Quail Incubation

[Ranger of the North]

Friday, October thirteenth, 2017

Dad and J dug a wide trench along the outside edge of the aviary, so future chicks will hopefully not be able to reach the wire.

[Ranger of the North]

Saturday, October fourteenth, 2017

Today must be day nineteen of Mama One's incubation period.
xxxxxI caught her pecking a budgie who got too close to the nest, lol, and she's been real restless: constantly readjusting her position and ruffling her feathers. Eventually she resettled, but there are still no chicks. I attempted a video of her stirring, but by the time I got my camera out she had stopped.
xxxxxBoth mamas were building their nests up, and when Mama One got so absorbed she crawled away, the dad, who has still been protec-hovering, gingerly crept up to warm the eggs for a short while. He calls the girls with a cute, clucking coo whenever he finds any food.

[Ranger of the North]

Sunday, October fifteenth, 2017

Mama One has a baaaabyyyy!! Just the one so far~! Hopefully she sticks with the rest of the eggs tho.
xxxxxThe eggshell is mostly intact, so I've kept it and will try to get photos of it, as well as its former occupant. Baby and mama make the cutest piping noises; I might try to get a recording!

[Ranger of the North]

Monday, October sixteenth, 2017

Nooo, Mama One seems to have abandoned her nest in favour of Mama Two's?!?! Two seemed relieved to be able to stretch her legs, at least, but UGH. Poor eggs :c Quail-dad still hangs round the first nest, so I guess that might count for something?? :c

Later:

Welp, they've wandered off again. I managed to get some photos, though!





Visiting Aunty Two ^^

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Hangin' by the first nest ^^


Cuddling with Mama Two ^^

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[The Worst Username]

Dude, that's so cool! Congrats on the chick--what do you do if the birds abandon a nest? Do you try to incubate them yourself?

[WalkingContradiction]

Baby is so CUTE!! It sucks that she left her nest though... but I still can't get over the adorableness afjhakfjhfghfjnhf

[22tabby]

Did you actually touch the eggs when getting the eggshell? From what I know, a bird will abandon their nest if people touch them? But those are like... completely wild birds so this could be different.

[Pyjaks]

OMGG I finally get to see a baby. I love them <333 So small and fluffy.

[Ranger of the North]

Dude, that's so cool! Congrats on the chick--what do you do if the birds abandon a nest? Do you try to incubate them yourself?

I would. Both nests have been abandoned now, and incubating the second clutch myself is the only damn chance the eggs have, but my parents are too freaking blind to see that. I always listen when they say 'you've done all you can just leave them now blablahblahblah bullcrap continues etc.', even when I know there's more I could be doing, and guess what? The birds always die! Woah! Who could have guessed that?!
Me.
If they gave me one bloody chance and I turned out to be wrong, then who cares! The bird was gonna die anyway! But they never give me that chance! It's always nooo, we're not going to try something that might work! We're going to keep going with the thing that fails every. single. time. because that's obviously the best bet they have!!
BULLCRAP ARE YOU FOR REAL

huugh. Sorry for the rant. I know it probably seems childish, but I'm just so frustrated I can't handle it. Damn it all.

Baby is so CUTE!! It sucks that she left her nest though... but I still can't get over the adorableness afjhakfjhfghfjnhf

Yess, I agree on all counts!

Did you actually touch the eggs when getting the eggshell? From what I know, a bird will abandon their nest if people touch them? But those are like... completely wild birds so this could be different.

Nope and yes! The shell was quite a ways from the nest, which is the only reason I dared touch it haha. Thanks for checking!

OMGG I finally get to see a baby. I love them <333 So small and fluffy.

Yess, it is ridiculously cute <3

[The Worst Username]

I would. Both nests have been abandoned now, and incubating the second clutch myself is the only damn chance the eggs have, but my parents are too freaking blind to see that. I always listen when they say 'you've done all you can just leave them now blablahblahblah bullcrap continues etc.', even when I know there's more I could be doing, and guess what? The birds always die! Woah! Who could have guessed that?!
Me.
If they gave me one bloody chance and I turned out to be wrong, then who cares! The bird was gonna die anyway! But they never give me that chance! It's always nooo, we're not going to try something that might work! We're going to keep going with the thing that fails every. single. time. because that's obviously the best bet they have!!
BULLCRAP ARE YOU FOR REAL

No, no, it's not childish at all! I'm so sorry your parents think the eggs are replaceable. I'm guessing you guys don't have an incubator, but you could probably make one from a cardboard box and a heat lamp--I hope you can convince them to at least try and save the eggs. Maybe go to quail-care sites about what to do if nests are abandoned, and show them? I wish I could give you a hug, but we live in different hemispheres. Good luck!