Cali quail keep dying

[chrisarvor]

i have been hatching for quite a while but my cali quail are dying within a week ????
i hatch pheasants, partridges 2 types , chinese an jap quail
all quite easy but my cali dont make it
i have tried woodchips ,kitchen towel, now non slip flooring ,on there own and with other chickens or pheasants that are a few days old to show them ,
i used to be able to hatch loads
what can be the problem??/
any help or advice
I hatch my own and some i buy on the internet just driving me nuts?????????????
3 years ago i hatched 20 in one season as easy as anything

 

[SavageChick]

I grew up in northern California (Napa Valley), where these quail were abundant, running through our backyard fields. These are interesting and gorgeous birds. I have never raised them myself, but I have read from different breeder sources where they are indeed more tricky to raise. I am going to refer you to a hatchery that offers online support for raising these birds....

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/california_valley_quail_eggs.html

On the bottom of their home page, they provide a contact for questions related to this specific breed of quail. I hope they can help you.

 

[Arvor25]

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Hi thanks for that
I have sent them an email to see if they have any ideas
Cheers Chris

 

[TwoCrows]

If your quail keep dying at one week old, sounds like a heat/draft issue in the brooder. They are either over heating or chilling from a draft.

Make sure you are using a brooder fit for the amount of babies you are raising. You don't want it over crowded, but you don't want it to be huge either. Too small and they are over heating, too small and it can produce a draft. Solid walls and flooring, and do not cover the ceiling with anything but wire or screen for good heat exchange and oxygen. Keep the heat off to one side and the feed and water on the other so that they have to step out of the heat to get the goods.

You start out California quail at 97 degrees, lowering it 5 degrees each week.

Make sure to crush the food up for the first 2 weeks. Quail babies are too small to eat the standard crumble for a few weeks. Sprinkle it all over the floor around the feeder for several days until they figure out where the food is kept. Dip their beaks in the water the first day after hatch. Keep marbles in the water bases so nobody drowns.

 

[ylly]

Most likely what two crows grind their feed in a food processer, sounds like they are dying from starve out. Place on paper towel for the first 10 days, change everyday so they don't pick up to much bacteria.

 

[Arvor25]

Thanks for all the replies
I have ended up with 2 out of 7 babies
I have put them in. Smaller brooder its around 28 to 30 degrees and I can raise the bulb as they gt bigger
I will take what all the replies say and try again
Yes I food is chick food not chick crumbs
Nd the ones that died all seem to have empty crops
So we will plod on
Thanks everyone
This week I have hatched 5 French red leg partridge and 8 pheasants 2 more Cali
Update later

 

[TwoCrows]

Your problem is temp. WAY too cold for week old quail.

You need to start them at 36C degrees at week 1 and lower it each week by 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

This IS why your babies are dying.

 

[chrisarvor]

Hi Two Crows an others
I have 5 healthy quail getting feathers on them
I made a brooder 1 metre long an half metre wide
wire one end and a heat lamp on a chain so i can raise it up to lower the temp
i sifted the chick food and gave them the powder so far so good
i lost a couple through my mistakes but now i have way to keep trying
many many thanks to all

i also put a small teddy bear in there an they snuggled up to that as well hahahaha

 

[Julbrod]

Hi Two Crows an others
I have 5 healthy quail getting feathers on them
I made a brooder 1 metre long an half metre wide
wire one end and a heat lamp on a chain so i can raise it up to lower the temp
i sifted the chick food and gave them the powder so far so good
i lost a couple through my mistakes but now i have way to keep trying
many many thanks to all

i also put a small teddy bear in there an they snuggled up to that as well hahahaha

That's great! I'm wondering if maybe they shouldn't be mixed in with chickens and pheasants as I've heard they can have "bugs" that will harm quail.

Glad things are going better. I'm interested in trying Cali quail myself so I appreciate all the info here.