Help/ advice please - Dying valley and gambel quail week old chicks

[Anlynch11]

Hi- i recently incubated and hatched around 19 valley and gambel chicks a week ago. First 5-6 days they are all doing well (growing and running around). Last 3 days I have lost 8 and I have found them grow lethargic within a few hours then pass. they are in a brooder with a red lamp, consistent temps, clean water and on 30% gamebird starter crumble. Any thoughts on the cause? Today I have added electrolyte to their waterer to prevent future deaths. Thx in advance.

 

[Nabiki]

What is the temperature in your brooder? Does it have a warm end and a cool end?

 

[Anlynch11]

Yes it does.

 

[MrJudeRaw]

Yes it does.

does it have any form of ventilation on the bottom of the brooder? it looks like a tote and one thing to be wary of with totes and animals is concentration of CO2 which does not rise with the air but settles on the ground. Im pretty inexperienced with birds but not brooders in general so that is something that stands out a bit to me. I used a very small drill and put about 8 offset holes at about leg level. Offset and very small to help prevent drafts and leg level so co2 cant concentrate very much if it does. even exhaling over an improperly ventilated brooder can kill pretty much anything. ive seen entire clutches of extremely rare snakes decimated this way.

 

[007Sean]

Hi- i recently incubated and hatched around 19 valley and gambel chicks a week ago. First 5-6 days they are all doing well (growing and running around). Last 3 days I have lost 8 and I have found them grow lethargic within a few hours then pass. they are in a brooder with a red lamp, consistent temps, clean water and on 30% gamebird starter crumble. Any thoughts on the cause? Today I have added electrolyte to their waterer to prevent future deaths. Thx in advance. View attachment 3590273

Judging by the pic, I'd say it's heat exhaustion!

 

[Anlynch11]

does it have any form of ventilation on the bottom of the brooder? it looks like a tote and one thing to be wary of with totes and animals is concentration of CO2 which does not rise with the air but settles on the ground. Im pretty inexperienced with birds but not brooders in general so that is something that stands out a bit to me. I used a very small drill and put about 8 offset holes at about leg level. Offset and very small to help prevent drafts and leg level so co2 cant concentrate very much if it does. even exhaling over an improperly ventilated brooder can kill pretty much anything. ive seen entire clutches of extremely rare snakes decimated this way.

Thanks for the feedback.