Chickens don’t SPEAK quail. Quail don’t understand chicken. That’s what I have discovered to the cost of several day old quail chicks. (I found an excellent explanatory video on YouTube. Should have watched this first.)

The sitting hen is a first time sitter. Instead of hen chicks she hatched quails. She doesn’t know how to teach them to feed and so they died. Three are left – one looks robust and two are poorly. In a desperate attempt to save these tiny critters I have prepared a large cupboard box with air holes, lined with paper, stocked with chick crumbs and a water drinker and a loose fitting lid. This is now in the quail house with one female quail inside with the three chicks.

I will check on them very hour but at the moment, despite the piteous cheeps, the adult quail shows no sign of mothering and probably will peck them. Sorry little hatchlings.