New to Quail

[Marigold]

I've seen people here in England out with ferrets wearing a chest harness and a dog lead. Is that an option with a skunk?
What does he eat, apart from prospective quail eggs?
Edit; it was the ferrets wearing the chest harness etc.......

 

[Katlin]

Yes, many people use harnesses with their skunks. Archie has what's called a lizard leash. It is a simple small rope type harness. The loop goes over his head and one end goes under and around his chest and hooks back on the top. I've tried regular dog harnesses and he wont tolerate the time and manipulation it take to get it one and secured. In the spring and the fall, I take him to walk at a park here. They have a visitor center and LOVE him coming to visit.

Skunks are omnivores. I order a pelleted exotic animal feed for him. I soften it and add vegetables, raw chicken, freeze dried meal worms and a regular gummy multi vitamin. I make his food in batches and freeze it. I also add yogurt or cottage cheese, or shredded cheese, it just depends on how I feel at the time I try to vary it. He loves fruit but doesn't get a lot of it as he doesn't need the extra carbs. Blueberries and watermelon are his favorites. He also loves crickets and grasshoppers.

 

[Katlin]

It is 4 days until my eggs should hatch! I stopped turning today and raised the humidity a bit. What are the chances that I saw one of these eggs move today on it's own?

 

[Marigold]

Are you now on Day 12 then? Day 16 or 17 would be the expected hatch date so if so, it would be best to wait a couple more days before stopping the turning and getting the humidity too high. But if the temperature in the incubator has been a bit high, they may hatch a bit earlier. Day 12 is too early to see real twitching I would think.

 

[Katlin]

Today, Friday, is day 15. I set them on Feb 20th and counted that as day 1.

 

[Marigold]

The first 24 hours counts as Day 0 and Day 1 means they've been incubating for 24 hours. Like when a baby becomes 1 year old after his first 12 months is completed. So,that makes them Day 14 today. They should be still being turned for another 24-48 hours I think.

 

[Katlin]

I'm turning, thank you!

 

[Katlin]

My eggs are hatching!!!!!!! I peeked at them at 8:30 this morning and nothing. at 12:15pm, there were 4 completely hatched! I can see pips and movement in several others!

 

[Marigold]

How exciting! Have fun watching them! The peeping will encourage the others to hatch, they respond from within their shells. Leave them in the incubator for at least 12 hours after you think the last one has hatched, to dry off properly. They are nourished by the yolk sac for 24+ hours after hatching and don't need food straight away. Get the brooder well warmed up overnight, bedding as well, to the same temperature as the incubator so they don't experience a chill when they go in there tomorrow. Watch to see that they all have a drink, this is very important.

 

[Katlin]

I have 10 chicks so far! I have the brooder warmed up and am monitoring the temperature. It is a clear plastic tub and my sweet skunk, Flowers, is laying right next to it enjoying the heat! To her it's like laying in front of a fire! My cat is very interested in the peeping coming from the incubator. I have pebbles in their water so they don't drown. I don't work until 2:30 pm tomorrow so I will lots of time to spend with them!!

 

[Marigold]

Be very careful when you take the top off the incubator to try to transfer them, as they are incredibly mobile and strong and will have a tendency to explode everywhere. All cats and skunks out of the room first, I think.

 

[Katlin]

Oh yes, I closed the room off last night. I've transferred them into the brooder with no problems and several of them are interested in the food and water. Now they are sleeping.

 

[Marigold]

Well done, how interesting. How many hatched in the end, and how many did you actually incubate? Are yours all the same colour at the moment!
I love the way they just flop down flat, legs splayed out, and are suddenly asleep, apparently dead, and then they leap up and run around just as instantly.

 

[Katlin]

I had 10 hatch yesterday. 1 died today. Today is the actual hatch date, so I am leaving the other 14 (24 total incubated) in the incubator for another day or 2 to see if I get anymore to hatch. I'm disappointed that only 10 of the 24 have hatched. I was hoping for at least 50%.

 

[Katlin]

4 more have hatched tonight!

 

[Katlin]

I had a total of 14 hatch. 1 died shortly after going into the brooder. I've had 3 that just never seem to get their legs underneath them, I have lost 2 of those and looks like I am going to lose the 3rd. Why does this happen and what can I do about it? My hatch is slowly dwindling.....

 

[Marigold]

Did they have a grippy surface under their feet in the incubator when they hatched? If left on smooth plastic in the first hours, chicks sometimes develop splayed legs whilst they're drying out and this can be permanent.
Is there any sign of blood in their poo, which might indicate coccidiosis? Try to keep everything as dry and clean as possible as the cocci oocysts multiply rapidly in warm damp conditions.
Are the rest of them lively, eating and pooing well? Not much else you can do to help tiny chicks, I'm afraid, but the fittest will survive.

 

[Katlin]

Thanks. I lost 2 more. Both never got their legs under them. They had wire in the incubator and pine bedding in the brooder. I've been changing their bedding daily. It makes me sad.

 

[rick]

Sorry to hear Katlin. At least those that made it over the first hurdle should be strong so onwards and upwards!

 

[Katlin]

I bought an egg turner for my incubator and am going to get 48 more eggs. With the way things are going, I ought to have enough birds for eggs in about 2017. 19