I had a lady come look at the extra quail last night. She bought six buttons @ $10 and a pair of coturnix @ $5/each.
Two minutes after she walked out the door, I heard the "OMG scary world!" peeping from Blue's cage, and a moment later, he evicted the empty egg shell from their nest. I waited up most of the night, and Blue very nicely evicted every empty shell as though he knew I was counting. Six healthy babies out of 7 eggs. The last got opened this morning, it wasn't fertile.
Right after I fell asleep, I heard the distressed peeping of a baby, and went to investigate. A baby had escaped the nest and promptly fallen right through the floor wire and wound up in the chip tray. I pulled him out, put him back in the nest, pulled the nest box out and covered the floor of the cage with dish towels.
Four seconds later, I found out that button quail hens hold their..er.. water, so to speak.. when setting on eggs, because the hen came out and dropped the biggest poo I've ever seen come out a button quail. I thought it was another egg at first buuuut it wasn't. Or if it is, I sure as heck hope it doesn't hatch!
I'm stuck home anyway, because it's -22F outside with -38F windchill, and my car won't start. At least I have small fuzzies to look at.
-Spooky
Two minutes after she walked out the door, I heard the "OMG scary world!" peeping from Blue's cage, and a moment later, he evicted the empty egg shell from their nest. I waited up most of the night, and Blue very nicely evicted every empty shell as though he knew I was counting. Six healthy babies out of 7 eggs. The last got opened this morning, it wasn't fertile.
Right after I fell asleep, I heard the distressed peeping of a baby, and went to investigate. A baby had escaped the nest and promptly fallen right through the floor wire and wound up in the chip tray. I pulled him out, put him back in the nest, pulled the nest box out and covered the floor of the cage with dish towels.
Four seconds later, I found out that button quail hens hold their..er.. water, so to speak.. when setting on eggs, because the hen came out and dropped the biggest poo I've ever seen come out a button quail. I thought it was another egg at first buuuut it wasn't. Or if it is, I sure as heck hope it doesn't hatch!
I'm stuck home anyway, because it's -22F outside with -38F windchill, and my car won't start. At least I have small fuzzies to look at.
-Spooky
