Quail Project Week Four: Hatching Quail Chicks

Week four: The Moment of Truth

The beginning of this week was very exciting - and frightening! 

Yes - they hatched! 

You might have noticed I don't know where to begin...

I'll start on the day they were meant to hatch...

There was not sign of hatching all morning. I was beginning to suspect that they weren't going to hatch at all... That Nutmeg and I had done something seriously wrong... but what? Then, at about ten to four, I checked under nutmeg to see how they were doing: and there it was, an egg with a tiny chip in the side, and I could hear quiet peeping noises! They were going to hatch! Nutmeg was 'growling' at me now, so I gently took my hand away. And waited. A little later on the eggs were at the same stage. I could only see four that had the little chips in. I then left them be until eight at night. 

WARNING: Next bit of the story might be a bit upsetting to some readers.

At this point I was getting a little worried about them. I actually lifted Nutmeg off the nest this time (before I had only got her to stand up so I could see a few of the eggs). And am I glad I lifted her off! 

I counted the eggs again and again. But there were only nine eggs. There should  have been ten. Maybe one had hatched? Excited and nervous, I checked through the hay and the box: no sign of either egg nor chick. So then, anxious and worried, I felt Nutmeg's crop with much trepidation. And felt as guilty as it is possible to feel. 

I have no idea what really happened, as I was not present at the time: had she just crushed it, and not realised what it was? Or had it started to hatch and then she ate it? I'm not sure, but I still feel guilty, and there was no chance I was risking it again. I had to remove her. 

The Texas A&M and the normal Coturnix
resting and drying off..
Credit: birdbrain99 (author)

In a panic, I discovered the four eggs with the chips in that I had noticed first (I could tell them apart because of their different sizes and colours) had really started to hatch. I needed a different heat source, quick!! In the end, a 40 watt light bulb clipped to the side of the box and a heat pad kept it warm enough. But Nutmeg was still wandering freely around the room, growling at me. She tried twice to get back into the box onto  the nest. Once the light bulb was rigged up, I picked her up and ran up to the chicken run with her, and dumped into  the run, much to the shock of the other hens! They obviously recognised her, and for the few seconds I stayed to check she was going to be OK there were a couple of small pecks and then everything was back to normal, as if she had never left! I hurtled back down to the eggs. One of the chicks was already nearly out, and another one on its way. The first to hatch was a standard brown Coturnix, the second was an entirely yellow chick: a Texas A & M.

Sadly, I got no good quality videos of them hatching.

The first two hatched at about 8:30 pm. I waited up to check that they were going to be OK and if the others were going to hatch. I had no idea at the time that I was going to be up until 2:30 am...

I waited and watched as the two chicks dried off, calling to each other constantly. Then, at 10:30 pm, I could hear peeping from the other two eggs. They finally hatched. They were both Golden Italians, but one was tiny. I was sure it wasn't going to make it, but it has, so far. I could feel movement from another of the eggs, but it never hatched.

The first two to hatch sleeping
Credit: birdbrain99 (author)