The New Dodo!

[brigadier]

Quails are the Dodos of the modern world!

They see water and they dive in it and get hypothermia. They see chick crumb and they need to be shown how to peck it (yes really). They see a hole and they must fall in it. A gap and they must squeeze in it. If you don't put a lid on they will jump out-they are really quite agile. They stamp pn one another and have no qualms about crushing the infirm.

This is my first time hatching some off and its much more stressful than ducks or chickens. They are super cute but super fragile and Im now learning things about rearing chicks after doing it quite a few times. Never ever 'help' one out of its shell, even if it cheaps pitifully. If it cant get out its not meant to- either it will be deformed or ill and wont survive. I know there will be some success stories with this but I'm not touching another one!

Don't plan on a day out in the first few days, they will wait for the door to close and dive in their water. Don't move to the brood box, leave in incubator, for at least two days on top of what you would normally do.

Ive still got around 60% of the 24 eggs I purchases (eight didn't hatch) three struggled to hatch but were deformed and one is still cheaping away. One little bird committed suicide, squeezed through a tiny hole in the incubator and got lost for 12 hours- it hung on for another 12 but it died this morning. One is failing as I type! The others are all bumbling around looking very fluffy and cute but stink like high heaven!

Ducks for the next batch I think!

[haffyfan]

haha bless them, at least the ducks are meant to get in the water but they are messy buggers as won't keep out of it!

Plus mine lived in the conservatory for over six months as we were soft and wouldn't chuck the ducklings out overnight into duckingham palace as it was winter, so they came in to the heat lamp still - then they stayed in until about may!

I'd love some more but we already have two boys, they are okay as brought up together and very close but Lou would kill any others i'm sure as he's a thingyy little bugger (little 'duck' syndrome i think). I don't like the idea of hatching then rehoming incase they get eaten or not looked after properly.

[racaille]

They sound very cute but very very silly too I love having chicks around but the attrition rate is so high What the plan for the quails? With red wine sauce?

[brigadier]

Im afraid the boy chicks may end up eaten- if any survive the first few weeks that is. The girls are for eggs as I love the little things and can get all 'Cheffy' cooking with them. But they have to survive the first few weeks and we lost two more yesterday with three looking poorly now. Ithink they fall over when out foraging the brood box then cant get up- get cold and that's it! Its like intensive care here at the moment.