In The Brooder

L to R: Luke Groundwalker, Peep, Princess Leia

Fourteen hours after the first egg hatched, two more little quail hatched at the same time. Peep was ecstatic when they joined her in the brooder.

Their brooder is a cardboard box with rubber shelf liner in the bottom. I added a little hay so the chicks could have something to pick at besides each other. The box is covered with a cookie cooling rack and a towel over the cool end. A 60 watt bulb sits on the wire rack for heat (93F). The food and water are at the cool end.

They are eating Purina Gamebird Starter crumble that is ground to small bits in the blender. Their water bowl is a peanut butter jar lid with marbles to keep them from getting drenched.

First Quail

This is my first-hatched coturnix quail, Peep. She is about 12 hours old in this video.

Just before she arrived on the scene, I made peeping noises to the eggs and then went to bed. Very soon there was a ruckus in the incubator as baby Peep hammered her way out of the egg in about four strokes!