EEEE!! Fuzzy bitty quail baby!!

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
I can't hold it yet!! I don't dare open the hatcher with other eggs in there. But I so very much want to, especially since the baby is doing its best to convince anyone within earshot that it's dying, yes, DYING of loneliness.

I spent the night on the couch, with the lights on low, so it could see me whenever it looked up.

-Spooky

 

[KellyHM]

If it's been in there all night you should put it in the brooder soon. Quail can't go as long as chicks w/o food and water b/c their yolk sacs are so much smaller.

 

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
She went broody on the 6th, all day, and on the 7th, she was back to being a spastic pacer with no interest in her nest, so that evening I stole the eggs. She only sat for a day.

And of course, twelve seconds after I stole the eggs, she laid another one.
-Spooky

 

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
I was worried about that when I saw the baby pecking at the spots on the Coturnix egg, so I dropped some food processor'd chicken feed through the vent hole, and there's a very wet sponge. I poked that with a chopstick through the vent hole and he seemed to catch on, though I don't know if he was drinking or just pecking at it. I did see him eat some of the.. well, food dust

-Spooky

 

[KellyHM]

That's good! If you're worried about him getting water you can put a shallow lid - like from a milk jug - in there for him.

 

[Teach97]

Button quail easy??? I have had more issues trying to keep those cute little devils alive! They can drown in anything! Be real careful in that regard...they get stuck everywhere! I know I should have realized this but dang they are small!!! Just thought I would put out a warning to you. Congrats on yours...

 

[spookyevilone]

Meeper has been moved to the brooder, a 10g aquarium with a heating pad under one side. It's about 92F on that side, lined with an old kitchen towel, feed scattered on the towel and a milk top as a waterer. I have no small stuffies, so I used socks I've worn, so Meeps gets used to my scent, and balls of fluffy yarn. Thus far, Meeps is ignoring the yarn and burrowing under my socks. When I reach in to finger-peck at the food or water, Meeps comes running over to snuggle and peck at whatever I'm pecking at. I think the silly baby has figured out the food/water thing. Whether or not Meeps remembers it twenty minutes from now, I don't know.

No other pips or hatches yet. I pulled Meeps because his down wasn't drying in the humidity and I figured that couldn't be good. All gauges are registering 70% humidity. Meeps fluffed out 10 minutes after being put in the brooder and now looks like a chick instead of a drowning victim.

Meeps is still meeping. The cats are sleeping next to the nice, warm glass and Meeps is snuggled into a sock next to them. I tried to get pictures, but the glare off the glass won't let me.

-Spooky

 

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
My friend had four that hypothermic'd themselves to death by sitting in the water dish.

Mine are in wire cages, with clip-on water dishes. I put the water high enough that they have to stretch to reach it. Haven't had any get stuck, but we'll see what happens with the babies. Meeper seems to be happy just crawling into a dirty sock

Goofy fuzzbutt.
-Spooky

 

[spookyevilone]

Quote:
Thanks for that tip! I was going to use a yogurt lid, but it was so wide I just knew he'd go romping through it and probably catch a chill. I had a milk bottle lid that I boiled and put water in. I think he's caught on.
-Spooky

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
But it didn't go into the incubator until the 7th. I thought that was the day I had to count from? Cuz if not.. EEEK!

All the eggs I got from the swap were laid around that same time!
-Spooky

Oh sorry! Missed that part! Are you sure you didn't stick one of your own eggs in there?