Adult quails pecking/killing newly hatched babies

[Chene]

Hi all,

I have Chinese quails which have hatched 2 eggs today, one was already dead when we got home from work and the other was alive but mom and dad were walking all over chick and pecking at it. I have taken it out placed it inside with us in a blanket and seems to be ok.
I would like to find out why the parents would do this to the newly hatched chicks? There is still 6 more eggs which haven't hatched and would like to know if I must take them all out as they hatch or just monitor what the parents do when chicks are hatched?
Please help!!

 

[Fishkeeper]

Some quail have really bad parenting instincts. It might be they don't know what the babies are or what to do. Yes, you need to remove the babies as soon as they hatch, and raise them separately. If I were you, I'd remove the eggs as soon as you see them start to zip, push the egg open, as long as you have a suitably warm and humid place to put them.

 

[Chene]

Thanks k you so much for the tip... much appreciated @Fishkeeper

 

[Chene]

Would I be able to put them back with the parents once they are fully mobile and no longer require parenting? Of so how long would you say until I could put them back in my aviary?

 

[Fishkeeper]

Chinese painted quail live in pairs in the wild, and only in pairs. They shouldn't be kept in groups, as they'll fight and potentially kill each other. You should keep them in individual pairs, so, no, don't put the chicks back with the parents at all.

 

[2 many chickens]

Do not put the babies with them. They are not going to accept them. Rear them yourself... or they will die. If the broody is not sitting anymore or taken to the ones hatched, she won't take to them. Quails are strange.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Would I be able to put them back with the parents once they are fully mobile and no longer require parenting? Of so how long would you say until I could put them back in my aviary?

You're gonna need more cages

 

[Chene]

Thank you all so much for the tips I will keep baby inside and build her/him a new home