Button Quails Die After 1 Day Outside :(?

[ValleyMermaid]

I live in the San Joaquin Valley, in Central California... It's HOT here. Yesterday and today was 101 degrees and today close to the same... I was given two Button Quails when they were 5 days old and had them in a nice brooder for 5 weeks. I got two more babies, so I moved the two, original 5 week old Quails to a separate 12" x 10" cage, and covered it with blankets for two days, and kept it close to the heat lamp that was on the brooder to keep them from getting to cold. We keep it cold in our house, at about 74 degrees. I worried it was to cold in my house for the bigger quails so I moved them outside yesterday for the first time, under shade and kept them in their cage with fresh water and food. They seemed happy and content. I put them in the garage over night, to keep the cage from being knocked over by any stay cats. Then I moved them outside again in the morning. They seemed great two hours ago! Cheerful and happy! Then about 40 minutes later... They were dead :'(. I worried all along that it was going to be too hot outside for them... But I was also worried that it was too cold in my house for them. They live here in our climate naturally! So I didn't think they'd to much at risk. They were healthy birds! My husband was putting together a mini aviary outside and they were in this smaller cage just for one more day, until the aviary was ready... How can I make sure my current quails won't be killed by out Valley heat when I move them outside? I'm just heartbroken my first birds are dead! I am not positive the heat killed them... But I can't imagine what else could have... At the same time I don't know how to avoid this from happening again since they were in the shade. Help?!

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

So sorry about your babies.

101 is way too hot for any poultry, let alone button quail. With quail, when ever it reaches 90 degrees, you need to start to mist the area down with water, use fans, ice in the water, feed cool treat....anything to cool them down. 74 is ok for buttons. They can tolerate 70's and 80's. Buttons are more suseptable to heat stroke than Coturnix or other quail.

I think you need to send a private message to GrandmaBird. She knows an awful lot about Button Quail and would be the best person to talk to about this. Click on this link and send her a private message....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/u/146034/grandmabird

You can also stop by our quail section as well....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/48/quail

I am really sorry about your babies. I hope your heavy heart can heal soon.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Sorry about your quail. Sounds like TwoCrows has some good advice for you. Hope your younger chicks do OK.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - great advice given by TwoCrows.

 

[drumstick diva]

Had to be heat - much to hot for babies or anything. Sorry for your loss.

 

[ValleyMermaid]

Thank you SO MUCH, TwoCrows! For taking the time to reply to me!! I appreciate it so much! I am struggling to figure out how to navigate this forum and figure out how to reply back to people.... I'm not sure I'm even doing this right... Hope it's going through!!! I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them and not responding. I'm very grateful for any help! I didn't realize 5 weeks was still considered a baby quail . I'm so sad they suffered in the heat without me realizing it, right in front of me. I watched them closely and kept them in the shade. They didn't seemed stressed but obviously they were :'(. My friend who gave them to me has all hers outside in an aviary that was in just as much shade without misters and they've never died from the heat here. But maybe it's because they were used to the extreme temperature changes having always been outside with the mother instead of in a brooder. And the her other birds were just older....idk... . But what you are saying makes lots of sense!!! I'll want to do as you have suggested since I have two new, precious little baby button quails and I don't want a repeat on this. I have avoided pets, pretty much all my adult life, because of this very reason. I hate losing them.

 

[ValleyMermaid]

Think you, drumstick diva! I sat by them for an hour hoping for a little miracle. I really loved these birds. Even though they were not happy with me trying to catch them when I needed to clean out the brooder. Anyway, like I said, I didn't realize they were still so vulnerable. I was very concerned the heart would be to much! Seemed common sense? However we keep it pretty cold in our house in the summer moths so I was concerned with that too and simply didn't have a proper in door cage or tank for them. I'll work on a better transition plan for them. I know people in my area have quails outside... I need to do more research. Anyway, thank you!!!!