Aussie Finch Forum

G'day everyone
I had been on holidays for a week and came home to find The Ringneck doves sitting on the Quails eggs
The hen quail was originally sitting on them before I left.
I do not breed doves anymore because of them being so hard to sell, but they still lay eggs and attempt to incubate their eggs before i remove them.
The doves laid the eggs on top of the quail eggs and are incubating the whole lot, and because i do not want any doves, I removed one and the other one, I blew the yolk out of it and sat it back under the doves and they are still sitting
Will the Quails eggs hatch? I don't know
Once they hatch I am going to put them in a plastic tub until they start growing their feathers out
Thanks
Noah Till

Might as well just take all the dove eggs away and let them continue with the quail eggs and see what happens. Don't think the parent quail would accept them as their own and raise them if they do not hatch them. A wooden carry cage laid on its back so the babies dont try to get out the wire could be better than a plastic tub? With a globe on to keep them warm at night naturally.
LML

I thought I better be safe than sorry with just leaving a dove eggs with all the yolk and white removed.
I will put them in a plastic tub with some sugar cane mulch on the bottom, and thankfully because of all the hot weather, it is nice and cosy in the house for them
Thanks
Noah Till

A blown dove egg will be fragile and likely to break. This is more likely to put them off than encourage them. Just my thoughts on the matter.
LML

If the doves are that broody, they might well look after the quails when they hatch. And the quail's mother might take them too, however it's odd that she would let another bird take over her nest to begin with. What sort of quails are they?

Rod_L wrote: ↑10 Oct 2019, 14:01 If the doves are that broody, they might well look after the quails when they hatch. And the quail's mother might take them too, however it's odd that she would let another bird take over her nest to begin with. What sort of quails are they?

They are king quail eggs, I am going to keep the chicks in a heated plastic tub once they hatch

finchbreeder wrote: ↑10 Oct 2019, 10:08 A blown dove egg will be fragile and likely to break. This is more likely to put them off than encourage them. Just my thoughts on the matter.
LML

The doves egg is quite strong actually, if anything happens to it I could always wack a bit of sticky tape around it, I just keep the dove egg in there just in case if i remove it and because of the quails eggs colour, they might just think they are just some more of the rocks in the aviary already
Thanks
Noah Till

Well, its proven, doves can incubate quail eggs
I came home yesterday afternoon and found 3 have hatched, and hopefully a couple more on the way
I took out the male quail as unfortunately it got to one of the chicks before I did and it passed on this morning, but the dove is still sitting tight on the chicks and hopefully the hen quail will take them back
Fingers Crossed
Thanks
Noah Till

Well good luck with them. You need a gentler strain of quail, I never have to remove my cockbirds.
LML

finchbreeder wrote: ↑22 Oct 2019, 10:51 Well good luck with them. You need a gentler strain of quail, I never have to remove my cockbirds.
LML

I never used to have to either
I used to keep a Bearded Dragon in with my quails and they lived happily together, but unfortunately he died (RIP Billy ) and the male quail has suddenly turned this way since his passing
Thanks
Noah Till