Flour sack towels

[nhblond]

So we have 5 Button Quail chicks in the brooder that hatched today. The full story is in my thread "yolk sac?"
3 of them are doing really well, moving around and eating and drinking. 2 of them I am worried about. I am using flour sack dish towels that I bought at Walmart. I am hoping that they have enough traction? The 3 or doing fine getting around, and I really don't think the flooring is the problem with the other two, just paranoid I guess. One of the 2 is much smaller than all the others, and even though he hatched this morning and his feathers of course should be dry, he is not fluffed out. I really don't think he will make it, but I am hoping. I have given him and a few of the others water from a dropper to be sure they were drinking. Some of them I have actually seen drink from the lid with marbles. The other one that is doing poorly just seems to sleep or kind of flail around. He doesn't seem to open his eyes at all? He seemed fine when he first hatched. And there seems to be a big difference in people's opinion on how long to leave them in the bator. Some are saying take them out as soon as they are dry, but I am also hearing to leave them in the bator for up to 24 hours????? Why so different on info? If you research it online, one place said you should leave them in the bator overnight??? The Quail lady I got them from on here insists they should be moved as soon as fluffy. I am not at all doubting her, really honestly, truly I am not. Like I said, I am just really paranoid... first time and all. And I still have 11 eggs in the bator...... I do have shelf liner in the brooder under the flour sack towel, but before I started using the brooder, I had the bright idea of sprinkling some fine bird grit on the liner... now I am afraid to remove the towel. I feel like such an idiot for not knowing this stuff!!!

 

[nhblond]

Okay, I am just a crazy person who has never hatched quail before....

I just checked one of the clean towels I am not currently using, and I am sure the traction is fine.

Next silly question is.... do they sleep in really weird positions? Is that normal?

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
If you don't ask questions...THEN... you might be an"idiot" .We are all here to help one another according to whatever experience we have.

It is better if you simply show the water to your chicks ,if you are comfortable doing it, you dip their beaks into the water just a little so they get the idea. if not comfortable, i have found that if you use a fingertip like a mom would and pretend "you're" drinking from the water this teaches them too. I personally wouldn't use a dropper to give them anything as tiny as they are they could drown from doing that...

it sounds like the little one isn't going to make it. i'm sorry.

Quail chicks have NO fat reserves. Anyone who tells you to leave them in the bator for hours is WRONG. As Quaillady told you, get them into the brooder asap .When they are fluffed out they need to have access to food and water or they could very easily starve.
Flour sack towelling is fine as it does give them traction.The trouble with grit at this age is that the chicks will think it's food. give them a couple days then it'd be okay to get rid of the towels,though the towels may be easier clean up until they go onto bedding at a week or 2 old.

 

[Fat Daddy]

The post you find saying leave chicks in the bator for up to 3 days are gonna be mostly chicken folks....It works great there, not so much with quail or game birds. If they have to be left in the bator while your asleep or at work, no big deal just get them out as you can.

Your flour sack towel will be just fine. alot of folks use towels, then switch to chips and shelf liner later.

Its common to have weak or chicks that just fail to thrive. It happens, it sucks, but part of the deal.

I have seen chicks fall asleep in mid stride, head in the food dish or anywhere they happen to be. They sleep anywhere and often the first few days, dont worry too much about them.

The one with the red mass, you described in the earlier post, is not good. In my opinion these chicks dont make it alot of the time. Not much you can do...

They will find water, mother nature will take care of that. Food is another thing thou. JJ says put a new dime on top of the food, it works...sprinkling feed around on the floor of the bator was a good thing too. Where ever they drop the head, they should be close to food for a while. Hope it all works out well for you and your birds. Try not to stress too much over it, your doing fine, its fun, enjoy it. Bill

ETA, mhwc56 answered while I was typing. She always has good advice....

 

[nhblond]

Thanks so much for your help! As far as the eye dropper, it is actually a really small syringe/ pipette with a tiny tube at the end. What I did was put a couple near the lid with the water and marbles, and a couple of them did drink. The ones that I used the syringe with, I basically just pressed the plunger until a tiny drop was hanging from the end, put it next to their beak, and they drank it. I didn't open their beaks at all, No Way!!!
Yes, I think you are right that the little one isn't going to make it. I know this happens with all animals (we have a small hobby farm) but it still makes me so sad.....

And I knew that Quail lady was right about putting them in the brooder as soon as dry and fluffy.... guess I was just babbling

 

[nhblond]

Thanks Bill

I keep telling myself that I am doing things right and not to stress so much.... easier said than done I guess! Yes, I have shiny marbles on top of the food in the dish, and I sprinkled a lot of feed on the floor of the brooder. I know my new Bantam chicks sleep in really funny positons (head in food dish, etc), just wasn't sure if Buttons are the same way. Too funny

The first one that hatched I am calling Bossy, well actually Little Miss Bossy Pants. She is very outgoing and in charge, LOL.

I am sad that the little guy probably won't make it. I know it's likely nothing I did, it's still such a bummer....

 

[Colinus Ruckus]

Will taking the hatched ones out right away cause the humidity to drop too much for the ones that aren't out yet? I've heard that you should keep the bator closed tight and resist the urge to open it until you're sure most are hatched. I have my first eggs in there now, so I'm trying to make plans for the big day

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
NO. IF YOU LEAVE THEM ITS MORE HARMFUL THAN OPENING THE BATOR. NOW HAVING SAID THAT DONT THROW IT OPEN TO THE WORLD AND STAND THERE AWSTRUCK IN AMAZMENT FOR A 1/2 HR... LIFT THE LID ENOUGH TO GET A HAND IN THERE SNATCH THE FUZZIES AND GET OUT... IT WILL BE FINE AND AT THE RISK OF UPSETTING THE CHICKEN FOLKS.... IT WORKS FOR THOSE BABIES TOO

AND TURKEYS, DUCKS, PHEASANTS, PARTRIDGE, ETC...

 

[JJMR794]

FOR THE RECORD... TOWELS ARE GREAT FOR FRESH PEEPERS! NOW I USE REGULAR TERRY CLOTH TOWELS... THE FLOUR SACK TOWELS ARE THEY THE REALLY SMOOTH ONES? IF SO YOU MAY WANT TO FIND NICE FUZZY TOWELS INSTEAD. I BROOD ALL CHICKS ON TOWELS UNTIL SPRADDLE LEG IS NO LONGER A POTENTIAL PROBLEM THEN SWITCH TO ... DARE I SAY IT??? NEWSPAPER!!!

MULTIPLE SPECES FROM TURKEY TO HARLEQUIN QUAIL AND MOST STUFF INBETWEEN ( NO FREAKIN GUINEAS THO! THAT SOUND MAKES ME HOMICIDAL...

) NUMBERING WELL INTO THE THOUSANDS EACH YEAR... MAYBE 20 SPRADDLE LEGS AS A YEARLY TOTAL AND ALL CAME OUT OF THE HATCHER THAT WAY, NEVER HAD SPRADDLE IN A BROODER YET

 

[nhblond]

Quote:
NO. IF YOU LEAVE THEM ITS MORE HARMFUL THAN OPENING THE BATOR. NOW HAVING SAID THAT DONT THROW IT OPEN TO THE WORLD AND STAND THERE AWSTRUCK IN AMAZMENT FOR A 1/2 HR... LIFT THE LID ENOUGH TO GET A HAND IN THERE SNATCH THE FUZZIES AND GET OUT... IT WILL BE FINE AND AT THE RISK OF UPSETTING THE CHICKEN FOLKS.... IT WORKS FOR THOSE BABIES TOO

AND TURKEYS, DUCKS, PHEASANTS, PARTRIDGE, ETC...

LOL, you are too funny! Yes, that's what I did earlier today. Got in, and then got the heck outta there! Just had number 6 hatch a minute ago, and I think there is one or two right behind him..... I will put their fuzzy little butts in the brooder as soon as they are dry and fluffy!

When I just was in there, the tiny one in the brooder that we all think won't make it...... was sitting up at the water dish and took a drink! Not getting my hopes up, buy maybe he will fool us all?