Hand-rearing King Quails

[lyrebird]

Hi all,
A little while ago I posted a thread about how my King Quail pair had 3 chicks. Well they laid more eggs and last week I saw 3 little yellow fluff balls on the bottom of the aviary!!!

I have never had King Quails that have raised chicks! Anyway back to the subject (I get carried away or the time : the first clutch of chicks they had I tried to hand rear, but the chicks were cheeping like made to there mother and I started feeling guilty and terrible that I'm taking them away from there mother, so I put them back with there parents. I really want to hand rear the next clutch, but I don't want to go through the same thing again. What should I do?

[vankarhi]

you will probably need to take them from the mother before they hatch.......kind of like a chicken. I am only guessing but I don't think there is much handraising with Quails is there?? Isn't it like a chook baby (chicken ;D ). I have had 2 of them that we had to raise as the mum kicked them out of the nest (one was many years ago and the other only a few years ago). I had to keep it separated and kept it inside with us and fed it chicken pellets.......crumble??? and other stuff that the bigger chooks eat. I had to keep it warm until it's adult feathers came through (I used a hot water bottle until it was a little bigger then just a box with a towel and fluffy toy).

But as for Quails..........I have no idea.

[angelicvampyre]

Quails you follow the same rules as chooks and ducks. If they no not imprint on an their mother hen then normally they will inprint on a human and be friendly. You don't need to hand feed them just watch the size of food. Also the bigger the quail the less flighty it is going to be

[lyrebird]

Thanks for everyones advice, the only problem is is that I don't have an incubator and I think incubators cost alot Is there any other way I could hand rear them without them wanting there mother.

[vankarhi]

No I don't think so ......... AV said it better than me. The two chickens I raised had imprinted on me not on their mum as their mum kicked them out as they were hatching so I finished hatching them then became their mum.

[lilfaery]

Excuse my question, but why would you want to hand rear quails?

They are gorgeous little birds but I don't understand the thought behind hand rearing them. Is it to keep in a cage in the house?

Forgive me if my questions seem out of place, I am just curious.

Cheers, Shauna

[lyrebird]

Well people say that when hand reared King Quails can make wonderful pets.

[vankarhi]

probably like the little chickens I had. One of them really thought she was a human and when I put her into the chook pen with the others I kept finding her back in our yard and she would roost on top of the water heater under our house. ;D

[lyrebird]

Mar 9, 2010 12:43:55 GMT 10 vankarhi said:

probably like the little chickens I had. One of them really thought she was a human and when I put her into the chook pen with the others I kept finding her back in our yard and she would roost on top of the water heater under our house. ;D

LOL, the water heater!

[lilfaery]

I see!

I've just never heard of anyone hand rearing a quail of any type.

I hand reared a canary from 12 days of age, and while I handle her daily and allow her to sit on my shoulder etc, she flies off and prefers to be in a cage with her grandfather, or in her own cage. She is ok once I grab hold of her but she will not come to me unless she really wants to, unlike handreared parrots. That is why I wondered about your topic. I imagine once independent that quails would not be particularly tame.

But, good luck to you if you decide to go ahead with it.
Cheers, Shauna ;D

[finchbreeder]

Personally I would not hand raise. I would let their parents do it then, take them away and have them with you, feeding tit bits and spending time. If you have birds of the right temprament they will tame. If not try again later with different birds. It is about personallity as much as anything in my oppinion.
LML