California Quail Trio + Should I try hatching this time?

Somewhere_In_The_Clouds

I sing in the shadow of Your wings
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Nov 12, 2022
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I unexpectedly lost one of my male quail a few weeks back, so now I have two girls and a boy. One of the girls started laying today, am I correct in thinking I need to take the extra girl out before any fights start?
And I am also indecisive about whether I should hatch this season. I have experience hatching Jap quail, but that was a few years ago. I haven't done much research into hatching the California quail yet, what's it like? How different or difficult is it to hatch and raise them?
I've also been meaning to move them to a different aviary, will this disrupt her laying at all?
Thanks in advance.
 
Not much different in the incubation and hatching from Coturnix, except, it takes 24 days of incubation for Cali Valley quail.
They need more room/space than Coturnix.

Other than that not much difference.

And YES, moving them to a new enclosure will make them quit laying until they become accustomed to their new surroundings.
 
Not much different in the incubation and hatching from Coturnix, except, it takes 24 days of incubation for Cali Valley quail.
They need more room/space than Coturnix.

Other than that not much difference.

And YES, moving them to a new enclosure will make them quit laying until they become accustomed to their new surroundings.
Thank you! So should I be moving my extra girl away from the pair so they dont fight?
I will probably move them anyway as I need to move them, due to a possible rat visiting their current aviary.
 
Where in the world are you located? Are you're birds under artificial lights? ....they shouldn't be laying this time of year, if your in the USA. Also, are they Valley quail that are laying or Coturnix?
If they are getting along....I'd leave them be, I wouldn't seperate unless there's a problem.
 
Where in the world are you located? Are you're birds under artificial lights? ....they shouldn't be laying this time of year, if your in the USA. Also, are they Valley quail that are laying or Coturnix?
If they are getting along....I'd leave them be, I wouldn't seperate unless there's a problem.
Oh, sorry! In Australia so complete opposite to most people! Forget that sometimes 😅
No, they are not under artificial light, we're going into Summer here. Valley quail laying currently, I don't have the Coturnix anymore.
This is my first time owning Valley Quail, so am really new to this all.
 
Where in the world are you located? Are you're birds under artificial lights? ....they shouldn't be laying this time of year, if your in the USA. Also, are they Valley quail that are laying or Coturnix?
If they are getting along....I'd leave them be, I wouldn't seperate unless there's a problem.
I knew they had to be in Australia. They're the ones who shorten Japanese to Jap. Since that's a racial slur in America, it's a giveaway for our friends down under. :)
 
Oh, sorry! In Australia so complete opposite to most people! Forget that sometimes 😅
No, they are not under artificial light, we're going into Summer here. Valley quail laying currently, I don't have the Coturnix anymore.
This is my first time owning Valley Quail, so am really new to this all.
Valleys aren't any harder to hatch or raise than other quail. You'll want you're temperature set at 99.5°F or 100°F. Humidity should be around 45% for the first 21 to 22 days of incubation, the last 3 or 4 days the humidity can be bumped up to 55 to 60%, higher than that will cause problems with hatching.

Once they have dried off (fluffed up) you can transfer them to a brooder. The temp should be measured at the floor of the brooder and under the heat lamp, if using a heat lamp for the source of heat, and for the first week, should be ~95°F. The brooder should be big enough to have a heated end and a cooler end. The temp should be lowered by 5°F per week until ambient temperatures are 70°F or higher or the birds are fully feathered. Feed and water should be placed in the cool end of the brooder. You may have to place paper towels down and sprinkle finely ground crumbles on the towels to get the chicks to start eating the crumbles....as most crumbles are to large for quail under a week to 2 weeks of age to ingest.
HTH
 
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I knew they had to be in Australia. They're the ones who shorten Japanese to Jap. Since that's a racial slur in America, it's a giveaway for our friends down under. :)
I want aware of that, thank for letting me know!
Valleys aren't any harder to hatch or raise than other quail. You'll want you're temperature set at 99.5°F or 100°F. Humidity should be around 45% for the first 21 to 22 days of incubation, the last 3 or 4 days the humidity can be bumped up to 55 to 60%, higher than that will cause problems with hatching.

Once the have dried off (fluffed up) you can transfer them to a brooder. The temp should be measured at the floor of the brooder and under the heat lamp, if using a heat lamp for the source of heat, and for the first week, should be ~95°F. The brooder should be big enough to have a heated end and a cooler end. The temp should be lowered by 5°F per week until ambient temperatures are 70°F or higher or the birds are fully feathered. Feed and water should be placed in the cool end of the brooder. You may have to place paper towels down and sprinkle finely ground crumbles on the towels to get the chicks to start eating the crumbles....as most crumbles are to large for quail under a week to 2 weeks of age to ingest.
HTH
Thank you so much for this! Very helpful!
 
I have some more questions 😅 I apologise now for the many, many questions I will inevitably ask you guys. Don't hesitate to let me know if it's too much!

So despite having been moved to the new aviary about four days ago, the girls are still laying and have even made themselves a nest. I don't really want to do a staggered hatch, it's already been a week for the eggs in the incubator, but I could if I try and set up my second incubator as a hatcher.
My questions are about maybe leaving the eggs with them? Are they likely to go broody? But my biggest question is if they can safely raised the babies with three adults in the aviary?? Will they get too aggressive around babies and are they any good at parenting?
 

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