Awesome surprise!

[Grammy60]

Aww, so sorry Sean

 

[maadroj]

Final Update: ☹ week 8

It's another sad day! It is with great sorrow that I have to relay that the lone surviving chick succumbed to the cold weather that we have been having here in South Texas. It's been near freezing or below for the last several nights.
Although it was fully feathered out, I think it just couldn't take the cold nights and temps in the day time in the low to mid 50's. BTW, it was a male chick.

I have gained alot of knowledge and experince in this short adventure. Some things I would change and some things I would not ....if the situation arises again! Thanks to all who followed along in this adventure!

How sad. You mentioned the last chick had been moping some days before he died. Maybe he was sick?

What, if anything, do you think you would do differently next time?

 

[007Sean]

How sad. You mentioned the last chick had been moping some days before he died. Maybe he was sick?

What, if anything, do you think you would do differently next time?

No, wasn't sick...just kinda moping around, no fluffed up feathers, no nasal discharges, no off colored or bloody looking droppings.
I'm thinking of increasing the pen enclosure foot print...maybe to 1,000 or 1,500 sq.ft. right now it's 350 sq.ft. plant different cover than what's in it now. Have a low 10 - 12" high by 3' x 3' square sheet of plywood on 4 legs for cover, also if hatched in the fall as they did, I'll add a heat source this time but that's not natural and that's what I was attempting to do this time, or as close to a natural habitat as possible. Also will enclose the new pen in 1/2" x 1" welded wire, instead of the industrial chicken wire (16ga.) it's now enclosed with...it's better than the 22ga. poultry wire they sell at most feed/hardware stores but the 1" mesh is too large for baby quail...they just walk straight through the openings, and raccoons, feral cats can reach through and grab them easily.

Wild populations have a horrific mortality rate. I thought about that also and expected only 1 or 2 to make it. Maybe if the hen hadn't died, they may have had a better surviabillity rate? The male was taking great care of them, until they got too big to get under him....they would huddled together next to the male but not much heat escapes the feathers to keep them warm. I could have pulled them out at that time but wouldn't have learned anything by doing so...it's hard to make the 'right' decisions when things happen and they weren't planned. I'm not planning on it happening again or at least not this next season. I'll be hatching out some this spring but it will be another year before they will be old enough to breed.
I might actually 'plan' on trying it again but idk, I have quite a few juveniles that hatched out this season (incubator hatch) I might try introducing them (hens) to this same pen with the two males but just like these, I didn't expect them to go broody and try hatching a brood.

 

[pennyJo1960]

From what you said before I think maybe he was simply lonely ..
Poor little guy ended up all alone it was very tough as you lost Mom then siblings.

 

[007Sean]

From what you said before I think maybe he was simply lonely ..
Poor little guy ended up all alone it was very tough as you lost Mom then siblings.

Yep, that too! I saw him one especially cold morning, it was 28°F and he was huddled up next to a pile of loose feathers in the pen....both Dad and Uncle were there with him but he looked so pitiful!

 

[Grammy60]

Merry Christmas Sean, wishing you a wonderful day

 

[pennyJo1960]

Merry Christmas to all