First Quail just hatched

[pdonoho]

Hi all, we are brand new to BYC and our very first Quail chick just hatched. We have 25 eggs that were due to hatch yesterday so we are thrilled that at least one has made it so far. We do have chickens, ducks and 2 turkeys but this is all new to us. I can't believe how tiny it is!!!! We are expecting to get pea fowl tomorrow- so our family is growing by leaps and bounds.

Any advice on what to do the first 24 hours is appreciated. We have taken a separate incubator- taken the egg turner out and made it larger with more styrafoam (spelling?) to use as a hatchery. Put a very small plate with water and chick food in it. Temp is around 97 degrees.

Any thing we're missing?

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

It helps to crush the food up a bit for babies for the first week or so. Sometimes the crumbles are too big to eat at this age. Lay down paper towels and sprinkle food all around the floor near the feeder so they can find the feed. You can remove the paper towels in a few days or when you think they all know where the feed is kept.

Use a chick waterer or a regular water base with marbles so they don't drown. As babies, quail fall into the water very easily and die. You can also use the lid of a jelly jar with tiny stones too.

I like to dip the beaks in the water right after hatching so they know where the water is as well.

Are these Coturnix quail? You can start them at 95 degrees and lower it by 5 degrees for the next 6 weeks. If this is one of the native quail from here in the states, like Bobwhites, Gambels, California's, ect...you start them a bit higher at 97 degrees and also lower it 5 degrees each week for 6 weeks. These latter birds need a tad more heat than Coturnix.

Don't cover the lid of the brooder with anything but a screen or wire so there is good heat and oxygen exchange. Use a brooder with solid sides and flooring. And keep heat source off to one side and the water and feed off on the other so they have to leave the heat to get to the goods. This helps their bodies learn to acclimate and gives them a place to cool off if they need it.

Good luck with your new babies!

 

[pdonoho]

Thank you! We now have 10 chicks, 3 died and we're waiting to see what happens with the rest. They are Coturnix chicks. I'm using the lid to a plastic can for the food and another one for the water. Since we're using an older incubator enlarged with more sytrafoam between lid and bottom, without the turning tray as a brooder (for now) the heat is on top so I can't separate the food/water from the heat. It's not 100% enclosed so it has some air. See any problems with that idea?

Appreciate the info!

 

[gander007]

The important thing for now is being warm and having feed
that is chick starter or crushed up crumble as crumble is good
size to them and the water it is important not to be deep or
any deeper then the length of their beaks .........


gander007

 

[TwoCrows]

Do not cover the top of this brooder. You can use wire or some sort of screen. You need good oxygen and heat exchange or you can over heat them or starve them of oxygen. Watch your temps closely. When chicks die within the first day or so, many times it is due to improper temps in the brooder.

 

[pdonoho]

Thanks all!

 

[pdonoho]

You were so right about the water! I used the lid to a frosting container and didn't even fill it. Lost one of the little ones and he was soaking wet- I can only assume it was because of the lid. Now I've taken a slightly larger lid- cut a piece of hardware cloth to fit, bent the edges and put it in the lid. The chicks can stand on the wire and drink without getting wet.