Any differences to note in a Quail brooder vs Chicken brooder?

[sahara910]

Hi,
We have Quail eggs in the incubator (12 but looks like only 10 are fertile we will revisit that). I am a homeschooler/ group teacher with high schoolers. Last year we incubated chicken and housed them in an outpak brooder with a Brisnea Heater. This year we have coturnix (we think) quail. We won't have them in the brooder but for 3 weeks (3.5 tops).
So this year I have a huge cardboard box from an office chair I was going to lay on it's side, seal the side and then cut what is now the top. Poke a hole for the Brisnea EcoGlow heater. My original plan was to use pine shavings and then raise them up under the heater to ensure the young chicks could reach the plate but now I am not so sure about shavings... will they eat them? Should I switch to something else? If so what? Carefresh? Pellets?

And is it ok to use marbles in the chick feeder (the kind a mason jar screws into) and use that or do I need to buy the smaller quail waterer attachment?

What about food, last year we used medicated chick starter. These guys should have gamebird food instead I think? Any particular kind? Do I need to chop in in a food processor or anything?

Anything else I need to know? Do they fly (fly... I use that term loosely lol) any earlier than chicken chicks? or do I need to add anything else to the ground? ( I am thinking no because I remember reading about ground oyster shells but at laying age) Just want to be sure we do everything right

Thanks so much
Sarah

 

[birdmanmax]

No don't use pine shaving they may eat them and willl have a hard time getting traction I just use an old towel or rag it works great. Marbles will work in a chick waterer but you will need to make sure there are no spaces where the chicks can fall in or get stuck. Chick starter works fine I prefer non medicated and for the first few days I grind the food up real fine in a little food processor. No they don't fly much or at all and if they can "flutter out" they are old enough to be out of the brooder.

Just remember
-towel or carpet like flooring
-very shallow water dish
-ground food for the first week or so of life
-and just a suggestion but two sources of heat just incase one god out

 

[sahara910]

Thanks, I don't have a bunch of old towels, and I know the chickens we had I would have needed to rotate them pretty frequently. Is there anything else I can use on the ground?

 

[Dani xxx]

Most people say about using paper towels for first few days till they figure out what is food and what is not then add in wood shavings, others have said you can use grit sheets like in budgie cages to help them grip ! X

 

[birdmanmax]

Hmmm anything cloth like old t-shirt, carpet, blanket, or you could use crumble feed for the flooring it makes it easy for them to find food and they get great traction but there is some waste with that method. Anything that will give traction not news papers and shavings can be two big and still small enough to eat.

 

[sahara910]

What about this? http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...ggIONkRhGWpcV7GLZZjIB7Yoao-143K5zIaApvH8P8HAQ Would it be the same problem with them eating it?

Also should I be putting food on the floor vs the feeder with Quail?

Lastly so Manna Pro non-medicated Chick starter is what I want for the Quail ?

 

[Dani xxx]

I used something similar but it sticks to their feet really bad I swapped to wood shaving which work better and I use chopped up straw now which also works really well. chick starter will not be high enough in protein for quail gamefood starter or turkey starter will be better you want 24 % protein or higher as they grow a lot faster then chickens . Yes put food on the floor for first few days which is why people just puts paper towels down to start with then can start to use a feeder with a substrate to help with the poop. They are messy little monsters ! X

 

[sahara910]

Re: Messy little monsters That's what I was thinking... remembering the chickens lol

What if I had large piece pine shavings (so I can mound up under the eco glow so they can reach the heater) and put paper towels on top? How long would I have to have the paper towels? is it days or weeks?

Thanks on the food. I thought I read that they needed higher protein somewhere.