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Annabelle
Bappie
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia |
| A sleeping hollow or a nest? |
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I have recently added a little male into the new cage to keep Lucy company. It has helped her to be alot less timid and she actually stays outside of the shelter box when I go up to the cage now. I have been putting nesting materials into the cage as the diamond dove pair are nesting and the quails have been using it to make themselves a little hollow in the back corner of thier cage. They have added wood shavings from the floor and feathers to the hollow and im starting to wonder if this is a normal sleeping hollow (they do sleep in it) or if they have other plans for it. Last time Lucy tried to nest she made her hollow in the box so if this is another attempt at nesting it must really mean that they feel safe in this new cage. Im kinda hoping they are nesting cause the babies are sooo cute. |
Tuesday October 3, 2006 12:42 am |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7970
Location: Australia |
First of all, remove any eggs that are currently in the aviary. She'll think that she's ready to nest, and roll all the 'dud' eggs into the nest. By removing all the dud eggs out of the aviary, this will ensure that she'll only be sitting on hopefully fertile eggs (if the male knows what he's doing that is), and you'll get little fluff balls.. I'm guessing that she's actually building a nest for eggs. Although my momma doesn't build any nest until she's laid about seven to eight eggs. Then she'll pull all the nesting material around her and make herself a little nest. She could just be building a nest for the both of them to sleep in, but none of my quails do that. They kinda just just curl up together in a corner and sleep there.
Good luck with your little ones and let us know how you go with babies.
My momma is sitting on nine eggs currently... and I gotta wait another nine days before the chicks hatch.  can't wait!!! |
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Tuesday October 3, 2006 4:46 am |
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Annabelle
Bappie
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia |
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There havent been any eggs before the male was introduced. I have heard that they lay eggs all the time but I think she has had too hard a time for that!
It turns out that they were thinking of eggs as I have seen the first egg! The problem is that she laid it near the food bowl! They do have a box in which to hide but they dont really use it as much ne more. I'm a bit concerned as she has a bit of a history of not sitting on her eggs and just laying them everywhere. The one time she did make a nest and tried sitting on the eggs, the cat got in the enclosure and killed the male and put holes in a couple of they eggs! The new cage is like Alcatraz as in, nothing goes in or out but im not sure if she feels safe enough to nest. I know that sometimes they lay a couple before they start making an effort to nest but my sis is here with her kids and im not sure if that will put her off.
Should i make a hollow myself and put the egg in? Or will touching the egg stop her from going near it? I was thinking of wrapping something around the bottom of the cage so she cant see out as much. Would that help? So many questions!
I was also looking at incubators just in case she doesnt end up sitting on them. Does anyone have any experience with the Brinsea brand of incubators? Are they ne good? |
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Saturday October 7, 2006 2:02 am |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7970
Location: Australia |
I'm not sure about incubators, I have never used them. though I have heard of many good reports about hatching using incubators, but I'm not sure what brand they've used.
As with nesting, my Momma doesn't make a nest until there is at least 8 eggs scattled around the aviary. then she would roll all her eggs into the one nest... once she laid something like 30 eggs before she decided to sit on her eggs. I would say, don't worry about it, if she sat on them once it means that she knows how to do it. I think when she's ready she'll sit again.
Oh I forgot to mention, if you want to, you can try to help with putting all the eggs in the 'nest'. It doesn't affect the quail. I handle the eggs all the time. |
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Saturday October 7, 2006 4:22 am |
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Annabelle
Bappie
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia |
Lol, I swear she is out to make a fool of me. Not long after I posted, she had laid a second egg and had even laid it in the same spot and hollowed out a hole for them! Its not where I would have expected her to have picked for a nesting spot but so long as she is happy, so am I. She isnt sitting yet but thats not abnormal in any bird so Im not worried. I put up a dark green peice of non-slip rubber stuff around the bottom on the cage as the eggs are at the front and I dont want the kids to see them. Thanx for the adivce, I feel heaps better now. |
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Saturday October 7, 2006 6:32 am |
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Annabelle
Bappie
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia |
| Update |
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My little hen ended up laying 21 eggs! She is sitting on 10 of them and the other 11 are in an incubator. She made a really good little nest that goes up over her back and there is a little hole in the front for her head and so she can get out. Im not sure how many are fertile but even if not many are, it will at least give her some practice for next year. Now I play the waiting game to see what comes of it all. |
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Monday November 6, 2006 2:01 am |
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Fluffy Sue
Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 10073
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| Re: Update |
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21 eggs? WOW!!! Is this number of eggs normal??  |
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Monday November 6, 2006 7:00 pm |
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Annabelle
Bappie
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia |
The average is supposed to be 8-12 from what ive read but its not unusual for them to lay large ammounts after thier first couple of clutches. This is her 3rd clutch but its the first one that she has sat on. |
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Thursday November 9, 2006 10:10 pm |
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Annabelle
Bappie
Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 75
Location: Coffs Harbour, Australia |
| Updating again |
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Well, I have babies!!!! Im a grandmother! Lol. Lu hatched out 7 babies and I have gotten 3 more from the incubator last night. I left the 3 newest in the incubator last night and put them in with thier family this morning. They were accepted immdediately and they should do well. Im really really excited. Of all the things that can go wrong from what ive read, Ive seen none of it. Lu and Ben are model parents and the babies are thriving!!!! |
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Monday November 20, 2006 11:57 pm |
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Cheeta
Moderator
Joined: 06 Apr 2005
Posts: 7970
Location: Australia |
congrats.. they are cute aren't they. |
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Tuesday November 21, 2006 8:05 am |
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