I really enjoy watching your videos! Your voice is also so calming :) I have a pair of quails, and the female went broody, sat on eggs (without even me noticing cause she was hiding the eggs) and she hatched 21 babies (100% hatch rate!). I was so not expected that haha. Anyway, your videos inspired me during this little journey of mine and my quails ❤️ Thanks a lot! Max

@Pavlovafowl

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Max and thank you for those great comments, they are appreciated! You were very lucky even to get a coturnix pair bond and to sit, never mind have such a wonderful hatch, it is a very rare occurrence. For centuries this natural behaviour has been bred out and/or suppressed to enable quail to be caged. Well done indeed, they must be very happy birds! My goal is to inspire others, so thank you so much for letting me know that! All the very best from a rather rainy afternoon in Normandie and a BIG HUG to your quail, Sue xx

I've NEVER heard a quail "bark" before!

@Pavlovafowl

3 жыл бұрын

Hi there it was a first time for me too but it did make me understand how strict mother quail are and how much they notice when the quail get cold. As no doubt you are aware, temperature is critical with quail chicks and obviously they have to be told forcibly to stop playing or eating and come home. I now also realise why they burrow right up into the mother chicken's feathers and they make the same motion when you hold them in your hand, they are getting secure to hang on so they can be moved to the next place to feed. This keeps them always at optimum temperature, with just a tiny time to lose heat when they are feeding. At least that is my theory! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

She really became a great mother, I love how tuned in you are to their needs 🐣🐔🐓

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Pamela! Thanks for your lovely comments, they are appreciated as always. I have to say I never expected this to turn out so well. I had hoped that as Caramel had been raised by Cappuccino, she would have mothering skills but I wasn't expecting things to happen so quickly nor the whole range of sounds and the brilliant behaviour. We both got chills when we heard that high pitched note, it was as if she was bringing something up that had been buried deeply within. My next big hope is to get more than one quail go broody at once, I have aspirations for a mini flock of broody quail and chicks. Also, I have read that prior to the World Wars, there was a variety of Coturnix singing quail in Japan but by the end of WWII they had all been wiped out. It would be marvellous to hear a quail sing again and listening to Caramel made me think it could be possible!! Hope you saw the little chicken pictures in the film! All the very best from stormy Normandie, Sue x

Why couldn't I have found you channel before buying an incubator! haha seriously inspirational stuff. Goes against everything else out there, that I've found at least. Interested to see if I can't replicate these behaviours... Please don't stop what you're doing, nor stop producing content either, thank you.

@Pavlovafowl

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for those wonderful comments, I do appreciate them. Well an incubator is always a good backup although I've always been lucky enough to have a plethora of broody hens here. I have quite a few written articles on quail, including ones on encouraging natural nesting and brooding behaviours, which could be of interest to you: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html#.XGCxjLlG2kA Thank you too for your encouragement. I've just started another channel - animation, it's another of my passions but I'm also hoping eventually it may prove more of a commercial venture than this one and if everything works out then that it will enable me to spend more time writing and filming for this channel. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

What an amazing bird. I always enjoy watching your videos because I can tell you really pay attention to them and their behaviors. That is something I love to do with my chickens. :)

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi April and thanks for your lovely comments, they are appreciated. Give your chickens a big hug from me, all the very best, Sue

Well done as always Sue. She turned out to be a very good mother.

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Aaww Dale, Thanks and much appreciated as always! She was and is a star. I'm just looking forward to more of the same next Spring and planting up some extra suitable habitat areas before the weather turns too cold. Keep warm and all the very best from Normandie, Sue

What an amazing video! I love my quail!

@Pavlovafowl

5 жыл бұрын

Hi there I am so happy you enjoyed it. I also have a blog with articles on my quail if you are interested: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html#.XD3yna9G2kA All the very best and a big hug for your quail, Sue

whoa ive been following you a long time. this is a real accomplishment.

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi there Ms Tokies, Aaww that is very kind. I was so happy to finally get an almost wild quail! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

like always, awesome video! Thanks for sharing!!

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for your kind comments, they are appreciated as always. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

I'm so impressed with what you have accomplished.

@Pavlovafowl

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Helen and thank you for your lovely comment, it is appreciated. There are articles to accompany these films on my site the Holistic Hen : holistic-hen.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html#.XH8BCblG2kA I've shared in them my experience and thoughts on keeping quail and hatching them with a mother hen as well as finally reawakening Coturnix to their natural wild behaviours to nest and raise their own.Hope the articles will be of interest and please get back to me if you have any observations or questions. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

that was awesome! ty for documenting & sharing this!

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks - you are very welcome. All the very best from sunny Normandie, Pavlovafowl aka Sue

@high_fructose_corn_syrup

7 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl :)

Amazing !!

@Pavlovafowl

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

Great job... thanx

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Sony, Thank-you and you are very welcome. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

so cute

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

من أجمل ما رأيت شي رائع استمري في هذا

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

شكرا للتعليقات الكريمة وسأواصل. أطيب الأماني

Nice!

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your comment, it is appreciated. All the very best, Sue

Amazing, I would love to be able to get my quail to go broody

@Pavlovafowl

2 ай бұрын

Here are some ideas of what worked for my quail, shared on my site: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.WQhntjclFj4 All the very best and Good Luck! Sue

I love the video. I have two broody coturnix hens now that are sharing a nest of 16 eggs. I really hope they pull it off and hatch them out!

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you Humboldt Honey for your kind comments, they are appreciated. I am so happy for you, it is a real achievement, as I am sure you are aware, to have coturnix go broody. There is no reason why they shouldn't hatch but if you need back up you can still do as I have done and pop some of the eggs under a hen and then introduce the hatched chicks back to the quail. I'd still try to have a 'consolation prize' for the hen, unless you know her to be a serial broody and not really interested in hatching chicks. If the quail have made a deepish impression in the soil and have their eggs well tucked in, particularly with two sitting, there should really be no problem. Exciting times and please let me know how it turns out and I hope you will be able to make a film or write this up. It all helps so much dispel myths about coturnix. All the very best, Sue

You have a singsong and silvery voice.

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Aaww thanks for your lovely comment, I appreciate it. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

You have a very sweet quail i love all kinds of birds and reptiles i have a leopard gecko and he,s super sweet and nice too he loves it when i pet him he will both squeaks and chirps it,s so cute when he does that:)

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, it is true, they are lovely birds! Your gecko trusts you and talks to you and you have a great bond there and something I can tell you really appreciate. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

@BigGamer291987

6 жыл бұрын

I have a video of him on my channel if you'ed like to see him it,s called (Pet Leopard Gecko Live Feeding Part 13) enjoy oh and i just subbed you:)

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

I watched it and the others and subbed you back. Chip is super cute! All the very best, Sue

Such a beautiful video! I'm not sure I'll get a response, because this video is old. I just wanted to ask what you were feeding them in the lettuce leaf?

@Pavlovafowl

2 ай бұрын

Thank you for your lovely words. Yes, you'll always get a response, albeit a little late - I'm repainting the house, so not doing much on the internet at the moment - except binge watching dog rescue videos! In the lettuce leaf is a mix of all organic food: grated root vegetables, sprouted triticale (an ancient wheat/rye mix), moistened 5 cereals (rolled) comprising, oats, wheat, barley, rice and rye. However, the grains are something I only feed in strict moderation. For quail chicks and hen chicks, I like to get them started from hatch as would their parent, on invertebrate protein and if not readily available then hard boiled egg. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

Great video! 👍What is the food that you put in the leaf for them?

@Pavlovafowl

Жыл бұрын

Hi Annie, Thank you! The food I gave them on the leaf was organically certified '5 cereals' which is rolled: wheat, rye, oats, barley and rice, then there are also grated organic root vegetables: beetroot, radish, celeriac and carrot. The cereals aren't really a great food for quail chicks, I tend nowadays to feed them mainly on home-raised meal worms, invertebrates from the compost heap and if I'm short of these, scrambled or hard boiled egg, I also feed root vegetables, a very little sprouted seeds/grain and green leafy veg and Summer squash/cucumbers. With my last quail hatch before the present one I fed them only wild and home-raised protein and vegetables, they had no grain at all and they grew very quickly and are good 'solid' birds. However, at the moment we are in a drought here in France with quite high temperatures, so the compost heaps are pretty bare of food and I have resorted to a little grain/seed - their favourites being wild rice and sunflower seeds. However, my meal worm farm is about to produce another large batch, so our chicks will be back on the optimum diet again! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

Such a cute video! Caramel is gorgeous :) Are you sure the 2 week old quail in the video weren't 1 week old? They are only just starting to get feathers and are quite small still, at 2 weeks old they are normally almost fully feathered at 2 weeks. (my coturnix babies are 11 days and have almost all feathers except their heads)

@jecriggs

6 жыл бұрын

Your quail must be fast growers, because quail where we live are not fully feathered until about 3-4 weeks of age.

🤗

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Just like magic, little babies appear out of eggs.

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Not like in my just uploading video - where we had to prize or rather peel a quail chick out of its shell! All the very best and hope everything is going well, Sue

Hello! I know I’m a bit late but, i have 2 italian quails ( approximately 3.5 weeks) and I’m assuming that they are both roosters since they have plain chests, but now i saw your italian quail hen with a plain chest and i might be wrong with their gender. Did your quail hen also have a plain chest when she was younger. Many thanks, Ted

@Pavlovafowl

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Ted paradoxically rather than being late you are actually early - I am in the process of editing several films each one discussing the vexed question of the colours of quail. In the meantime though I have already written most of the accompanying articles on The Holistic Hen, including that of the Golden here is the link: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2018/01/colours-of-coturnix-japonica-quail-part.html#.X9SJxnfk-V5 . Colours are exceeding difficult to research as there is such a paucity of material but with the Golden there seem to be two main originals: the Italian and the Manchurian and by what you have written it sounds like both of your quail are Manchurian. As they mature you should see, if they are males, that a very definite chestnut coloured mask and in fact almost what I'd call a balaclava will form around the face, top and back of the head and as they come to full maturity this will become vibrant, witness the photo of 'Alphonse' in my article. The females are the same in bodily plumage but their masking is less defines and they may just have a few elements of the 'balaclava', such as a broken line of chestnut or taupe colour around the back/top of the neck. That said there are all kinds of patterns and colours in between but in general with young chicks a plain chest means Manchurian of either sex. Hope this helps and the film should be out hopefully before Christmas! All the very best, Sue

@tedc2453

3 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl - Organic Forest Garden Poultry, Thank you Sue! That indeed helped me out. I’m still quite unsure but I’m guessing that they are both roosters. I just made a video of them, I currently have one silver, one regular wild color and then the 2 golds. Best regards, Ted kzread.info/dash/bejne/ZpenlKiRnKmskc4.html

@Pavlovafowl

3 жыл бұрын

Hi there I put a comment on your film - thanks for sending me the link! All the very best, Sue P.S. I went straight to the video so I missed your comment about that one being a silver - I thought is was a fawn or cream - I couldn't tell because of the red lamp! They are all rare colours and lovely birds anyway!

sorry can i know what kind food you feeding them? thank you

@Pavlovafowl

5 жыл бұрын

Hi there, certainly - sprouted triticale (an old grain variety wheat and rye cross - protein 21%), grated root vegetables: beetroot, carrot, radish, lettuce, broccoli, flattened/rolled 5 cereals (rice, oats, wheat, rye, spelt), ants eggs and ants, wood lice, hard-boiled egg from our hens - all the food is organically raised. The vegetables change depending on what we are given from our local organic shop. I do have a film showing a typical week of food - I tend to give the quail exactly the same as the rest of my poultry but the quail get added invertebrate protein, meal worms, ants, woodlice etc. Here is the food film kzread.info/dash/bejne/qY5tl8-Ff8bOl6Q.html All the very best from Normandie, Sue

I can't thank you enough for showing me this, My girl has gone broody a few times but never hatched, So today I have her some 4 day old chicks and she went all puffy but hasn't started calling to her chicks do I wait for her to start calling to the chicks or so I give her food and stuff so that she "calls the chicks over"?

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi there, you are really welcome, there is so little information about this. I read a couple of University studies but what I got from them is: 'there are no rules'. So for example in the University set ups, they never had two breeding pairs in one area, whereas this is exactly what has just happened last week in our greenhouse. Although just today, over a big load of invertebrates I brought in from the compost heap the two males and the two females started to get aggressive. So for me it's like I do with my other poultry, I would suggest you treat your quail as a unique individual and observe. The puffing up is a really good sign, I'm presuming she has them under her. With my quail (Caramel) the voice didn't change immediately, as you can see, whereas, my previous broody started to call the chicks to eat pretty quickly after hatch. This I believe is because different mothers react in different ways, I think some value security over everything, so for example I have hens who hatch chicks in the garden, eat the shells and remain hidden for a couple of days until they feel the chicks are ready to face the world. For example, a missing hen and 9 chicks turned up yesterday morning and there is no sign of the nest and all of them have their first wing feathers so are around 3 days old! Similarly the quail in my video was obviously concerned with keeping her chicks safe and all in one place, her vocals were incredible, I've never heard anything like it before. I'm guessing it was pure wild quail. Maybe your quail is like that too, she is worried about keeping hidden and silent until she is sure she wants to call them out. Are they in a pen or in a larger run? You maybe need to do what I did and put them in a large cardboard box area so she can see the perimeters and know it is safe? I would try putting down food and see if she just eats it all or starts to call, even if she does eat it, that doesn't mean she hasn't bonded, she may still be uncertain. Also quail are said to be precocial so this alters things too. Essentially they will find their own food, it is warmth and security that are really important but even that is open to argument. For example, I have two-day old quail chicks here beside me as I write, they are with a mother hen, today the chicks chased, caught and ate woodlice on their own but they have also both fed from the hen's beak when she chewed up some food for them and they are coming to her call to eat. This is a new adventure and another chapter, so please do film or write about it because it is so helpful to all out there who want to raise quail naturally but are up against the 'status quo', who insist it can't be done! Really good luck and get back to me if you think I can be of any help, Sue

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

..also remember to her these are newly hatched chicks!

@dynamicquail6834

7 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl thank you for the info, She is in a small hamster cage (about the same size as what your quail is in) iv been giving her some diffent kind of food and she eats it but also the chicks come out and eat with her I think she's learning, I must point out that she has had chicks before but my male bobwhite got in and killed them (he dug a hole while I was away and killed all of them) So she does have abit of experience with chicks, right now she is sat puffed up even more like a little fluffy ball.lol. I'm going to film the whole experience I have and hopefully post in a few weeks time when the quail are adults (of it goes to plan)

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

So sorry about that, does the male bobwhite normally have a role in bringing up the chicks? When Ginger and Fred paired off, Ginger chased Fred off once the chicks hatched but beforehand she let him guard the nest. I think humans have so messed up quail that it is difficult now for the male quail to find a role. A couple of nights ago, one of my pairs went to sleep sitting side by side and they actually had an egg between them. I'm interested to see exactly what they will do this year now I have a safer glass greenhouse so they will be able to stay out all night. Looking forward to your films, you could do a little daily upload - like a quail-vlog?! All the very best and good luck, Sue

Hi Sue, I've been watching all your valuable content for some years. There appear to be no other sources for information on natural organic raising of quail, ecxept the literature which you share. I have a 3 yr old Coturnix hen who has been diligently sitting on a brood of 10 eggs for 4 days. She had some false starts, but is now properly brooding the eggs. She has a female friend who keeps trying getting on top of her or close next to her. I wasn't sure if the interloper was adding eggs, (there were 8 now 10, in this clutch, which I have marked), or whether she is trying to help in the brooding of them. The dedicated mother (brown one) keeps pecking at and vocalising in an 'angry' manner towards the interloper (cream Italian) hen. The male isn't as close to the nest now as he was initially. I've seen him being chased by other hens. (Social context and Environment: There are 5 hens and one male in this pen, so the others may be getting fed up with his attensions as they're not as many hens to tread as there were before 3 died this spring. The pen is totally meshed and secure from predators). I'm not sure if I should take mama out with her brood and bring her in a box indoors, or whether she will cope with the interloper hen trying to sit on her. Or is she helping to 'guard' the nest as you have observed? Any advice would be very welcome. Also, should broody quail, like chickens not have so much protein when sitting? Should I stop giving mealworms and sprouted alfalfa, sunflower, lentils, mungbeans etc. and just give org chicken chick crumb, which is their staple, to which I add sprouts and mealworms. My mealworm farm has been depleted by the new chicks ihave in a brooder anyway. I have videos of these behaviours of the interloper, but not sure how to share them with you without intrusively posting them here. Many thanks in anticipation of your widom! Kind regards, Kat.

@Pavlovafowl

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Kat. Firstly, this is wonderful because coturnix sitting is still very rare. The false start scenario seems quite normal in these cases too. I'm still not sure how much the male is involved in encouraging sitting. He definitely makes the calls which instigates egg laying and he helps create the nest and guard it but from then on, I'm still not sure how far we have come in encouraging the next stage of behaviour or even if there is one as far as the male is concerned. Certainly my male quail get chased away by the sitting, bonded female after some days of guarding. I also have some superb footage which I still haven't edited, to my chagrin, of two hens raising quail, who actually after initially doing this separately joined forces to co-parent. This was from a subscriber in the UK and it is an amazing situation where one hen keeps the chicks warm whilst the other forages for food with the ones that are warm enough. This is one of the major problems with hens raising quail, they do not obviously instinctively, as mother quail do, realise that quail need to be kept at high temperatures for the first 2 weeks much more so than chicks. As you've seen in my films the female quail is very strict in calling them when she hears them making the 'I'm cold sounds'. Co-parenting could be an option here but also communal laying is common too - particularly as you have one male quail, so he may be bonded with this other female too and therefore she sees the nest as hers? We are so short of academic material and even anecdotal observations, which actually can be just as valuable, so we are learning as we go and can not really rule out a whole raft of interpretations because as Sherlock Holmes often complains, we lack data to form a hypothesis. However. if your sitting hen is pecking the interloper then logically she doesn't want her laying or sitting with her as a companion in the nest. It therefore might be an idea to remove her rather than the sitter and the eggs in case she deserts - this is always a risk. I would be interested in your films though - do post me the links I'd still keep the sitting quail on the same diet as once those quail hatch she's probably going to have a busy time so needs all the extra energy. Sorry there is no definitive answers but these are unchartered waters in the great quail adventure - exciting but very challenging! However, we all learn from each other and passing on information is so important, so yes, get those films and articles posted. Much love from Normandie, Sue xxx

@katmiddleton7549

2 жыл бұрын

@@Pavlovafowl Thank you so much for your advice Sue. The 'Devon Blue' hen seems to have been accepted as a co-parent by the brown hen now. They seem to be sitting happily together, which is wonderful. How lucky am I? I had hoped that providing as close to natural habitat and food as possible, they might breed naturally like yours. Now I'm thinking, all being well for them to hatch, will there be territorial aggression towards the chicks? I know there's not much in the literature on this, and I will have to watch closely to see how the others 'accept' the chicks, I'm hoping the Mama's will be able to protect them from the other quails in the pen ~ I'll keep you posted in this rare adventure.

@Pavlovafowl

2 жыл бұрын

@@katmiddleton7549 Hi Kat, There are no rules as you know but one thing I have observed over the years with birds of all kinds, is that continuance is everything and there seems to be an understanding of this by the whole flock, with, on occasions, the exception of the juvenile males. The broody hen mother(s) and chicks are therefore given the passe-partout throughout the various territories in our garden and the chicks usually retain this freedom well into adulthood. That said it may depend on the size of your quail area and the total number of birds within the flock. However, unless you have another sitter later in the year, this year's brood will take you into autumn and then the flock should once again become cohesive. In my experience the only territorial disputes happen in the breeding season, so next year in the Spring you may experience problems if you have more than one bonded pair or the trio you have now. At this point you may have to rethink your space or create a new area pro tem for your other bonded pair. The fact that your mothers are also still within the flock should mean that the chicks grow up within it too, rather than be taken out and then re-introduced, which sometimes causes problems. Birds are supposed to have a facial recognition ability for up to 80 different individuals! However, as I wrote at the beginning, with birds group/flock dynamics can be incredibly fluid, so as you are already, aware observation from hatch will be critical. All coturnix are hampered in their development by centuries of human intervention and although we try to bring out their natural behaviours by environment and food, not all of them can achieve this at the same pace. The mastering of the inbred stress responses, which I believe lie at the heart all their problems, including aggression, can take quite some time in certain individuals, in particular males, in my experience. So if you are thinking of expanding further and want to introduce new males into your flock for next year, then in my experience late Autumn through Winter is a good time. Mine like to snuggle up as a big feathery mass to keep warm, so all thoughts of arguments are off! Look forward to hearing a progress report. All the very best, Sue xxx

@katmiddleton7549

2 жыл бұрын

@@Pavlovafowl I'm so grateful for your advice Sue. Here's an update. She's been due to hatch any time from the 12th onwards. It's hard to know when she started sitting consistently. I've tried candling 2 days ago, I could only definitely see that 2 of the eggs were solid in 2 thirds, and 1 third was air chamber. Another looked infertile, I marked x and returned. The others were too mottled to see. She had identified and removed 2 dud eggs 2ft from the nest, (1 bad and 1 infertile); Clever girl. I removed the extra 'mothering' hen the day after as the real Mum was shuffling around to face her when she returned from the other's frequent forrays from the nest. She was still not sure about the other closely sitting her eggs. It was disturbing her too much every time she returned. I put the other hen in a brooder in the porch as it was less than a week till hatch, taking it outside near the others when weather permitted. She could see and hear her family, but sadly developed the stereotypy of perimeter pacing. There was no way I could put her in an enclosure in the pen, or cordon off the broody Mum. I must rectify that for the future, because sadly she died after 5 days. Another hen from that pen died 2 days later. They were showing great interest in the nest and Mum, and laying extra eggs in the nest, I removed all but the marked originals. The remaining 2 hens and Father have been respectfully companionable to Mum. She has been getting off for food and drink for very short but frequent intervals. I was going to try candling again today, but unusually, never saw her off the nest. I hoped this might be a positive development, as she may be 'sitting tight' as she feels they're ready to pip. I have an incubator and brooder set up ready for any almost any eventuality. I wish I'd thought to put eggs in the incubator when she started, so there'd be chicks for her if none hatched. She's been so instinctive so far, I'm sure if I could find some young enough chicks, she'd accept them finessed under her, as you did. I'm desperately trying to find young chicks anywhere from Cornwall to Dorset, and not having much luck. Devon's largest breeder would usually have some, but they have had to destroy all their poultry thanks to Defra over bird flu. She's done such a dedicated job, she needs her reward. Fingers crossed, I will keep you posted. Kat.

@katmiddleton7549

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Sue, As you say males in particular can have behaviour problems. I'm in the process of deciding which 1 male to keep from this year's incubator hatch. I like to study their behaviour with the hens, this my priority in chooing. He only stays if he treats the ladies right! My latest update is that my broody is aprox. 10 days overdue from the earliest estimate of hatching. I've been feeding her supplemental mealworms and sprouts on the nest, and she gets off regularly for a brief bath, feed and water. I candled the eggs again and don't see any shrinking of the air chamber in the 2 that look viable. I'm concerned about how long she can safely sit without exhausting herself. I know you can't leave a chicken too long brooding or they can get very run down or die, presumably it's the same for quail. I've not been able to source any young chicks for her. The other 2 remaining hens are very attentive, one is often near the Mum, and the male checks on her too. They have deposited more eggs in the nest and I've left them for the last 2 days instead of removing them. I know it's late but I thought if she couldn't stay sitting I could finish the hatch in the incubator). I'm desperate to do the best thing for her, but not sure what that is! I'd really appreciate your opinion on whether I should let her continue to sit, or try and 'break' her broodiness? And I'm not sure how to do that with quail without stressing her out. I wouldn't like to try the chicken method of a 3-day stay in a dog crate with mesh base for cooling air. Anyway, I can't get anything like that in her pen. I'd be very grateful for your extensive wisdom regarding my situation. Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated very much. Many thanks in anticipation, Kat. x

I have a lone quail currently, as her friends got eaten by a hawk even though they were in a covered run. I am considering getting a large bird cage and getting a friend for her. Do you have any recommendations? The farm she is from is horrible, and I will not support them, as all their animals are kept in cages without bedding, fresh water, and none of their egs were collected. Could I keep a pigeon with her? Thanks! -Amelia :)

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Amelia, That is so sad, I had the same thing happen a year back, unfortunately I found out the hard way that birds of prey are so powerful, they can break into even wired runs. I also have bought quails from awful places where I was just so sorry for the birds but I knew if I bought them they would just breed more, it is a horrible dilemma. Well from my experience with both doves and pigeons, I have always found them very friendly and sociable, they mix well with other domesticated birds. I would only be worried though about a pigeon's usual habit of shaking out the wings, particularly first thing in the morning (some quail do the same) I would just be aware of this startling your quail the first time she sees it. Does your home country have an on-line organic farmers' directory? For example, I was looking through a few of the US States' ones the other day and was amazed how many organic quail keepers there were. In France we have no organic quail farmers, basically because the EEC never drew up an organic certification for quail, so there is no incentive, however apparently it is coming. I've always found chickens and quail get along OK if they are brought up together but a chicken would want to be out and about! However, your quail will also bond with you and you could free range her with you in the garden, I train mine to a garden or hand fork and they will follow me around. Hope these ideas are of some use and all the very best, Sue

@ameliasmenagerie3350

7 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl Thanks you for the tips on finding organic farmers :) We have some near us, but I called and they do not want to sell any of their quail. My quail does flap her wings every morning, and I would be moving them into my old rat's cage during the fall and summer, so the pigeon would have a roost at night, and the quail would sleep on the bottom. I am trying to build an indoor cage for her, and I would love to bond with her, but she is scared to death of any human even after multiple attempts at bonding. It was probably because the people that I got her from were not very humane at all. I love her, even though she is super skittish. I might just get another quail, but I just find them so fragile and I kind of want to try an almost song bird kind of bird, and someone suggested a pigeon. I really would love to keep the quail with a chicken, but I have some feistier chickens that may hurt her. Where should I look for pigeons? And would the diet be okay for both of them, if it is bird seed mix and some higher protein chick food, along with veggies? Or not? I do organic farming most of the time, except winter, as I mostly have ducks, and they eat several pounds of food in the winter, and over her, fifty pounds of food cost about thirty four dollars, which I currently cannot afford if they do not give me eggs. Sorry for that being so ramble-ey and that my comment is so long! Thanks for all this advice :) -Amelia

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Amelia, I love long comments, I make them myself all the time! I just always find it so great that people share information. It also helps in any exchange of ideas to get as much detail as possible. Therefore, my guess is with your quail that her nervousness is linked to two main causes, stress and nutritional depletion. The stress will be twofold, from (as you already outlined) her initial perception of humans and further exacerbated by the predator attack. This stress will have caused the depletion of essential nutrients and although she is now in a safe and friendly environment this is not enough to get her nervous system to optimum. If I were you I would change her diet and it will work for your potential pigeon too and any other poultry you have. You need to lower the grain and seed component and I would also be sprouting these rather than feeding them dry (apologies if you are already doing this). Dry grain has a protective outer coating of what is sometimes referred to as an anti-nutrient, called phytic acid. When consumed, this inhibits the uptake of essential minerals by binding them to itself and thus making them a lot less available to the body. Many of these minerals are important for nervous system function. Soaking, sprouting and fermenting seeds and grains also makes them more digestible and greater in nutritional value. What the process does is to turn a dormant seed into an enzyme active, living plant. You can buy your basic grain, I use triticale a rye/wheat mix (21%) protein developed in the 19th century. I buy it directly from our local certified organic farm and it costs me 30 Euros per 100 kilos (31 dollars for 220 pounds). I also add grated root vegetables and leafy greens and the chickens and pigeons also get fruit and I do try these on the quail too. However the main protein element for my quail is wild invertebrates which raise themselves in our numerous compost bins! These provide essential vitamins and amino acids that grain can not, such as Vitamin B12, which is crucial for motor and nervous system function and is only available in animal protein, this also acts in synergy with the folate Vitamin B9 which your quail will already be getting from the leafy vegetables you feed. The other essentials are amino acids in animal protein such as methionine, again a deficiency in this can cause altered behaviours, such as nervousness and feather picking. I have films and blog posts about all this (including the nutrient breakdown of sprouted grain and how we sprout ours) if you are interested but I think if you change the diet to omnivore and to include wild protein you will begin to see a difference quite quickly. Your quail needs the nervous system support to be able to make a judgement about you and thus to trust you. My quail will get fractious, vocally and behaviourally if I do not find them enough wild protein, they actually get 'angry' and shout at me!! In fact birds crave methionine and quail have such a high basal metabolism that any nutrient deficiency shows up quite quickly and is just as speedily resolved. This diet involves more physical work in creating it but the costs are a fraction of commercial mixes and the rewards in behaviour are immense. Your duck eggs will also be nutritionally much better for you too if your birds are eating sprouted grain. Re: purchasing quail, don't the children of these organic farmers raise a few quail to sell? Ours here are all little entrepreneurs, also if you are going to start buying grain from them, they might be more amenable to selling or even giving you one quail! My other suggestion would be a poultry exhibition or local poultry fair, also for the pigeon but I would not buy them there, I would take a catalogue/co-ordinates and contact the people directly and visit. If the will not let you visit then that would be a good enough indication not to buy! The other avenue, we have here and I guess you would have similar is 'Noah's Ark' this is the French animal/bird rescue society and they have all kinds of creatures for rehoming. Other than that start from scratch with some organic fertile quail eggs when one of your hens is broody, you'll need a bantam for this and a frizzle would be optimum. Anyway hope this is of use and all the very best, Sue

@ameliasmenagerie3350

7 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl I really do try and give them fermented and sprouted grain as often as possible, but I am fourteen, and feeding them organic food while they are not laying is not an option financially for me. I am also not comfortable making them lay through the winter with lighting, so they sadly have to eat non organic food in the winter, but they get organic scraps year round, which makes up for about 30% of the ducks' diet, and 50% of the chickens' diet. The quail has been getting radish sprouts lately, and I am trying to ferment her food. I really do try and give them the best diet I can afford, but the truth is, I can't spend over $60 a month on food that does not go towards eggs. I can, however, spend $25 a month on food. I would love to get a grain mix from a local farmer, but that would just end up being more expensive. I am probably just going to get another quail from the farmer I got this quail from, and just ask him to treat his birds better. All the organic farmers around here just do not want me to interfere with their business, which is sad that they think I am competition for buying one quail. I may look at a rescue place, but I do not know of any that have quail. I will try and just adjust her diet and get her some sort of friend and maybe that will help her warm up to me. Thanks so much for all this advice! God Bless, -Amelia

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Amelia's Menagerie Hi Amelia, Yes I think it very much depends on country. Here in France non-organic grain mixes are much dearer than certified organic grain bought directly from the farmer and I know that my neighbour spends around the same price for the non-organic wheat he buys from a farmer as I do for certified organic triticale. Also I am lucky to have found farmers who keep their grain prices stable. A lot of organic farmers here grow their own grain, some even grow it as a 'biomasse' or Winter soil cover crop, so I think this keeps prices down too. I think if you can get some invertebrate protein such as compost worms, earth worms, sow bugs or earwigs into your quail's diet that will do the trick. Other than that half a boiled hen's egg now and again will also provide her with the vitamin B12 and amino acids she needs to calm her down. I checked out your youtube channel and blog and subbed to both. You have some lovely animals/birds and I look forward to reading and seeing more of them! Thanks for your kind wishes and all the very best from Normandie, Sue

What is food you feeding them the quails

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Hi there, sprouted organic triticale, which if you don't know of it, is an ancient rye/wheat cross and is high in protein, grated root vegetable - (beetroot and carrot), lettuce, a boiled hen's egg from our chickens. As soon as possible though, I like to get them on wild invertebrates from our compost heaps and I'm also raising meal worms organically. In fact, all the food both we and our quails eat is certified organic or grown by us organically. I'm lucky in having friends who have an organic shop and we get all the damaged fruit and vegetables, otherwise I would have to grow everything. The organic triticale I buy directly from the farm - it works out much cheaper. I have made a film of what I feed my poultry (including the quail) it's a week's 'food diary'. Here's the link: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qY5tl8-Ff8bOl6Q.html Sorry for the late reply, I have gone into more food production this year - so am spending all of my time in the garden. There is however a new quail film coming shortly - free-ranging quail - as it has gone very stormy here so I am in the house for once! All the very best from France, Sue

my quail might have went broody too

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

That is wonderful news, hope she hatches some quail chicks. Let me know how things work out. All the very best, Sue

What type of quail is Caramel?

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Coturnix Japonica or Japanese Quail and the colour is known as Italian Gold. Mostly the Coturnix Japonica quail are divided into sub species according to where the colours were first bred, i.e. English White or Texas A&M or because of specific patterns, such as Tuxedo or Snowflake but they are all basically the same Coturnix Japonica quail. All the very best, Sue

My pair of bobwhites are trying to make a nest and sat on it for 2 hours. Does that mean I can put some chicks in an she’ll adopt them? (That was a week ago, she probably won’t adopt them because she stopped sitting)

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

You won't know until you try, so have a back-up plan ready in place. All birds, in my experience are individuals, they conform to no set pattern. Every one of my quail mothers, hens included, has been different and I've just learned what birds can and will do from their behaviours. I have to admit that I find the way a bird will size up a situation and decide what to do about it, is amazing. I have had birds adopt chicks, just in the garden because they have seen them trailing behind their biological mother in a big hatch and getting cold! Try it and really good luck, Sue

@adamstv4025

6 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl - Organic Forest Garden Poultry ok. Thank you! She’s was trying to sit, but now she’s not. Will she still try to adopt them? She’s a nice hen, the male is also nice.

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Hi Adam, Unfortunately you are not going to know until you try, the fact that she and her partner are nice birds counts for quite a lot, I find, so that is a big plus! Are they young birds because I've found that if they are just paired and just become adult, they do tend to practice nesting and sitting before they go for a nest in earnest, wild birds do this too. They may just be looking for the right site. What you could do is get some false small eggs, we make ours from pallet wood and Andy turns them on the lathe! Then you will have an idea of intent before you commit yourself to getting chicks. However, some quail are not fooled by false eggs, so if you want to go for it, just make sure you have a backup plan in case they will not accept them, a broody hen maybe? All the very best and really good luck from Normandie, Sue

@adamstv4025

6 жыл бұрын

Pavlovafowl - Organic Forest Garden Poultry ok. Thank you!

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome and do let me know how it works out. All the very best Sue

What kind of quail is she

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Coturnix japonica and the colour is Golden Manchurian. I've written about them here: holistic-hen.blogspot.fr/2018/01/colours-of-coturnix-japonica-quail-part.html#.WwwMIRqYOkB All the very best from Normandie, Sue

Nice videos. But I don't understand one thing I see in some videos. Why the chickens should hatch and raise quails? Why doesn't their own mother quail raise them?

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Sandox, in captivity coturnix quail do not often go broody, basically this has been bred out of them because in most countries they are raised in cages and bred purely for maximum egg laying potential. I raised my first lot of quail in 2000 with a hen and had several generations but none of the female quail ever went broody. Then I had a huge predator problem and lost a lot of my quail. Finally 5 years ago I started again in earnest and I made large predator proof greenhouse spaces and did as much free ranging as possible. I also raised a great deal of invertebrate protein, so my quail were on a natural as possible diet. After only a year of this set up my quail began to make nests and pair off but it wasn't until last year that they actually began to form monogamous pairs and the hen quail went broody and raised her own chicks. The same thing happened again this year. So now I have a hen always as back up as I did in this situation, just in case but as far as possible I would want the quail to raise her own chicks. Yours is a very good question and I hope I have answered it completely enough. I have written a blog all about how I believe I finally got it right, it is here: holistic-hen.blogspot.fr/2016/07/tips-and-strategies-for-hatching-and.html#.WF_wdGdVK1F All the very best, Sue

@sanazhm

7 жыл бұрын

Thank you Sue for your thorough explanation and for the info.

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

You are most welcome and all the very best for 2017, Sue

just happen to find you after watching 'about albert'..... night i suggest while editing; slow down the video timeline when you insert text for reading... the duration is rushed then i have to pause & go back to read it.... just a suggestion... aloha

our quail not hatching egg in pakistan but why plz inform me

@Pavlovafowl

5 жыл бұрын

Hi there, I have a written article on tips for getting quail to nest and bond - it is here: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.XD3ztq9G2kB Hope this helps and do get back to me if you have more questions. All the very best from France, Sue

I want quials...

@Pavlovafowl

4 жыл бұрын

Then you should get some -! They so need good people to look after them! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

My quail do not sit on the egg nor chicken what must I do?

@Pavlovafowl

6 жыл бұрын

Hi there, the key to getting quail to sit, in my experience, is to provide the optimum wild diet and environment. I've written in detail about how to do this on my site The Holistic Hen - here is the link: holistic-hen.blogspot.fr/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.WbOL2RdLekB If your chickens aren't going broody either, then it may be down to the breed. If you have modern hybrid chickens then be aware that the broodiness has been systematically bred/engineered out of them. You may need to purchase a heritage breed, in particular a bantam Silkie, Frizzled Cochin, Ardenner, Serama or any of the lighter-weight bantam crosses (Sebright crosses are very good) just to have a broody hen for you quail. Hope this helps and all the very best, Pavlovafowl aka Sue

barkasmarfa

@Pavlovafowl

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for dropping by. All the very best from Normandie, Sue