Quail Hatching Question

[wbruder17]

I have my silkie hen sitting on 11 coturnix eggs. Today is day 18 and one hatched, like clockwork. Can't tell about any of the other 10 pipping or not pipping. How many days do I wait before tossing eggs? I know with chickens its Day 25 after the initial 21. This is my first time with quail eggs.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The hen will leave the nest when the baby is 24-48 hours old so if the rest aren't hatched by then they won't hatch unless you have an incubator to put them in. However, since the hen is 'programmed' for chicken chicks and quail chicks have to eat a lot sooner, it will probably die before it gets that old unless the hens go by the sound of the baby's peeps to know when to feed them? Not sure on that. Quail can only go 12-24 hours before they have to eat, so if you plan to leave it/them with her I'd take it away and put it in a brooder for a day or so to see if any others hatch. They usually hatch pretty close together, but common rule of thumb is 3 days after the last chick hatches.

 

[wbruder17]

The food and water are readily available. Should I show the chick the food tomorrow and will it go get food on its own the way chicken chicks will?

 

[wbruder17]

Well, both mamas have been through this before and Mama Silkie is VERY good at it. They know chickie is there and will hopefully take good care of it. I just showed it the food and water and it wanted to be back under mama, which is where she told it to go....so we will see, I suppose.

I will wait another day or two. I really hope some more will hatch. 1 out of a dozen is not suc a good turn out...and I hate having one baby raised alone.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

if i were you, i'd get that quail away from the chickens, there is a big threat of disease when keeping chickens with quails.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Only if the chickens are sick. If they are, the quail has already been exposed and taking it away won't help it.

 

[wbruder17]

Chickens are healthy as can be... so far 4 have hatched and Mamas are taking very good care of them. Still have 7 eggs still unhatched. Mama Silkie is still sitting on eggs, and babies are running around happily and diving under the Mamas for warmth.

All good so far and hoping for one or two more hatches.

 

[wbruder17]

Now the hatch is up to 7. 4 more eggs left to hatch and tomorrow will be Day 21. I will wait thru tomorrow night and then should I toss the leftover eggs?

 

[magicpigeon]

Congratulations on your new chicks and good luck for the rest of the hatch!

I have no idea about this myself but I will follow this thread seeing as I'm keen to try it out in the future

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
Only if the chickens are sick. If they are, the quail has already been exposed and taking it away won't help it.

THE CHICKEN THAT CAUSED THIS WASNT SICK EITHER...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=250361