[ANHBUC]

Well I invested in an incubator as none of my hens were broody and low and behold a few days after setting the eggs Dotty went broody!   

She is very determined and loves nothing more than to raise chicks, be that chicken, turkey or ........... well I hadn't tried her with quail so why not.     As usual she was a perfect broody sitting tight on her clutch of 9 eggs and leaving the nest only to do the essentials.  When the hatch day arrived I checked things were alright but unfortunately one chick had hatched and it looked as it she had squashed it.      When I checked the other eggs 2 more were damaged so I decided to take them off her and straight in to the incubator.

I quickly replaced the quail eggs with 3 bantam eggs and 2 newly hatched bantam chicks.  She accepted them and then a further 3 the next day so she was happy.

Two quail eggs soon started to hatch and then three more the next day.  One of the first chicks to hatch had splayed leg so hubby had to help put a hobble on it which is a job and a half.  The next day its legs were strong enough to hold it up without the plaster hobble. 

The last egg still hadn't hatched on the third day but it had been cheeping for 3 days so I decided to give it a hand.  It didn't have enough room in the shell to break its way out so would have died so I am glad to say it is now fluffed up and racing around with the others.

They are like bumble bees and try to fly from day 2 which is so funny to watch.  Amazing to think that in 7 to 8 weeks any females can be laying eggs of her own!     I am looking forward to seeing what colours I get as Dad is a Rosetta quail and the Mums are a mixture of Italian/golden and Japanese.   

[splash101]

I love hatching quails. they look so tiny and helpless (for one day) and then everything from then on is at full speed.

We always get one with splayed leg but they respond really well to treatment.

[ANHBUC]

It was the little yellow one but it is doing fine now.  The last one I had to help had really skewed toes and I thought I would need to put a chick shoe on but it was fine after 24 hours.  It looks smaller than the others but as you say they grow so quickly it will soon catch up.

[Debz]

More beautiful babies.  I love all the chick photographs we get at this time of year.

[ANHBUC]

I take loads as I can't believe they come out of such a tiny egg and grow at a supersonic rate.   

They are so messy though and love sitting in their food and water!   

[snowdrops]

They are cute,what do you do with them all?

[ANHBUC]

They are cute,what do you do with them all?

My original girls are getting old and one passed away last week so they will be kept depending on colour and sex.  I also have 35 eggs in the incubator so they will be selected for colour to keep, for meat or to sell.

[ANHBUC]

Well they started to hatch late last night, 13 so far.   It's going to be a long night 

[BobE]

I love the pics and the stories

[splash101]

It will be like popcorn this morning then 

I love quail chicks, so tiny and yet robust.

[Yorkie]

Really striking colouring 

[nerdle]

So adorable!

[ANHBUC]

We had more hatch yesterday morning and were out for the day and when we came back their were 25.  Another hatched this morning so we now have 25 that is if my trying to count little jumping bundles is right!   

I will give the other 9 eggs a while longer as I have had them hatch after day 21 before.  All my eggs seem to have been quite late in the incubator and early under broodies this year.

I will post some updated pictures of the first batch of 6 that are now 3 weeks old, nearly full size and feathering up nicely.  I know I have one Italian female, a male and female Japanese.  Then there are three I am not sure of as they are more Rosetta colour and one has a tuxedo bib.  Possibly 1 male and 2 female but will have to wait and see to be sure.   

[ANHBUC]

Here are some photos of the 3 week old quails.  The first one is a female Italian, second a female Japanese, third a male Japanese. 

[ANHBUC]

Then we have a rosetta/tuxedo possibly a male and another two rosetta that I will have to wait and see if they are male or female.