What do you do with quail eggs?

[Silkie-lover33]

I have a silkie hen sitting on 4 quail eggs. I candled them and they seem to be growing. They are just the normal sort of wild quails that I sometimes see marching down the road with a line of babies behind them. Anyways my friend found a nest of quail eggs with a dead mother quail by it. Knowing I had chickens that would hatch them she took them to me. I have no incubator and rely completely and totally on my constantly setting hens. If I had one I would use it but I know absolutely nothing about quails and need some advice on what to do! Help!!

 

[JJMR794]

Best Advice Is To Get Rid Of Them Before You Get Caught By Fish And Wildlife (game Warden) As What Has Transpired Is Against Game Laws (even Tho I'm Sure It Was Done With The Best Intentions) Do Not Release The Babies As The Chicken May Be A Carrier For Any Number Of Poultry Diseases That Quail Have Lil Or No Immunity To...releasing Them Into The Wild May Well Cause An Illness Epidemic And Destroy Your Wild Quail Population.

 

[Silkie-lover33]

Can I keep the eggs if I don't release them when they hatch?

 

[gamebirdboy]

It's illegal, but you can. Put them in a brooder away from the chickens, there is a possible disease transfer and they need different feed. Can you get game bird starter at your feed store?

 

[Fat Daddy]

Quote:
Gawd I hate to reply here, but in kansas, you have to have a receipt from the seller showing where you got your eggs. Under no circumstances can you get them from the wild, even if it means the eggs,birds, animal would surely die. even with a breeders license...

If I chose to keep such a hypothetical thing. I would find a likely source of legally obtained eggs, say Ebay. I would not announce on the WORLD WIDE WEB, if said hypothetical birds hatched. So if it were I, I would throw the eggs away. Chastise the distant friend that brought illegal eggs onto my property. Announce anywhere I posted such info I did what the law requires and got rid of said eggs....

I would then watch my silkie and scoop up any strange chicks she may produce, chickens just do that sometimes.... and brood them inside away from her or any other chickens or barnyard avian. feed them high protein starter, I hear game bird starter is good in these cases, say 28 to 30% protein. Then move them to rabbit hutch type quarters when their feathered well... Just till you figure out what she may have hatched...

Either quietly keep them as pets or eat them when grown. Under no circumstance should you ever release them. A bird released into the wild after being raised by humans almost never lives. Not to mention the possible damage it could do to the wild birds as JJ has stated.... Bill

 

[diggerduck]

 

[shelleyd2008]

Personally, I would call F&G once the babies hatch and tell them that my cat got the mama but I saved the babies...let them come pick them up

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
1 OF THE BEST IDEAS...
ANOTHER WOULD BE TO GIVE THE EGGS TO A WILDLIFE REHABBER NOW WITH THE SAME STORY