First hatching

[StoneyRidge]

I have never had coturnix quail before. I bought 30 hatching eggs off e-bay and placed them in my incubator. So far 11 have hatched. These babies are SMALL! And fast! They brought a smile to my face. I love to see life renew itself. They are suppose to be tuxido coturnix. The babies so far are in three different colors. Two are all yellow. One has a yellow belly and a black back. The others are brown with a reddish tint on the head and stripes down the body. I welcome what ever colors come out of this hatch.

I made a cage out of 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch wire. I am using a chicken feeder and a bird waterer. These guys seem too small for them. Some are pecking at the feed in teh feeder so that is good. Will they hop up on the waterer to take a drink?

 

[_Randall_]

I'm far from being an expert, as my first batch of 94 Bobs are almost done hatching. They started about 2:30 yesterday afternoon, and I've been moving them to the brooder box about 15 or so at at time. They take to the feed on the floor immediately, and after I took each one's beak and dipped it in the water, several of them figured it out pretty quick. The ones that know where it's at are showing the others.

 

[JJMR794]

Careful With Watering Fonts On These Lil Guys.... They Drown Very Very Very Very Very Easily! Even If All They Do Is Fall In The Water And Hop Out They Will Become Hypothermic (dispite The Heated Brooder) And Die. If Using A Quail Water Font The Tray Is Quite Small And Very Difficult For Them To Get Wet Or Drown In, If Using Chicken Water Font The Tray Is Way Bigger And A Death Trap For Them--- For Chicken Water Fonts Fill The Tray With Marbles Or Similar Object So They Have To Reach Down In Between The Objects To Get A Drink. Also Keep The Water Font As Far Away From Your Heat Source As Possible Since These Guys Are Little Heat Seekers This Helps The Water From Become A Hot Spot Where They'll Congregate And Increase Their Chances Of Drowning--- Farthest From The Heat Helps To Eliminate This. They Will Come To The Font When Thirsty.

Another Caveat-- A Nice Shiney Nickle Or Dime On Top Of The Food In A Dish Helps To Attract Lil Fuzzy Minds

Especially If It Is Under The Heat Source! They Will Instinctively Drink And Seek Water, But Have To Figure Out What Food Is. It Helps If They Are Attracted To It (remember The Heat Seeking Part? + Under The Heat Source= Quail Hanging Out And Talking Shop At The Food Dish!)

 

[shelleyd2008]

Color-wise, it sounds right. The breeder probably had all tuxedos in the pen. Tuxedos are 'made' by crossing a white bird with a tibetan bird. Depending on how the genes 'match up', you could get whites (the yellow chicks), tuxedos (yellow belly with black back), or tibetans (reddish brown chicks). As long as the brown ones aren't 'brown', they should be tibetans.

 

[StoneyRidge]

For a waterer I used a smaller birder waterer for hummingbirds. The lower cover comes off and exposes a small tray. I filled the tray with small pebbles. I dipped thier beaks in the water like I do with chicks and hope that is all I need to do. They found the feed fine.

The browninsh one do have a red colored hugh especially on thier heads and backs. I am glad they are hatching a variety of colors.

My 4 year old grand daughter looked at them last night and I let her hold one. She was so excited by thier small size and loves to hold chicks. They are really cute.