUT OF THE NEST. I BROUGHT THEM IN AND MOST WERE NOT GOOD, BUT HAD THREE THAT SEEMED VIABLE, TWO HAVE HATCHED IN THE INCUBATOR.

 

[stone_family3]

Congrats on getting some chicks, hope she goes broody again and hopefully she does a better job.

 

[quail tony]

I hatched chicks a week apart and one of the week old chicks lifts her wings and lets the younger chicks under and looks after them, has anyone seen this before and is it indicative of sex?

 

[DK newbie]

I remember reading about someone on here who has a coturnix roo she puts in her brooder when she has chicks, because he'll look after them. So no, I don't think it tells you much about its sex. I just think the smaller chicks have the urge to hide under any bird that's bigger than them and this one lets them.