Hatched quail chicks - lethargic, lying flat??

[Xouie]

This always freaks me out LOL... Then you touch them and they startle you because they flush

Don’t forget the dirty looks over fluffy little shoulders afterward. “Why’d you wake us up?”

 

[Cazook]

AHH what in the hell

I woke up to some sort of murder scene in the brooder today. A 'splat' of blood on one side of the brooder. I look at the chicks and one is not looking great at all and seems to have a broken wing though I have no idea where that (truly massive considering their size) blood pile came from.

Uh. Wtf How do I fix a quail wing. Is this hopeless? It's just hanging down.

I think maybe the quail was on top and jumped down, hitting the wire and getting snagged or something? FFS I am not good at raising quail the pipped chicks didn't hatch either. I looked in and they're.. mushy? But humidity was 40% most of the time (60-80% during lockdown + hatch) so again, wtf.

>_> can you tape a quails wing?

 

[Nabiki]

AHH what in the hell

I woke up to some sort of murder scene in the brooder today. A 'splat' of blood on one side of the brooder. I look at the chicks and one is not looking great at all and seems to have a broken wing though I have no idea where that (truly massive considering their size) blood pile came from.

Uh. Wtf How do I fix a quail wing. Is this hopeless? It's just hanging down.

I think maybe the quail was on top and jumped down, hitting the wire and getting snagged or something? FFS I am not good at raising quail the pipped chicks didn't hatch either. I looked in and they're.. mushy? But humidity was 40% most of the time (60-80% during lockdown + hatch) so again, wtf.

>_> can you tape a quails wing?

Oh, I'm so sorry that this happened! Quail chicks are so tiny, it's hard to imagine fixing that tiny wing.

Can you post a picture of your setup? Chicks are very good at finding ways of committing suicide, so perhaps we can help you chick proof it?

Edit: 60% at lockdown sounds fine, but 80% was way to high. I try to keep mine between 55-70% at lockdown, closer to 60%.

 

[Cazook]

I think it's because the heating plate had a little gap between it and the cardboard wall which somehow became slightly too small for the chick to get by yet big enough to fall into. I swear they're suicidal. I moved it so the gap is equally around (just wait until they grow bigger and the same problem will occur, lol). all chicks seem to be eating and drinking fine still.

the humidity went up in hatching. should you break the 'don't open!!' rule if the humidity reaches that high?

 

[Nabiki]

I think it's because the heating plate had a little gap between it and the cardboard wall which somehow became slightly too small for the chick to get by yet big enough to fall into. I swear they're suicidal. I moved it so the gap is equally around (just wait until they grow bigger and the same problem will occur, lol). all chicks seem to be eating and drinking fine still.

the humidity went up in hatching. should you break the 'don't open!!' rule if the humidity reaches that high?

I would, and in the rare occasions when the humidity does get too high I will to lower the humidity. I use a narrow mouth jar for humidity instead of the incubator channels. That way I don't have to fill it all the time, but the humidity stays where I want it.

 

[FloorCandy]

I think it's because the heating plate had a little gap between it and the cardboard wall which somehow became slightly too small for the chick to get by yet big enough to fall into. I swear they're suicidal. I moved it so the gap is equally around (just wait until they grow bigger and the same problem will occur, lol). all chicks seem to be eating and drinking fine still.

the humidity went up in hatching. should you break the 'don't open!!' rule if the humidity reaches that high?

I was cleaning the main pen 2 days ago, I usually have a patio block under the ramp so nothing can dig in thru the gap between the coop and the run (the coop is about an inch off the ground). But I took it out to hose it off and mix the sand under and around it. I’m in there raking and sifting, when an adult hen, McNuggets, walks down the ramp, looks over the side and falls off (it’s 2 inches high for crying out loud), somehow landing with her head under the ramp and her feet in the air! I have no idea how she managed this tumble, but luckily I was there to hold her and lift the ramp or she would have broken her neck flailing there. Normally the patio block fills the gap she fell into, but seriously man, no will to live! This is how quail are, constantly trying to die, then when you need to cull one, they look up at you like your the one at fault.

 

[Cazook]

I was cleaning the main pen 2 days ago, I usually have a patio block under the ramp so nothing can dig in thru the gap between the coop and the run (the coop is about an inch off the ground). But I took it out to hose it off and mix the sand under and around it. I’m in there raking and sifting, when an adult hen, McNuggets, walks down the ramp, looks over the side and falls off (it’s 2 inches high for crying out loud), somehow landing with her head under the ramp and her feet in the air! I have no idea how she managed this tumble, but luckily I was there to hold her and lift the ramp or she would have broken her neck flailing there. Normally the patio block fills the gap she fell into, but seriously man, no will to live! This is how quail are, constantly trying to die, then when you need to cull one, they look up at you like your the one at fault.

oh man, this is too funny and makes me feel better a bit

 

[Bella-2023]

Hi, my day old baby quail hatched yesterday and his feet were badly curled so I put a splint on its feet but now every time it tries to stand up it falls on its back. Can somebody please help me I am really worried for it.

 

[Nabiki]

Hi, my day old baby quail hatched yesterday and his feet were badly curled so I put a splint on its feet but now every time it tries to stand up it falls on its back. Can somebody please help me I am really worried for it.

Try using tape. You want the toes straight but not enough extra material so it falls over.

 

[CliftonQuail]

Hi, my day old baby quail hatched yesterday and his feet were badly curled so I put a splint on its feet but now every time it tries to stand up it falls on its back. Can somebody please help me I am really worried for it.

@Nabiki is right when she says use tape. I've successfully used the sticky part of a bandage as a splint, but had to use mineral oil to get it to release from the feet when it was time. Tape isn't as sticky, but will do the job.