Baby quail brooder setup

[Jener8or]

Carbon? What's that and where do we get it?
Sadly I don't have enough material to build a 2nd brooder and it'll take time to get it too so I'm stuck with what I got, I'll keep changing the bedding often then until their new playground is ready thank you! Everything is going well they're doing great after i switched from hay to pine shavings, they're eating a bit of the shavings when their their food run out so I'm trying to keep the feeders full

Carbon is just the pine shavings or other substrate to balance out the poop (nitrogen). I'm glad they are all doing well!

 

[Ray987]

Carbon is just the pine shavings or other substrate to balance out the poop (nitrogen). I'm glad they are all doing well!

Hello!

I've been regularly changing bedding and everything seems find the quails are weighting 70 to 100 grams (got jumbos and Texas A&M in there) one issue is during the day i see some of them panting i assume it's due to overcrowding? (They pant even when it's 28-30c) Not all of them just a few

 

[Ray987]

I wanna thank everyone especially @Jener8or for helping me with my first batch of quails, they're thriving! They're currently 25~ days old and weighting around 130g (some of them 160-180g) and I only had one die ever since I started using pine shavings (he goy sick from the Wheat hay and didn't make it)

But now I hope you can help me further with some of the questions I got:

1- When can I start hatching their eggs after they start laying? Can i hatch the very first eggs or should I wait a while?

2- How can I save on pine shavings? They're needing a lot of it and it's quite expensive, I'm good brooding lil chicks on shavings but now that they're big is there an alternative? Can I put them on solid concrete? Or is wire the only option?

3- Do I need to vaccinate? I plan on keeping them in the room/coop I built for them (maybe in the future i could build a run for them tonfree range not sure if quail do free ranging)

4- I'm feeding them 22% protein chick starter and we have 19% protein second stage feed, do I switch to 19% or keep feeding them 22% their whole life?

 

[Jener8or]

I wanna thank everyone especially @Jener8or for helping me with my first batch of quails, they're thriving! They're currently 25~ days old and weighting around 130g (some of them 160-180g) and I only had one die ever since I started using pine shavings (he goy sick from the Wheat hay and didn't make it)

That's great! I'm sorry you lost one to the wheat hay, even though I said it might be worth trying. I'm so glad they are doing well!

But now I hope you can help me further with some of the questions I got:

1- When can I start hatching their eggs after they start laying? Can i hatch the very first eggs or should I wait a while?

I usually wait a couple weeks just to let them work the kinks out of laying and for fertility's sake (but it doesn't hurt to try to hatch them.)

2- How can I save on pine shavings? They're needing a lot of it and it's quite expensive, I'm good brooding lil chicks on shavings but now that they're big is there an alternative? Can I put them on solid concrete? Or is wire the only option?

Are you able to keep them outdoors? I have a group in a tractor and I just move them around, or you could build them an aviary-type enclosure.

You just want a structure with a ceiling no more than a foot or so high or taller than 6' because they can flush when they get scared and hit the ceiling and hurt or terminate themselves.

I also keep some on wire, and will put the a-frame tractor on wire as well during winter. I use the 1/2" green vinyl-coated hardware cloth on the floor, and regular hardware cloth on the sides.

Solid concrete might be okay if you put some other substrate on top. Instead of pine shavings, can you get pine bark or wood chips?

3- Do I need to vaccinate? I plan on keeping them in the room/coop I built for them (maybe in the future i could build a run for them tonfree range not sure if quail do free ranging)

I don't vaccinate my quail. It could be a regional-specific thing, where you may want to, but mine seem to do fine without any.

They will run away if you "free-range" them. You definitely need them in an enclosure of some kind, like I mentioned above.

Some of them can fly pretty well, especially the smaller ones, so you would want a really tall fence (probably taller than 8' or so, but even that might not be tall enough) and/or an aviary-type ceiling.

4- I'm feeding them 22% protein chick starter and we have 19% protein second stage feed, do I switch to 19% or keep feeding them 22% their whole life?

I think 19% will be fine once they are close to laying age like 7 or 8 weeks old. You can still supply them with grit (sorry I forgot you can't get any, but some from the environment would be fine), and if it's not layer feed, some oyster shell during laying season.

 

[Ray987]

That's great! I'm sorry you lost one to the wheat hay, even though I said it might be worth trying. I'm so glad they are doing well!



I usually wait a couple weeks just to let them work the kinks out of laying and for fertility's sake (but it doesn't hurt to try to hatch them.)



Are you able to keep them outdoors? I have a group in a tractor and I just move them around, or you could build them an aviary-type enclosure.

You just want a structure with a ceiling no more than a foot or so high or taller than 6' because they can flush when they get scared and hit the ceiling and hurt or terminate themselves.

I also keep some on wire, and will put the a-frame tractor on wire as well during winter. I use the 1/2" green vinyl-coated hardware cloth on the floor, and regular hardware cloth on the sides.

Solid concrete might be okay if you put some other substrate on top. Instead of pine shavings, can you get pine bark or wood chips?



I don't vaccinate my quail. It could be a regional-specific thing, where you may want to, but mine seem to do fine without any.

They will run away if you "free-range" them. You definitely need them in an enclosure of some kind, like I mentioned above.

Some of them can fly pretty well, especially the smaller ones, so you would want a really tall fence (probably taller than 8' or so, but even that might not be tall enough) and/or an aviary-type ceiling.



I think 19% will be fine once they are close to laying age like 7 or 8 weeks old. You can still supply them with grit (sorry I forgot you can't get any, but some from the environment would be fine), and if it's not layer feed, some oyster shell during laying season.

Thank you for all the helpful information once again!

I got a 300 square foot room built for them it's almost ready just working on windows and doors, my plan was to get pens and raise quails on wire after brooding them for 2-4 weeks but sadly the room cost a bit more than I expected and I can't afford to buy pens currently so I plan to raise them on ground for the time being, I'm doing this as a business btw I plan to sell meat and eggs so I was wondering if you got any more tips regarding that matter?

Couple of questions also:

1- I plan to brood little quails in 2 corners of the room while I keep the adults on the other side (divide the room using wire) is it ok if the adults are exposed to light 24/7 (the light from the bulbs set to give hear for the little quails)?

2- Would the males peck/kill each others once I sex them and set them aside away from the females?

 

[Jener8or]

Thank you for all the helpful information once again!

I got a 300 square foot room built for them it's almost ready just working on windows and doors, my plan was to get pens and raise quails on wire after brooding them for 2-4 weeks but sadly the room cost a bit more than I expected and I can't afford to buy pens currently so I plan to raise them on ground for the time being, I'm doing this as a business btw I plan to sell meat and eggs so I was wondering if you got any more tips regarding that matter?

I'm not sure if you can find some affordable or free used lumber at some point, but I made pens by ripping 2x4s and making cages out of 1x1s and they work great. They stack on top of eachother and fit the big oil drip pans so if you want to keep them inside, you can just line the tray with newspaper and makes cleaning them really easy.

I like having multiple pens for different breeding groups or grow-outs, etc.

I don't know if you can make an online presence for yourself using social media or whatever online marketing platform you have, but that's what I would recommend. If you can put up signs where you are selling them, I think that would be helpful, too (people can't buy something they don't know about.)

There probably isn't a big market there for balut? But I have heard people in places having success with that! (I have never tried it, though.)

Word of mouth is a strong tool, so be sure to tell people you sell to to tell their friends!

Couple of questions also:

1- I plan to brood little quails in 2 corners of the room while I keep the adults on the other side (divide the room using wire) is it ok if the adults are exposed to light 24/7 (the light from the bulbs set to give hear for the little quails)?

They might get a little more rowdy and it might not be ideal. If you can use the red bulbs it might be better than the white ones.

Can you get something like the ceramic bulbs that emit heat but not light? Like they use for reptiles? They are called ceramic heat emitters.

2- Would the males peck/kill each others once I sex them and set them aside away from the females?

Usually once the females are removed, the boys do really well together. If you are adding a single quail, sometimes they get a little pecky, but they usually re-establish the hierarchy and it's not a big deal. If you can add more than one at a time, it's best so no one gets singled out.

 

[Ray987]

I'm not sure if you can find some affordable or free used lumber at some point, but I made pens by ripping 2x4s and making cages out of 1x1s and they work great. They stack on top of eachother and fit the big oil drip pans so if you want to keep them inside, you can just line the tray with newspaper and makes cleaning them really easy.

I like having multiple pens for different breeding groups or grow-outs, etc.

I don't know if you can make an online presence for yourself using social media or whatever online marketing platform you have, but that's what I would recommend. If you can put up signs where you are selling them, I think that would be helpful, too (people can't buy something they don't know about.)

There probably isn't a big market there for balut? But I have heard people in places having success with that! (I have never tried it, though.)

Word of mouth is a strong tool, so be sure to tell people you sell to to tell their friends!


They might get a little more rowdy and it might not be ideal. If you can use the red bulbs it might be better than the white ones.

Can you get something like the ceramic bulbs that emit heat but not light? Like they use for reptiles? They are called ceramic heat emitters.


Usually once the females are removed, the boys do really well together. If you are adding a single quail, sometimes they get a little pecky, but they usually re-establish the hierarchy and it's not a big deal. If you can add more than one at a time, it's best so no one gets singled out.

Thanks that's some helpful information and here I am again with another question



I got a water tank on the roof and winter is at the doorstep, last night when I was refilling the Waterers at 3am ( I do plan on getting bigger waterers so I don't have to go out and refill during night) I noticed that the water is freezing (not literally) and it'll probably get worse when winter is here, I assume I'll need to heat it up a bit for little chicks but what about 4+ weeks old quails would they be ok with cold water?

 

[Ray987]

Hello again!

I've been searching for the Ceramic heat emitters but no luck finding any in my region yet, while Looking i came across these Carbon heating mats and wondering if it's good to use? Place it under the pine shavings? It'll probably get dirty quick and hard to clean just thinking out loud please let me know what you think about these @Jener8or

 

[Jener8or]

I noticed that the water is freezing (not literally) and it'll probably get worse when winter is here, I assume I'll need to heat it up a bit for little chicks but what about 4+ weeks old quails would they be ok with cold water?

I've never bothered with heating up water. I think 4 week old chicks will be fine with outdoor temp water. Not a bad idea to have it a little warmer for the chicks, though.

I've been searching for the Ceramic heat emitters but no luck finding any in my region yet, while Looking i came across these Carbon heating mats and wondering if it's good to use? Place it under the pine shavings? It'll probably get dirty quick and hard to clean just thinking out loud please let me know what you think about these @Jener8or

I wouldn't use those. I would be worried they might burn their feet or something. I would just stick with the heat lamps for now.

I hope everything else is going well and your new quail business venture works out great!

 

[Ray987]

I've never bothered with heating up water. I think 4 week old chicks will be fine with outdoor temp water. Not a bad idea to have it a little warmer for the chicks, though.


I wouldn't use those. I would be worried they might burn their feet or something. I would just stick with the heat lamps for now.

I hope everything else is going well and your new quail business venture works out great!

How about using one of these heaters?

Thing we only get 2-3 hours of electricity here the whole day but we have solar power I can only use 440 watts during the night (2amps) my incubator takes 220watts and I'm left with only 220 watts for heating that's 2 bulbs, 2 bulbs wouldn't be enough to brood 400 chicks would it? I'm looking to add another battery for an additional 220 watts, also considering other heating options like a wood stove or Diesel heater to heat the whole room but that's a bit off budget for the time being

I did find Ceramic emitters (60 watts ones) didn't get any yet they're also pretty expensive compared to red bulbs