Lone chick! Help!

[BelovedBirds]

So, I recently bought eating quail eggs and decided to have a go at hatching them. I'm pretty certain that they are Coturnix quail eggs! Waiting was the hardest part, would they have life or not?? Well, they do! Two of the eggs developed well and made it to day 9. I had realised by that point that one of the eggs had a hairline crack I had previously missed and this embryo passed away. The other is on the tenth day of incubation, I will try candling on day 12 or 13 to ensure she is still alive before lockdown. (I cannot candle later than this in fear of scaring the chick!) However, if this one does hatch and ends up going into lockdown, she will hatch alone. I've looked around for places which sell young chicks, in hopes I could adopt a couple more, but have had no luck. Being 10 days in, it is too late to hatch more eggs.
To the quail keepers on here, do you think she will be okay? Or is there anything else I could try? (I can supply a mirror but I wonder if there's more I can do). I work from home and will be able to be with her for the majority of the day, but wouldn't this make it harder to introduce her to other quails later on in life? Thanks to anyone who took the time to read my rant! Any ideas or reassurance would be appreciated! (She is due to hatch on the 16th)

 

[HollyBerrie]

You may just have to have new house pet.

 

[BelovedBirds]

You may just have to have new house pet.

which is okay since I was planning on keeping most as pets anyway, keeping indoors is no big problem, I just worry it won't be happy alone I guess time will tell

 

[Emelyn]

which is okay since I was planning on keeping most as pets anyway, keeping indoors is no big problem, I just worry it won't be happy alone I guess time will tell

Try buying her any quail friends. I think she would be fine with ANY breed of quail.

You may just have to have new house pet.

I don't think you should do this...unless you have plenty to play with the quail

 

[Ursuline Chick]

My first chicken was a young cockerel. He lived outside, but after a couple of weeks of him knocking (pecking) on the glass back door until I went out and played with him, I told my husband we had to go buy him some hens the next weekend.
We got him 3 full grown hens and although he and I kept our great relationship, he kept busy finding food for and protecting his hens.
I would try to find a couple of quail chicks for the one about to hatch. In the long run I think you will both be happier.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Try buying her any quail friends. I think she would be fine with ANY breed of quail.


I don't think you should do this...unless you have plenty to play with the quail

I would want her to have other quail for company, but I am worried, I can't find any chicks that would be her age to pair her with. If she doesn't have a friend until she's an adult, she won't be socialised, would be more interested in humans due to having imprinted, and I'm worried introducing her to a flock would cause her to be bullied. Do you think that's likely?

 

[BelovedBirds]

My first chicken was a young cockerel. He lived outside, but after a couple of weeks of him knocking (pecking) on the glass back door until I went out and played with him, I told my husband we had to go buy him some hens the next weekend.
We got him 3 full grown hens and although he and I kept our great relationship, he kept busy finding food for and protecting his hens.
I would try to find a couple of quail chicks for the one about to hatch. In the long run I think you will both be happier.

Aw bless him! That was my first thought when I anticipated only one hatching, to get more chicks. I found a few local breeders but they don't have any chicks available, nor are planning on hatching any soon. If I can find any, I will go for it, but if I can't, I worry that she'd struggle to adjust to a flock as an unsocialised adult. (I've heard of them sometimes being a little bullied of hand reared, not sure how true that is) But being flock animals, I guess they could be okay. I think I'll have to try it, it may be the only option....!

 

[HollyBerrie]

Aw bless him! That was my first thought when I anticipated only one hatching, to get more chicks. I found a few local breeders but they don't have any chicks available, nor are planning on hatching any soon. If I can find any, I will go for it, but if I can't, I worry that she'd struggle to adjust to a flock as an unsocialised adult. (I've heard of them sometimes being a little bullied of hand reared, not sure how true that is) But being flock animals, I guess they could be okay. I think I'll have to try it, it may be the only option....!

You just do the best you can.

My experience with raising an only chicken chick is this: She was the only surviving chick hatched from an unexperienced broody hen who didn't know what to do with the chicks once hatched, and killed all but one.

I trained the chick right away to sleep by herself in a rubber tub with a lid partially covering the top. She hung around the house with me, always had to be with me. Had her food and water on the floor of the kitchen, just like a dog or cat.

I really couldn't leave her alone so when I left the house to do errands I put her in a fanny pack (that I lined with tissues). She was so quiet in the fanny pack, that noone ever knew there was a chick in there!

Long story short, even though she was raised by me, she found a place with the rest of the flock eventually. So possibly if you get a quail friend or a few later, it may work out.

 

[BelovedBirds]

You just do the best you can.

My experience with raising an only chicken chick is this: She was the only surviving chick hatched from an unexperienced broody hen who didn't know what to do with the chicks once hatched, and killed all but one.

I trained the chick right away to sleep by herself in a rubber tub with a lid partially covering the top. She hung around the house with me, always had to be with me. Had her food and water on the floor of the kitchen, just like a dog or cat.

I really couldn't leave her alone so when I left the house to do errands I put her in a fanny pack (that I lined with tissues). She was so quiet in the fanny pack, that noone ever knew there was a chick in there!

Long story short, even though she was raised by me, she found a place with the rest of the flock eventually. So possibly if you get a quail friend or a few later, it may work out.

That gives me some hope then! If I can't find any chicks by hatch day, I'll raise her the best I can and try introducing her to some other quails later on. I guess if the worst happens, she'll just have to be kept separate! But that should be fine anyway. Thanks for sharing your experience! I like your fanny pack idea lol