OMGOMGOMG!!!
I had my first button egg the other day, from an adult female I brought home as a pity rescue from a breeder. She'd been plucked nearly bald. I put her in with my little blue-breasted male and they immediately turned into the cutest quail couple - he feeds her mealworms, he sleeps next to her with his wing over her.
The egg was left just laying in the center of the cage, so I bought a HovaBator and set it up, keeping the egg in a 55F humid area (*cough - downstairs bathroom with no vent*) until it stabilized. The egg got warmed up and put in the 'bator the next day, because I had nothing better to do with my Friday than sit there futzing with it until it got to a consistent temp/humidity. (Yes - I bought a 'bator for ONE EGG.. though I then chucked a few Coturnix eggs in with it. I figured there'd be more button eggs eventually. I'm pretty sure this is why she started setting - to spite me.)
Last night, when I did the nightly egg checking rounds, my little female was buried up to her neck in woodchips wiith only her head sticking out. Thinking she was just dust rolling, I put a mealworm next to her and she freaked and flew up and went dashing around the cage like a crazed thing. She's never done that - she's been hand tame since I brought her home. Then I looked, and she'd made a nest with another egg in it!
The breeder told me not to expect any of the females to set, even if I paired them up, because they'd been raised in a cage with a bunch of others and had "forgotten how to be quail".
Apparently she didn't forget totally! I put the other egg back in with her and walked away, kind of holding my breath and hoping I hadn't scared her off the nest for good. Then, for my next surprise, my little bitty roo went over, cocked his head at the nest, reached in and rolled the eggs, kicked sawdust over them, and walked away. The female came back a bit later. Last night, they were both sitting on the nest, him with his wing over her. When she's on the nest, he's standing on top of the little hidey-hole roof, vigilantly watching for predators. Or bringing her treats. He brings her all his mealworms and dragged over half a grape from the fruit scraps.
She seems to leave the nest alot, but she always goes back to the nest. I draped that side of the cage with a towel to help keep drafts away. I don't know if this clutch will make it - I'm worried about that whole being away from the nest thing she's doing, but I figure if I leave her the heck alone, she'll get on with it and even if this clutch doesn't pan out, maybe now that she's learned, the next one will.
The hen ruffles down into the sawdust up to her neck whenever she's on the nest. Do they all do this, or is mine just adding extra insulation to make up for her lack of feathers? (Which are growing back but only at the porcupine stage).
Any advice on what I should do, other than make sure they have food and water and leave them the heck alone? That's the hardest part. I want to keep peeking at the nest to see if there are more eggs, but I don't want to make her feel less secure, so I'm staying away.
I'm so excited! I hadn't had my hopes up on the setting aspect, but .. she did it! Maybe the others will when they're old enough to lay.. and if not, maybe I can convince my little hen to accept other eggs. EEEE!
-Spooky
I had my first button egg the other day, from an adult female I brought home as a pity rescue from a breeder. She'd been plucked nearly bald. I put her in with my little blue-breasted male and they immediately turned into the cutest quail couple - he feeds her mealworms, he sleeps next to her with his wing over her.
The egg was left just laying in the center of the cage, so I bought a HovaBator and set it up, keeping the egg in a 55F humid area (*cough - downstairs bathroom with no vent*) until it stabilized. The egg got warmed up and put in the 'bator the next day, because I had nothing better to do with my Friday than sit there futzing with it until it got to a consistent temp/humidity. (Yes - I bought a 'bator for ONE EGG.. though I then chucked a few Coturnix eggs in with it. I figured there'd be more button eggs eventually. I'm pretty sure this is why she started setting - to spite me.)
Last night, when I did the nightly egg checking rounds, my little female was buried up to her neck in woodchips wiith only her head sticking out. Thinking she was just dust rolling, I put a mealworm next to her and she freaked and flew up and went dashing around the cage like a crazed thing. She's never done that - she's been hand tame since I brought her home. Then I looked, and she'd made a nest with another egg in it!
The breeder told me not to expect any of the females to set, even if I paired them up, because they'd been raised in a cage with a bunch of others and had "forgotten how to be quail".
Apparently she didn't forget totally! I put the other egg back in with her and walked away, kind of holding my breath and hoping I hadn't scared her off the nest for good. Then, for my next surprise, my little bitty roo went over, cocked his head at the nest, reached in and rolled the eggs, kicked sawdust over them, and walked away. The female came back a bit later. Last night, they were both sitting on the nest, him with his wing over her. When she's on the nest, he's standing on top of the little hidey-hole roof, vigilantly watching for predators. Or bringing her treats. He brings her all his mealworms and dragged over half a grape from the fruit scraps.
She seems to leave the nest alot, but she always goes back to the nest. I draped that side of the cage with a towel to help keep drafts away. I don't know if this clutch will make it - I'm worried about that whole being away from the nest thing she's doing, but I figure if I leave her the heck alone, she'll get on with it and even if this clutch doesn't pan out, maybe now that she's learned, the next one will.
The hen ruffles down into the sawdust up to her neck whenever she's on the nest. Do they all do this, or is mine just adding extra insulation to make up for her lack of feathers? (Which are growing back but only at the porcupine stage).
Any advice on what I should do, other than make sure they have food and water and leave them the heck alone? That's the hardest part. I want to keep peeking at the nest to see if there are more eggs, but I don't want to make her feel less secure, so I'm staying away.
I'm so excited! I hadn't had my hopes up on the setting aspect, but .. she did it! Maybe the others will when they're old enough to lay.. and if not, maybe I can convince my little hen to accept other eggs. EEEE!
-Spooky
