New Quail Chicks! -- I think we hatched an albino?

[Crowdango]

Since our current covey lost a few members over the winter, we decided to hatch a few more to bolster the numbers. Because brooding chickens in our living room wasn't enough, I guess. :'D We tried out a new egg source this time, a little less than 50% hatch rate - not awful for shipped eggs that I didn't let rest before throwing into the incubator. I really didn't want potentially 20 new quail anyway, so I'm happy with the number we got.

Any ideas on colors would be appreciated! I haven't hatched in a couple of years, so I've forgotten half of what I knew before, haha.

Most interestingly, I think we got an albino!

	<- Our black-eyed white/yellow chick for comparison! Red Eyes seems to be doing well so far, though I've read that they can fail to thrive. I'm hoping to keep a close eye on her and get her to adulthood. I know light can be an issue for them, but should I take any other considerations into account?

We're working on Bandito's legs/feet... I'm going to attempt to make her some shoes to help her curly toes, and give her some Cup Time (in a smaller cup than this very cozy looking teacup) to help strengthen her legs. I hope she does well; she's very pretty.

 

[Nabiki]

Good luck with your little albino. Its eyes are red, but they aren't bulging, so that's good. It may be light sensitive, so try to limit exposure to bright light.

If you're lucky, it will be a cinnamon hen rather than an albino.

 

[TinaandJohnny]

Since our current covey lost a few members over the winter, we decided to hatch a few more to bolster the numbers. Because brooding chickens in our living room wasn't enough, I guess. :'D We tried out a new egg source this time, a little less than 50% hatch rate - not awful for shipped eggs that I didn't let rest before throwing into the incubator. I really didn't want potentially 20 new quail anyway, so I'm happy with the number we got.

Any ideas on colors would be appreciated! I haven't hatched in a couple of years, so I've forgotten half of what I knew before, haha.

Most interestingly, I think we got an albino!

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View attachment 3471377	<- Our black-eyed white/yellow chick for comparison! Red Eyes seems to be doing well so far, though I've read that they can fail to thrive. I'm hoping to keep a close eye on her and get her to adulthood. I know light can be an issue for them, but should I take any other considerations into account?
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We're working on Bandito's legs/feet... I'm going to attempt to make her some shoes to help her curly toes, and give her some Cup Time (in a smaller cup than this very cozy looking teacup) to help strengthen her legs. I hope she does well; she's very pretty.

I love how you named them all. Mine all have names too. I did hatch a chick one time that was blind. He was such a sweet thing. He thrived well but I had to help him find food when he was a chick. Just keep an eye on your albino one in case he goes blind but that’s a cool chick. I’d love to see what he looks like as an adult.

 

[Crowdango]

Even though they don't like interaction much, our quail are definitely pets! The 5 we have outside all have names, too.

These ones were just supposed to be identifiers until we were sure we wouldn't lose any... But now they've stuck. A few will probably get better ones once they're older.

Also, the little albino is still doing great! Eating and drinking well, and was the first one to figure out how to climb onto the brooder plate, haha.

 

[TinaandJohnny]

Even though they don't like interaction much, our quail are definitely pets! The 5 we have outside all have names, too.

These ones were just supposed to be identifiers until we were sure we wouldn't lose any... But now they've stuck. A few will probably get better ones once they're older.

Also, the little albino is still doing great! Eating and drinking well, and was the first one to figure out how to climb onto the brooder plate, haha.

I’ve only had quail for about a year but the little trick I use to get them very excited for interaction is live crickets. They LOVE them. Especially when the girls are laying. They come running up to the door of the cage, crying and begging for them. It’s made them very friendly. The males like them too because if they get one, they can show it off for the girls. I start them off young getting use to them. It’s great protein as well.
And that’s so cute, you’ll have to post on this thread when she/he is a little older so we can see how beautiful!

 

[Nero70002]

That’s so cool!

 

[DaphneMama723]

Good luck with your little albino. Its eyes are red, but they aren't bulging, so that's good. It may be light sensitive, so try to limit exposure to bright light.

If you're lucky, it will be a cinnamon hen rather than an albino.

What does it mean if they’re bulging? Out of a dozen quail I got two albino-one looks normal and is doing great the other however does have bulging eyes

 

[Nabiki]

What does it mean if they’re bulging? Out of a dozen quail I got two albino-one looks normal and is doing great the other however does have bulging eyes

It's probably already blind and doesn't have a good chance of surviving. :-(

 

[Phlighter]

I have been raising jumbo browns since last summer and I recently had a little yellow chick that matured to solid white with just 2 small dark spots. Unable to feather sex obviously, but, I think it was a hen based on behavior. She was one of a small group with 1 rooster and 3 other hens. They were just reaching young adult when rooster attacked the white and intended death. I don't know how common that is, but, it has made me warry of mixing oddities.

 

[Nabiki]

I have been raising jumbo browns since last summer and I recently had a little yellow chick that matured to solid white with just 2 small dark spots. Unable to feather sex obviously, but, I think it was a hen based on behavior. She was one of a small group with 1 rooster and 3 other hens. They were just reaching young adult when rooster attacked the white and intended death. I don't know how common that is, but, it has made me warry of mixing oddities.

That one sounds like a dotted white. They are often bred to jumbo size.

I have found that quail will pick on any odd ones. I have jokingly said that quail are racist, but seriously, if you have most of one colour and one or a few of another colour, they minority gets picked on.

I had a customer who picked out a bunch of pale birds from me and one dark one. I had to exchange the dark one because the others picked on it. They accepted the new light one with no trouble.