Bob White Quail Chicks Dying - Advice appreciated!

[penguin627]

Hi - this is my first experience raising more than dozen chicks at a time and I'm running into some problems. This is also my first post - so sorry if it's long!

I received 104 day old Bob-white quail chicks on Tuesday (3 days ago) - they all lived through the first night with no problems but now they are slowing dying off a couple per day (so far I've lost 11).

They are housed in my garage in two 30 gallon containers (about 50 chicks in each) with a red heat lamp at one end and the temperature is reading around 95-99 degrees directly under the lamp - when the chicks sleep they form a crescent shape around the "hot area".

They are currently on shavings. Each container has a quart waterer with the base filled with pebbles and an extra large thick paper plate filled with food crumbles. I gave them sugar water the first two days and let them devour the green gel that came with them. I have been grinding up game bird starter crumbles in a food processor to make it smaller (though I only started that this morning after reading some other posts). I also chopped up a cooked egg and added it to their feed (1 day ago). When I observe them they seem to be eating and drinking normally.

I check on them every few hours and give them fresh water and feed several times a day. Only twice did I notice that a chick was sick before it died and I pulled it out and tried to nurse it separately (hand feeding on paper towels etc) both times I was unsuccessful. They always look dead when they are sleeping so I think I may be missing the sick ones.

There are two problems I notice. First there is a fair amount of toe picking going on. I pulled out 7 chicks that had bleeding feet this morning and they are recuperating separately while their toes scab up. Only one of the dead chicks had bleeding feet.

Second - all of the chicks look wet (though they don't seem to be to the touch) - they just don't have that fluffy appearance a chick should have?

Hopefully this is enough information to help me! I realize some chicks will die no matter what - but I want to give them the best chance I can!

Thanks!

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

I have never raised quail so I am answering thinking of chickens, doves and cockatiels

.
The bleeding feet is a mystery to me but I am wondering if your chicks might be too hot. Do they seem to be trying to get away from the heat source when they sleep in the cresent shape? Keep in mind that if they are in a platic tub container (that`s what I use when they are little too) that it does not ventilate the same as a wire framed container. I don`t keep the heat hotter than 90 degrees after they hatch then decrease 5 degrees a week...although with the heat this summer I have hardly had the light on my now 3 week old chicks (chickens not quail) and mainly at night.
Are you using softwood shavings (i.e. pine) rather than cedar as cedar can be toxic....might not hurt to put them on papertowel for a few dayswith the foot thing although it does get so poopy.

Just a few thoughts to consider although it sounds like you are doing all the right things.

I hope the rest remain healthy. Good luck to you.

Oh and

 

[gmendoza]

We have raised and are currently going to be raising coturnix quail. The problem with using shaving is they tend to eat it instead of the food and can kill them because they will no longer go for real food,but eat the shavings.Also if you got a wide mouthed waterer,get a small mouthed one.They do tend to drown in the wide ones.We have experienced both of these things.We have the very small mouthed waterers from tractor supply and we also buy this reusable,washable,rubber mat called "grip rite" from family dollar .A 12' roll is 1.00.you can toss it into the washer when besmirched,then put a fresh one in.We only use a reflector with a 60-75 watt bulb and it gets 85-90 degrees.Plenty of heat.

 

[perolane]

What kind of shavings are you using????

You seem to have everything else right on the money. I'm wondering if your shavings are maybe giving off something toxic.

Your toe picking problem is commonly caused by overcrowding or shavings/bedding....they see something moving in the bedding...looks like a worm, let's peck it! And of course once it bleeds, it's even more of a target. According to the size of your tubs...it seems fine so I don't think crowding is an issue. As gmendoza mentions above...they could be eating it. Drowning is also a perhaps.

We raise our quail from day 1 on paper towels up till they're about 3 weeks old. You'll always have a few die...no matter what you do.

 

[penguin627]

Thanks everyone for your help. I raised the heat lamp and they do seem to be laying closer to the source so maybe they were little warm?

My bag of shavings actually doesn't say what kind of wood it uses. I got it from my local feed mill and I know they use it on their chicks so I figured it would be ok. I went ahead and switched them all over to paper towels last night and sprinkled food everywhere. Sadly I lost 7 more between my original post and my 3am water check - though no more have died since then. I plan to pick up chick waterers this morning.

Thanks again!

 

[perolane]

Sorry about the losses..good luck & don't forget to put some little rocks in the little bowl area of the waterer even if you get the small waterers...they drown so easily.

 

[penguin627]

Added the new waterers - I see two chicks now that are acting slow and don't want to move - I imagine these are the sick ones - any suggestions for treatment? Another one died while I was gone getting the waterers this morning

Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

It might take a day or two before you see them even out health wise if they had been eating shavings and I would think you might have a couple more losses during this time. If you are still losing them after 24 hours it would probably be a good idea to post again for added suggestions. It sounds like you have everything in order.....
A thought that maybe those who have raised quail can give advice on....would it be appropriate for penguin to try some poly-vi-sol in the water? Although I have never used vits. myself I hear this works for chicks when a little pick up is needed but not sure about quail?

 

[perolane]

We've never used poly-vi-sol... but we do use "Vitamins & Electrolytes Plus" by AgriLabs. It's simply vitamins & electrolytes in a powder form that's added to the drinking water. We use it daily for all of our birds of all ages. Sorry I forgot to mention it....it's such a routine thing I completely forgot to mention it.

You can get it at any feed/farm supply store...or at least around here you can. Runs about $5.00 a pouch & it goes a long way!! I put about 1 teaspoon to a gallon of water.

 

[Bobwhites]

I started using sand last year in my brooders and it works great. I have a colander with a handle that I use to sift the waste out to keep it clean. I have not had and problem with spraddle leg after switching to sand either.