failure to thrive

[veggiecanner]

Is it normal to get a few coturnix chicks that only develop till they are walking then start to go down hill.
If not what can I do about it? They don't grow much after the first couple of days, then die at 5 or so days old..
I am thinking it's genetic but not sure.

 

[settingdusk]

Need info on the living situation. Fresh air, food type (24% protein but higher is better, I supplement with live crickets), housing, lots of heat with cooler areas in the pen, and hiding spots.

Are they inbred? If you breed the offspring to much that can happen.

 

[veggiecanner]

30% protien, wooden brooder box, Plastic tub, fish tank.
Heat lamp with various bulbs acording to size of brooder
ground game bird feed.
Not Sure about inbreeding, I asked who I bought them from and she indicated the ones she sold me were half brothers and sisters and breeding them would be Ok for meat. I am raising some from a different place to mix in for replacement purposes, but some of those did the same thing.

 

[TwoCrows]

What is the exact temp in your brooder directly beneath the light? Are you crushing the gamebird food and sprinkling it around the floor? Do you have the heat off to one side and the food and water on the other? Did you dip beaks in the water so they know where it is?

 

[veggiecanner]

90 degrees Started higher right after hatch.
yes to all the questions.
I am using a blender on the food, and went from sprinkiling the food to jar lids.
i also giving them boiled egg that I put lids full of for a few minutes then pick up so it doesn't go sour.

 

[TwoCrows]

Too cold. Should be 95 degrees right after hatch. They are dying from chilling. Lower the heat by 5 degrees each week for 5 to 6 weeks.

 

[veggiecanner]

Ok, I am having some trouble with that. Heat lamps cook them . tryed several kinds of light bulbs, cann't keep it level. especially at night. put blankets over the top.
It's the summers here hot during the day, cold at night.

 

[settingdusk]

If you put little covered areas for them to hide in, they won't overheat. I use a 250watt red bulb and point it toward a wall. Half of my tub is about 85 degrees and my other half is 95 with a very warm wall to lay against. I put wet mash down in a small dish and ground game bird feed in a flat dish with some sprinkles near my newborns. I also have some older quail in the bin that teach the others to drink and eat. My texas A&E quail are already flying at 4 days old! So they are thriving lol. Oh and I have a real small waterer with a big plastic jug on it. They have pine/fir shavings to walk on. A sand pit in a small plastic container for sunbathing, eating and dust bathing. I have 6 square feet of space for my 21 chicks but they will graduate to separate pens soon. I have little card board coves made for them to hide in and under.

 

[Nichrome]

Veggiecanner, I also suggest not to feed your chick boiled egg white until they are 2 weeks old. Yolk is fine but not white as it is much harder to digest. Cut open the crop of the dead chicks and check it it is packed full of egg white.

 

[veggiecanner]

Thats the first time I've heard that whites were bad. But won't feed them till their older from now on.