Baby Quail Passed Away - was it from Exposure?

[DarkDoctrines]

Dearest backyard chicken community,

A tragic event took place at our urban farm this morning. Would it be possible for you to help me find the reason?

So about two weeks ago I hatched 7 quail. As I kept the incubator on just in case, a really long time after the last
chick, about 5 days, there as another baby that hatched. The latest baby seemed to be in very good shape, although
it was younger, it was eating, drinking and walking around just like all the other chicks.

Now, here is the middle of the summer and I decided to take the brooder out last night to our mud room, as opposed
to keeping them inside the house last night. I have a heat lamp on top of the brooder that was on all night.

Long story short, when I woke up this morning the new quail was very week and could not walk. I took it out immediately
and tried to warm it up, but all efforts were in vain and in passed away about 2 hours later.

My question for you is, can we be sure it was from the cold? Again, I had a heat lamp on all night, and also before it
moved to the Eternal Hunting Grouds, the poor guy was convulsing very heavily and at some points jumping and trying to
fly, only to drop down and continue fighting for its life shortly after.

In other words, was it only the cold in your opinion or there was something wrong with the guy in the first place? Are these
typical symptoms of hypothermia?

 

[azygous]

Symptoms of hypothermia are weakness, drunken gait, wobbly balance, and lethargy. The symptoms you describe point to a congenital brain disorder or toxic poisoning. If you can rule out exposure to insecticide or moldy feed, I would guess genetic causes.

 

[sourland]

Late hatchers frequently have congenital problems. Perhaps this coupled with chilling caused this birds death. I'd file it under the 'Stuff Happens' category. No fault on your part in my opinion.

 

[FloorCandy]

Was this new chick in with the bigger chicks? They may have injured it, stepped on it, prevented it from eating etc. Also if it was cold, the little one would be colder than the rest and would try to get under them, they could have crushed it under them, holding it there, preventing it from eating and drinking. Quail have very fast metabolisms and the chicks need to eat and drink often.

 

[DarkDoctrines]

Thanks for the good answers guys. Once we are at it, I have another injured quail.... This one is quite a bit older, though. One night a feral cat somehow managed to get its paws on my quail one night. One of them was straight up eaten (RIP quail, her name was Ugly) but another was, well... injured.

The poor thing had no injuries, no blood or bite marks, but could not walk anymore. We have been taking care of her for about a month and a half now. Her legs are quite strong, she can jump and flop around, but she she can't use her feet and can't balance.

What do you think are the chances she will learn to walk again? What do you think should I do with her?

 

[azygous]

Probably she suffered an injury to her cervical column, nerves were damaged and she probably won't be able to walk again. However, if it hasn't been very long since the attack, the never connections could heal with the help of vitamin B-complex. It can't hurt.