BOBWHITE QUAIL CHICK EMERGANCY!!!!!

[313759]

PLEASE HELP ME!!!! My chicks are dying mysteriously. The same thing g append to my first brood of five, the symptoms were: first they are fine, few hours later they are getting wobbly legs and can't stand without falling over, then they would lay on their side about 5 hours after having wobbly legs. They would lay on they would lay on their side gasping for air. They would try to get up, sometimes they would hold their head back till the back of their heads touch their back. Their legs turn an almost purplish color!!! Please someone help, I appreciate all the help I can get. I lost 4 chicks out of 10 today. I use all natural pine bedding and use chick starter and grower crumbles as their feed. I always grind the crumbles up extra so they can eat. The feed is medicated but I thought it wouldn't matter because the feed I used for my last brood wasn't medicated and yet they all died. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Please hlp

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm sorry to hear that.

I hope these links help, as I have not personally kept quail: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/162/ulcerative-enteritis-quail-disease/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/quail-diseases-health-issues-and-keeping-your-quail-healthy


Could it be that they are not getting enough protein? Are they eating their bedding?


I hope the rest stay healthy. Best of luck!

 

[313759]

Their food is 18% protein. But tomorrow I'm gonna boil an egg and mash it up for them. They don't swallow their bedding but they do peck at it and pick up pieces and run around to tease their siblings. Right now the rest are not looking the best, they are laying on their sides having hard times staying on their feet.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope someone on the quail threads will be able to help you. Sounds like cardiac involvement with legs turning purple..

 

[313759]

I'm not exactly sure... the sudden death I am thinking may be cocci I'm thinking of replacing their bedding and putting them on wire. I think the legs turning purple is because of lack of oxygen because it turns purple when they are gasping for air

 

[kingmt]

You shouldn't feed medicated feed or chick starter. It is to low in protein. Scramble them a egg or get them some wet cat food ASAP.

 

[TwoCrows]

First....what is the temperature in the brooder? Please explain in detail exactly what your set up is, brooder design, size, where the food and water is, brooder covered or not and with what, where the heat is and what you are using for heatetc.... Many times chick deaths are caused from being too cold, being too hot, can't find food or water, or the food is too large to eat, being cramped in.

So go into as much detail as you can.

 

[313759]

My brooder isn't much, it is the bottom of one of those guinea pig cages like the bottom of this one

Accept the bottom is green and I removed the wiring at the top. The bedding was pine bedding but now it is a couple crumpled up napkins because they kept getting stuck in the hay. The feed is crumbled but I grind it up with a spoon, I make sure that there is a mix of just about powdered feed mixed with small crumbles, today I took a boiled eggs and smushed it up for extra protein. The food is in a small container top.(You know those tops that go on some whip cream bowls, it's like that but smaller in size) I would constantly ensure that the chicks( I mean chick) eats a bit of Eggs and some crumble. The water is bottled water(we did use our sink water but our water is silver so I figured changing the water would help) I let it warm up in the heat before letting them drink so they don't get diareah(or however you spell it) although they know how to drink by themselves I still dip there beak every hour or so just to make sure they get hydrated enough. I did have about a teaspoon of sugar mixed in the water in their first two days but now they have just water. I was a using a ugh I don't know what it is called but it was a light that created a lot of heat and my dad used it for work often, now I'm using a (radiator?) Heater. I put a small blanket on the edge of the heater so the chick can get some of the heat. He is able to move away from the heat by going beneath, kinda, under the heat where heat does not reach. I move him when he starts panting and if he wants warmth he'll sit in a hotspot. Oh yeah I forgot the brooder is about a foot wide and two feet long. I only had 11 chicks now I only have one so he is definitely not cramped.

 

[313759]

I only have one chick left, he is the only one that actually seems more healthy but as I watch it looks like he is going downhill. I can't watch another chick die its too painful, I feel as if it may be my fault(probably is)

 

[GitaBooks]

I only have one chick left, he is the only one that actually seems more healthy but as I watch it looks like he is going downhill. I can't watch another chick die its too painful, I feel as if it may be my fault(probably is)

I am so sorry to hear that.

Mistakes and accidents happen when keeping poultry, so don't beat yourself up. Sometimes, we just can't prevent it, and even if we can, losing animals is a part of keeping them (as I've unfortunately had to learn). I've lost lots of chicks and chickens, and its always hard. Its especially hard when you think you solved the problem, and then it happens again. Today I just lost a whole batch of hatching eggs and it was really stressful and I felt like it was some how my fault. I've lost hatching eggs before to similar problems, and each time I think I found a way to make it better, but it happens again. We all make mistakes. Maybe you could try getting a few bantams to begin with, as they are hardier than quail, but just as cute!

Again, I'm so sorry about your chicks.