Baby Button Quail Shivering

[RainForestBird]

I have 11 button quail that hatched today and they are shivering under a 120 watt brooder lamp that is approximately 15 inches from them. I moved their brooder up closer to the lamp, but they are still shivering. It is a cold night, but I've got 4 brooder lamps in the room where the quail are and a ceiling fan to circulate the warm air downward. They don't seem to be interested in the food or water and I have gently dipped their beaks into the water - they are so fragile I was worried about hurting them. I believe that I must have killed one of them in the brooder just by nudging it with my little finger to see if it was alive. I know that too much heat is not good and I have previously hatched quail that were too hot and keeling over. So I am careful not to do that, but this shivering is scary. What could be wrong? I have a back up 75 watt lamp which is stationed about 20 inches above the brooder along with the 120 watt light. They are in a room with coturnix babies (separate brooder) that also hatched today that aren't looking that chipper either, but they aren't shivering. They are also under a 120 watt brooder light with a back up light. The brooder lamp is red by the way. They are on a hospital chux (basically a flat diaper) as their bedding. I have a quail waterer with shiny stones and a small plastic container filled with finely ground game starter, mixed with super kibbles for chicks (ground).

 

[Binki]

I know that drafts are horrible for chicks, might want to turn your fan off and see if that helps?

I know for Coturnix chicks they need 100 degrees under the heat lamp (food and water close) with cooler areas to move to if they want. Can you check the temp under the lamp where the chicks would sit with a reliable thermometer to see if it's at least 100 degrees? I'm not sure if button quail have different requirements :/

 

[RainForestBird]

The ceiling fan is so far from where the chicks are there is no air movement. It is specifically made to move the hot air that accumulates in the loft area of the building down to the floor-it is essentially part of the heating system. The ceiling fan is set at the winter setting. Also, the windows are all shut and the building is very well insulated (built 2 years ago). The thermostat reads 75 degrees, which is warm for a building with high ceilings in fall. The thermometer in the brooder reads 99 degrees F and the humidity is 35%. I put styrofoam panels covered with aluminum all around the brooder to insulate it and retain the heat. I'm thinking that maybe they have some kind of bird disease that causes them to have chills. I don't want to put anything (besides apple cider vinegar) in their water like poultry drench because I know this can cause diarrhea (experienced this). Is there any kind of medication I can give them that will fix the problem? I've been checking on them frequently (my dogs feel neglected). I'm worried that if I fall asleep I will awake to dead chicks!

 

[Binki]

I don't have any experience with diseases with shivering, thermometers (even the ones that come with LG incubators) are known to be a few degrees off... Could it be possible that your thermometer is reading a few degrees warmer making the brooder closer to 95 degrees? Just a guess... Couldn't hurt to try increasing the heat a few degrees as long as they have a cooler spot if they wanted? Just hoping it's a simple case of the chills for your little guys

 

[eHuman]

If they are huddled tightly directly under the light then they are cold. If there are none directly under it but all stay around the perimeter they are too hot. If they are evenly spread across under and outside the lamp then the temperature is right for them.

 

[RainForestBird]

They are doing much better today, and zipping all around the brooder. There was a late hatcher that didn't make it. He hatched 2 days after all the others and looked listless in the incubator. But all the others are fine. They are still on the game bird starter and super kibbles for chicks (ground finely). I put apple cider vinegar on their water. I am a bit worried about the brooder light being so close to the chicks but they seem just right temperature wise. I can't wait till I can move it back. They seem to need more heat that the larger quail.