Backyard Poultry Forum

Hi,

If you decide to hatch your Callie quail eggs in an incubator can I suggest that you pop a few Jap quail eggs in the incubator a couple of days before the Callie eggs. One of the problems I had was that the Callies won't eat after they hatch and need "someone" to show them how - if the Japs hatch first and have already worked out the food and water then the Callies will copy them.

I hope your birds will sit but of all the Callies I have had I have only had one pair that would reliably sit and raise their young, so using an incubator is usually necessary. My pair preferred a box attached to the aviary wall about 1m off the ground with wood shavings and hay. They are the cutest babies - can run very, very fast and also, they fly really well from a very young age - (not fun trying to catch them when they escape from the brooder!)

In Melbourne they don't start to lay till November/December.

Good luck!

_________________
A ever increasing mixture of very large and very small chooks, Indian Runner Ducks, Parrots, Quails, Doves (and a very understanding family!)

Calliequail what are the dimensions for the box, is it just a shallow tray, sounds like a good idea. And when i hatched them the first time it was with king quail chicks. I dont have jap quails. I wonder how they would fair hatched with Golden pheasant chicks, or bantam chicks, the size difference maybe a concern, wouldn't want them trampled on.

A couple of tips for getting the callie chicks eating is to put some loose feed onto a sheet of tin foil, the movements being reflected off the foil will attract their interest and get them pecking, or to add some small form of live feed, white ants are perfect, to the crumbles. Again the movement will attract them.
These tips can also be helpful with pheasants, who can be just as stubborn to start feeding.

Golden pheasant chicks should be fine with the callie chicks to begin with. They may need to be kept in different brooders as they get older though.

As far as nesting goes, is it always off the ground or do they nest on the ground under grass tussocks for example?
Has any body else had success with natural incubation? And if so how?

Generally they nest on the ground, the more privacy you can provide the better & more likely they are to incubate their own eggs.

Bantams can also be used to hatch and foster the eggs & chicks.

OK sounds good, I put them in my Gouldian enclosure until I finish building their own enclosure. I have some Juncus clumps in there
and so far they have spent most of the time hiding under it, they have barely perched at all. The Gouldians initially freaked out but have since settled down. I have a variety of small hens that like to go broody, Jap bantams, Old English Game bantams and a Modern Game bantam hen as well.

I bred them naturally my self. Just simple cover on the ground and they will be fine. Also, as mentioned above, some box off the ground will also be good. Give them options and they will choose what they think it's safest for them.
No special diet was needed (finch or canary and chichen starter) mix was good for me. They also love fresh grass .
If you hatch them in the avary make sure that the holes on the wire mesh to be as smallest as possible. The babies are really tiny and extremely active.
Breeding season is around the corner. It would be great if you set up your aviary now and don't move them till they finish their businesses.
Good luck

ok, they have been in their own enclosure for about a week or so now, I also bought an extra unrelated hen from another bloke. I am assuming a trio will work. There is plenty of plant cover on the ground for privacy and some nesting material.
I won't need to enter the enclosure for quite a long time with good size feeder and waterer, I'll just be throwing in greens etc.
Is there anything else I can feed then? Like fruits or nuts, duck weed?
Is 12*12mm aviary wire small enough for the young? or is mouse and snake aviary wire better?
thanks again

I like to have tin/ colourbond sheeting around the perimeter at least 300mm high , helps to stop mice,snakes etc and also prevents chicks from escaping.

Yeah I have that, now just waiting for Spring and happy breeding quails.