Button quail

Currently I've been collecting eggs every day. Once a week eggs go into the incubator. The first batch of eggs is on day 19 and just starting to pip. Prior to pipping the eggs will move and you can hear little clicks as the baby pecks at the shell.

Are you planning to feed these on a regular basis or as more of a once in a while thing? I would love to breed Buttons and if I could use extras as feeders that would be awesome. They seem a bit small though, and I wonder if you would have to feed more than one per feeding.

These will be feeders. These are the smallest of the quail species. Their size as an adult is on par with a jumbo mouse. So a quail that is a few weeks old is equal to a hopper mouse. I have a bunch of smaller colubrids and pythons so the size is good for them. For a ball they would be good for hatchlings and juvies.

The quail have been a learning experience. The first few clutches that hatched out I was around a 30-40% hatch rate. It might have been just because the hens were just starting to lay but it's hard to say. After the first few hatches I started to soak the eggs in water for a few minutes and spray them down with hydrogen peroxide. The last few days of incubation humidity is really important. If they start to pip and humidity is to low then the membrane inside the egg will shrivel and constrict the baby. The first 5-6 clutches I was gassing for feeders.

The last few clutches I have been around 80% hatch rate and keeping them to grow out. I've had a few accidents that resulted in several babies dying. The biggest factor being heat and ventilation. One night I accidently turned off their heat lamp. They made it through the night but the following evening 4 passed probably to the prolonged exposure to cold. Another time I went to give them a bath (they poo on each other or get pasty butts) while I cleaned their cage. In under 2 minutes I lost 6, they were in ankle deep room temp water. Sometimes they will all sleep in a pile. Ones at the bottom of the pile will either be crushed or suffocated by the others. Babies lost don't go to waste. The carpets seem to be the most eager for them.

Updates? How has this been going?