- Jun 28, 2013
- 3
- 0
- 7
I feel so stupid and guilty. Not but a month and a few weeks since we found a dead mother quail that had left 11 baby quail's in our yard. My wife and I could not standby and let nature take its course. We took them in and gave them water, then with what know how my wife has from having worked at a bird store long ago we began to prep an area for them to sleep in. We do not have a car so I got on my bike and went to Wal-Mart got a heat lamp some chick starter and a small bowl to place their water in.
they were no bigger than a half dollar it seemed when we found them. Black and brown color to them and chirping up a storm of what I can only relate to a bunch of car alarms going off at the same time after a small quake in LA. I have slowly grown so attached to these little guys and their personalities. I looked up online to find out as much as I can about them and what they eat and need. After one week one started to look like it was not going to make it so i mashed up the chick starter wife bent a spoon into the shape of a beak and I forced food into the little guy/girl so it wouldn't die.
It made it and they all grew a little more and started showing more color and feathers. I had them in some large long box that I would clean everyday for them and throw in some pine branches mixed in with Rosemary branches from our yard. I then thought when they got to the point they started jumping trying to flap their wings even though they couldn't fly, that I should place them in another box or cage for their safety. I placed them in a portable plastic cat cage with a gate that opens and closes. they did ok for a few days then I lost 2 of them. I was sad watching them die. I tried feeding them and water and rubbing them slowly, but they died. I would never in my life think that I would get so attached to silly birds and in all my manliness as my wife puts it I would never have seen myself as a teary eyed priss as I put it over a few birds. I moved them back to their box and then eventually rode to Wal-Mart again and bought a 10X10 tent with zippered doors and what not for them to stay outside in safely.
I continued bring them in from the outside at night to sleep inside and then back out everyday so that they got to be quail's in the dirt scratching and digging and dirt bathing. I have grown to love these birds and named them and we bought tags for them and I had my fave out of the bunch. Last night I thought I would place them in a box again with the gate so that they no longer had to sleep in the box with a towel half folded over them, and they could see me better since they always follow me like mom quail and when they don't see me they chirp up a storm. This morning I woke to have my heart hit again with 5 of the babies dead. I do not only feel stupid and guilty but I hate myself for having thought more about how I wanted to have them comfortable rather than how they needed to be comfortable. I can only assume that other than my stupidity and after all the threads and post
I have read about their warmth today, that it was the small cold and the fact that they needed a bigger space at night to peck now and then for food and to be warmer than what they were in our home. I have failed and yet I have 4 more babies alive following me and chirping getting their color and flying around. I am still sad and feel so angry for having taken their lives into my hands just to kill them slowly. I hope you learn what you can from my stupidity. They need always to be in a warm place have access to their food and water without obstruction...and to be allowed to just be quails in this AZ desert. If any of you have advise or tips for me with my last four i would greatly appreciate it. I am sorry to god first the quail's and to all the animal lovers out there for having failed those 7 little guys.
they were no bigger than a half dollar it seemed when we found them. Black and brown color to them and chirping up a storm of what I can only relate to a bunch of car alarms going off at the same time after a small quake in LA. I have slowly grown so attached to these little guys and their personalities. I looked up online to find out as much as I can about them and what they eat and need. After one week one started to look like it was not going to make it so i mashed up the chick starter wife bent a spoon into the shape of a beak and I forced food into the little guy/girl so it wouldn't die.
It made it and they all grew a little more and started showing more color and feathers. I had them in some large long box that I would clean everyday for them and throw in some pine branches mixed in with Rosemary branches from our yard. I then thought when they got to the point they started jumping trying to flap their wings even though they couldn't fly, that I should place them in another box or cage for their safety. I placed them in a portable plastic cat cage with a gate that opens and closes. they did ok for a few days then I lost 2 of them. I was sad watching them die. I tried feeding them and water and rubbing them slowly, but they died. I would never in my life think that I would get so attached to silly birds and in all my manliness as my wife puts it I would never have seen myself as a teary eyed priss as I put it over a few birds. I moved them back to their box and then eventually rode to Wal-Mart again and bought a 10X10 tent with zippered doors and what not for them to stay outside in safely.
I continued bring them in from the outside at night to sleep inside and then back out everyday so that they got to be quail's in the dirt scratching and digging and dirt bathing. I have grown to love these birds and named them and we bought tags for them and I had my fave out of the bunch. Last night I thought I would place them in a box again with the gate so that they no longer had to sleep in the box with a towel half folded over them, and they could see me better since they always follow me like mom quail and when they don't see me they chirp up a storm. This morning I woke to have my heart hit again with 5 of the babies dead. I do not only feel stupid and guilty but I hate myself for having thought more about how I wanted to have them comfortable rather than how they needed to be comfortable. I can only assume that other than my stupidity and after all the threads and post
I have read about their warmth today, that it was the small cold and the fact that they needed a bigger space at night to peck now and then for food and to be warmer than what they were in our home. I have failed and yet I have 4 more babies alive following me and chirping getting their color and flying around. I am still sad and feel so angry for having taken their lives into my hands just to kill them slowly. I hope you learn what you can from my stupidity. They need always to be in a warm place have access to their food and water without obstruction...and to be allowed to just be quails in this AZ desert. If any of you have advise or tips for me with my last four i would greatly appreciate it. I am sorry to god first the quail's and to all the animal lovers out there for having failed those 7 little guys.
