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New at this! Help with feather issue

post #1 of 11
8/7/12 at 9:47pm
Thread Starter 

Hello,

We are just starting to raise quail and have nine 5 day old chicks. 7 are A&M, 1 is a Jumbo Brown and one is a Golden.  Several of the A&Ms are looking "bald" on their wings and part of their back and neck.  Is this normal? Not sure whether they are losing down or if they are sickly. Pecking is minimal as far as I've noticed.  Feather shafts are exposed on their wings and on their backs where the feathers are missing the skin is red.

Any info is much appreciated!

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post #2 of 11
8/7/12 at 10:21pm

I think you are seeing their new feathers growing in.  On the 3rd-4th day the pin feathers start to grow and at first you can only see the shaft.   Can you post a picture?

Living in Las Vegas, NV with my two grown sons, 4 chihuahuas, a desert tortoise, 13 Coturnix and 10 Chinese Blue-Breasted (Button) Quail

Blogging Quail - My little blog of pictures of my quail

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Living in Las Vegas, NV with my two grown sons, 4 chihuahuas, a desert tortoise, 13 Coturnix and 10 Chinese Blue-Breasted (Button) Quail

Blogging Quail - My little blog of pictures of my quail

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post #3 of 11
8/8/12 at 9:52am
Thread Starter 

Here is a picture of one of them. I hope you are right! :)700

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post #4 of 11
8/8/12 at 12:03pm

It looks like they may be missing some down feathers in that area. Pretty bald looking. I have never raised A&M's before, only Bobwhites. But I do know that sometimes if the incubator temps were too high, execessive ventilation in incubator or even leaving them in the incubator after hatch too long before taking them out, they can have short, or a lack of down feathers.

 

They should eventually grow normal feathering, but may go thru this bald stage for a while.

Of all the things I have ever lost, I miss my mind the most. 

Keep one eye on the past, one eye on the future and both eyes on the present. ~ a Raven ~

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Of all the things I have ever lost, I miss my mind the most. 

Keep one eye on the past, one eye on the future and both eyes on the present. ~ a Raven ~

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post #5 of 11
8/8/12 at 1:50pm

I just recently had a big hatching of 20 white quails.  They looked exactly like yours when they started to get feathers.  Often I would look at them and be startled, thinking that several were injured.  Nothing was ever wrong.  It's just that their skin is so translucent, areas where there is a lot of blood flow -- like under the wing -- look deep red!  And the spindly little feather shafts cover nothing.  LOL!   

Living in Las Vegas, NV with my two grown sons, 4 chihuahuas, a desert tortoise, 13 Coturnix and 10 Chinese Blue-Breasted (Button) Quail

Blogging Quail - My little blog of pictures of my quail

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Living in Las Vegas, NV with my two grown sons, 4 chihuahuas, a desert tortoise, 13 Coturnix and 10 Chinese Blue-Breasted (Button) Quail

Blogging Quail - My little blog of pictures of my quail

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post #6 of 11
8/8/12 at 3:38pm
Thread Starter 

Phew! Sounds like all is well, then. They really don't seem bothered or sickly or anything.  They just look so homely compared to a day or two ago! :) poor li'l ones! Thanks for the feedback!

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post #7 of 11
8/8/12 at 8:41pm

I agree, mine looked the same way. They do get mangier, so be prepared, lol! It's amazing to me how fast these little guys feather out.

Mom to one rambunctious 4-year-old, and the one who brings the food to my "blended family" of several coturnix and a silkie hen. (Flock? Covey? Flovey?) Proud chicken momma of 2 easter eggers, 2 speckled sussex, and 2 silver cuckoo marans, and beginning the adventure of hatching coturnix eggs.
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Mom to one rambunctious 4-year-old, and the one who brings the food to my "blended family" of several coturnix and a silkie hen. (Flock? Covey? Flovey?) Proud chicken momma of 2 easter eggers, 2 speckled sussex, and 2 silver cuckoo marans, and beginning the adventure of hatching coturnix eggs.
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post #8 of 11
8/9/12 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 

Agreed! From what I hear, they seem to be fast at everything!

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post #9 of 11
8/9/12 at 7:35pm
It is normal. Here is mine at 9 days old. They are really getting there feathers now. They are sure growing like a weed.

aa017647.jpg
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post #10 of 11
8/9/12 at 9:25pm
Thread Starter 

Wow! Amazing how the coloring changes! Thanks for posting! I like your set up, btw!

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