Expecting babies! First hatch ever

[lisameow]

One of my girls has started sitting on her eggs and I candled one and I'm positive that there are babies inside! I haven't hatched eggs before so there are a lot of things I need to know.

• Can the babies live with their mother or do I need to take them out?
• Do they need special feed?
Will the father and other female attack them?
• what else could they need?
• Will they all fight when they're older?

if you have any advice or tips or if there's anything else I should know please tell me!

 

[Q QUAIL S]

Well I haven't had any broody hens. I have heard that basically all of the the quail breeds don't go broody because people always incubate so they sort of lost their one of their instincts. I should suggest to put the broody hen in a separate container so that the other birds won't harm the chicks just in case. They will need chick feed that is small. When they are about four weeks you can move them in with the other quail.

 

[JaeG]

Give the 'hatching and raising quail' articles on this page a read through. It's got some great information.

https://holistic-hen.blogspot.co.nz/

 

[lisameow]

Sorry the website doesn't seem to work:/ I think it's my phone

 

[Q QUAIL S]

And the chick feed needs to be high protein because they grow so fast.

 

[lisameow]

I'll be sure to get some, thanks

 

[cshma11]

This is our first batch of coturnix egg incubation also. We have 5 females and 1 male. We were told they were jumbo browns, but their eggs aren't nearly as big as the ones I've seen online, and the quail themselves aren't very big either. I think they're just regular coturnix. Anyhow... I have a few on lockdown now. I candled them before putting them on lockdown, and only a few have any dark area in them. I can't see anything specific, but it has a really obvious air cell on the big side of the egg, with the pointy side and the rest of the egg all dark. Any idea if that's what I should be seeing, or if they're all goners? I've read about float testing them, but I think I'm not supposed to touch them after lockdown? I'm afraid to kill a viable egg by checking it LOL!

 

[lisameow]

Oh cool yeah my quails are king quails but they look almost like you said yours do. If you decide to take one out and check, try look closely for some veins because that's what mine are like. I haven't used an incubator so I'm not sure if you should try. Sorry I'm not too much help haha. I think it would be best just to leave them unless you can smell a bad egg

 

[Bug n Flock]

If they are all dark except for the air cell, they are chicks! Don't throw them out, there are baby birds in there! I'm on lockdown too.

 

[cshma11]

Oh good!!! I was afraid I had ruined them. They're on lockdown and I'm just waiting, maybe not so patiently haha