Help! Button Quail chick w/ Black toes? Spreading!

[Kiki]

I tried sand like that, but they seemed more interested in eating the sand than in eating their feed, so I removed it. Plain dirt from the back yard is very high in dry, powdery clay that turns into a slick, snotty, 'stain everything red' mess when wet and sand derived from volcanic rock; do you think I ought to give that a try instead of the store-bought sand? @Texas Kiki

I would try store bought dirt.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I would try store bought dirt.

Thanks Texas Kiki, I can spring for a bag of that... they call it 'black dirt' here (usually harvested from riverbanks). They don't have plain old 'dirt dirt' like I grew up with in the States.

 

[Quailbert Quailington]

I'll have to see what my local Home Depot/Lowes has in the way of dirt that I could use for bedding. What temp do you recommend? Everywhere I read says to keep the temp at around 85F between weeks 3 and 5. Should I lower it to 80? My house is about 76F normally.

 

[Kiki]

I'll have to see what my local Home Depot/Lowes has in the way of dirt that I could use for bedding. What temp do you recommend? Everywhere I read says to keep the temp at around 85F between weeks 3 and 5. Should I lower it to 80? My house is about 76F normally.

This is tough for me because I don't actually have little buttons.

I just think it looks too hot in your container.

I think 80 would be fine.

 

[mixedUPturk]

I have buttons i read your whole thread so im up to date on the things your changing and what you have done. Ive raised hundreds of birds but i havent ever seen that happen.

I like your switch to paper towels but at 1 wk for buttons i switch to pine shavings. I use the shelf liner for the first 3 days just til they are able to run. Youve had some good help and i wanted to ask if youd consider putting them outside. My climate here in South LA is about like yours and i toss everybody outside by 1 wk old. I think this really helps them with the natural heat and no AC to make em too cool. Do u have a place that would be safe for the brooder? A screened sunporch or garage with windows would be ideal. Indoors i offer them a heat gradient where they can get warm in one area and cool off on the other end, thats really important the whole world over. I know lots and lotsa people say dont keep your buttons outdoors, theyre indoor only pets, but our warm climate allows me to do it and i like to have bird messes Outside. That huddling theyre doing speaks cold chicks to me. Im sure he is fussy his toes dying off probly hurts.

Im sorry to say i cant help you much more than anyone else already has but i havent ever seen that happen. I hope its as simple as the fixes youve already implemented but im scared theres something internally making that happen and i will intently watch this thread for updates as you monitor and troubleshooot the situation.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Also
Trouble brings most of us here to do everything we can for the critters then we stay cuz we found a great community who we can constantly learn from. Keep asking questions and improving!

 

[Quailbert Quailington]

mixedUPturk- Thanks for the welcome! That's exactly what brought me here, unfortunately, but I got to looking around the site and I love the community and how friendly/knowledgeable everyone is!

I'm in SoFla, so you're right, the weather is very similar. I don't, however, have a safe place to keep them outside. I used to raise ducks in my yard and we had a huge problem with raccoons, fox, and cats getting into the enclosures and having themselves a nice dinner. Right now I'm living with my parents for a few months while I find a new house that's closer to them, and they keep their garage air conditioned, so it's not a good place for the chicks, either. I do, however, have my adult buttons out there, and they're quite comfortable. (with the AC, the temp still only gets to about 78F, 76 at the coldest, it's only a wall unit.) They don't have a screened in patio, either. (this is where I used to raise the ducks in my teens/early twenties.)

The good news is that I've kept the temp in the brooder at about 85F and it's naturally humid here, so I haven't had to adjust any of that. All the chicks seem comfortable, and it seems that it doesn't matter if I increase or decrease the temp, they just like to huddle when they sleep. I've moved them away from any AC vents and over near the window, so they get natural light and some heat from the sun. If they're cold, they can move into the sun, or if they're too warm, they can move out of it. Part of the brooder has shade. They love the sunlight. Lil Buddy's toes are doing better. I did a few Epsom salt soaks, and the swelling has gone. The black parts of his toes have fallen off, save for the one that was completely black. I don't want to touch it, but I think it'll fall off any day. I haven't noticed any more swelling or blackness, so I don't think it's spreading. I'm pretty happy with how they're doing!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for giving me advice on what to do/improve upon! I really appreciate it! Lil Buddy says thank you, as well!!