HELP! Just agreed to foster a baby quail

[Stellar]

Quote:
antibiotics in water? I have never done such a thing

Keeping them in a brooder (this can be a fish tank, a box) with adequate flooring (a towel, nonstick shelfliner, pelleted bedding, shavings) with a heat lamp (60 watt bulb and lamp is fine), fresh water and gamebird starter (chick starter unmedicated is fine if that's all you have at the moment).

 

[JJMR794]

I Second The Question On Antibiotics In The Water... Also A Feather Duster Makes A Great Room Mate For Single Chicks.... Just Prop It Up In The Corner And The Bird Can Snuggle Down Under The Feathers And Feel Warm And Safe... Pick 1 Up At Your Local Dollar Store Cheap... Once Done With It You Can Throw It Away And Get A New 1 For The Next Batch (keeps From Cross Contaminating Chicks)

 

[TwoCrows]

I am always against using medicine in chicks water if not needed. But everyone I talked to when I started recommened that all gamebirds needed antibiotics. So I took it as truth. So I have always used it on my quail babies. Must be the old school of thinking. I guess I won't be using it again on any of my babies.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
IT IS OLD SCHOOL AND MOSTLY WITH THE THE FOLKS WHO RAISE BOBS... AND DONE FOR GOOD REASON WITH THEM. IF YOU KEEP BOBS FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME IN THE SAME CONFINES OR HAVE A HEAVY TRAFFIC AREA--- LIKE THE BOB HATCHERIES THAT CRANK OUT 10'S OF THOUSANDS OF CHICKS EACH YEAR THRU THE SAME BROODER HOUSES THEN A PROPHYLACTIC THERAPY OF WORMING, COCCI, AND STANDARD ANTIBIOTIC REGIMEN IS THE NORM. BOBS ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO MANY MALADIES BOTH AS KIDS AND ADULTS AND HEAVY TRAFFIC AREAS ALLOW FOR EASY CROSS CONTAMINATION OF DIFFERENT HATCHES... SO ITS NOT UNREASONABLE OR OUT OF LINE DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES... AND AS FAR AS ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY... YOU GET BETTER COMPLIANCE OF YOU USE THE MEDICATED FEED... WATER SOLUTIONS CAN BE UNSTABLE AND DOSES INACCURATE TO METER (HOT TEMPS THEY DRINK MORE--- COOL LESS, ETC..)

 

[JJMR794]

Oops= Forgot 1 Qualifier In That Post Above--- On The Ground

There Thats Better

 

[TwoCrows]

I got my start years ago from an old man who has been raising quail as a business for 20 years. He hatches literally thousands and thousands of quail each year and must keep 4,000 breeder birds. So of course he recommened it. I would imagine with all that quail traffic you would need to keep tabs on disease. When I questioned this at the local feed store, they too said that I really needed to add meds to the water.

I have never done it for any my chicken babies however and now that I look back, I shouldn't have done it with my quail babies. Thanks for the info on this and I promise to keep all babies off meds unless they need it.

 

[JJMR794]

When I questioned this at the local feed store, they too said that I really needed to add meds to the water

OF COURSE THEY DID ( RATHER EAGERLY I IMAGINE... ALL WHILE HEARING CASH REGISTER BELLS IN THEIR HEAD )

YES YOU ARE CORRECT THAT IS THE LARGE COMMERCIAL WAY. ANY BOBS NO MATTER THE AGE ARE PRONE TO MANY MALADIES IF KEPT ON THE SAME GROUND WITHOUT INTERVENTION FOR PROLONGED PERIODS... ENTERITIS, ENCEPHALITIS, COCCI, PARASITES... AND THE LIST GOES ON--- BOBS SPECIFICALLY ARE QUITE PRONE TO ENTERITIS AND ENCEPHALITIS WHICH INCIDENTALLY IS PASSED EN UTERO AS WELL

THEY ARE ACTUALLY MUCH MORE PRONE TO THESE MALADIES THAN MOST OTHER SPECES OF QUAIL, THUS THE ADAGE OF KEEPING THEM OFF THE GROUND IN WIRE PENS

 

[gamebirdboy]

I don't put medicine in the water, but have been told to use medicated feed and keep chicks on wire.

Never listen to a feed store... I do put electrolytes in their water though...