HELP!!! Quail orphan!

[TwoCrows]

X2

Baby Bobwhite.

 

[AllyH]

I had the lamp clamped on the container...but then I thought it was too hot because it read 105 degrees F on my thermometer... but it might be too far away like this..maybe I can raise the box up a bit more...

 

[Quailsong]

The closest wild life place that I know of is hours away....if I feel like this lil thing isn't thriving with us I will give it to someone who has other quails. I am planning on keeping it....for its whole life....like a pet....I wouldn't want to let it go in the wild after keeping it for that long of a time and expecting it to survive. But if that is wrong to do let me know. Seems like people love them as "pets"

I would definitely phone around just to be sure if it's even legal for you to keep him/her. I'm totally for people wanting to save wild animals under extreme circumstances. But if everyone did that due to a whim "he looked like he couldn't live in the wilds" then we'd have a lot less wildlife out there. That's why those laws are in place. Not saying you're one of those folks, however.

Looking at the pictures, I too think it's a bobwhite quail. Something you should be very careful of is that bobwhites can kill themselves easily due to fright. They are very easy to spook & can jump up very high, very fast. Sometimes they end up breaking their own necks if they contact something hard.

So for you I'd say make sure to have a tall & soft ceiling w/ some bounce-back. Nothing rough, hard or sharp. It's not a question of IF they will hit their heads, but when, how hard & how often.

 

[Sycamore27]

As the Devil's Advocate in this thread, I think you should phone around & find a local fish/wildlife or zoo that can take care of the little one for the long-term. Wild quail imo should not be raised by un-trained humans or the birds are less likely to survive once released.

There are many well-meaning folks who raise wild birds w/ water dishes, food bowls, heat lamps, etc. The quail once released will not have had a mother to teach them how to find food in harsh weather, avoid predators, etc. They may end up seeking out a food dish, and abruptly discover it belongs to a hungry yard dog. Then there's also the possible il/legalities of keeping wild quail.

Just to help you be safe, rather than sorry, I thought I'd mention this.

I'm going to have to agree with Quailsong. So far as I'm aware in all states that have native quail it is illegal to keep wild ones without a rehabilitators or educational license. Most states also require permitting to keep the species native to the area even if they if they are captive bred.
I understand that you want to keep it for the bird's whole life but I would highly recommend finding a wildlife rehabber to raise it wild and release it. Here's a link that might have more places in your area http://wildliferehabinfo.org/ContactList_MnPg.htm or you can try a google search for wildlife rehab in your specific area.
Good luck!
Jessie

 

[SavageChick]

In our state, the captive wildlife policy pertains to "protected wildlife." While it states that it is illegal to take an orphaned or injured animal, it appears to pertain only to those animals that are listed as "protected." There is an additional line in there that states it is legal to hold "other wildlife" that does not fall under this "protected" category. There is also mention of the illegal practice of selling the animal, the meat, or its eggs once it is raised in captivity, but that doesn't appear to be your plan. It's 170 pages to read through on our state wildlife conservation site, so you may have to take some time to read through all the pages that your state has available for view. All that said, you are providing this bird with what it needs to survive for the time being -- and appear to be doing a great job at that. Once it is fully feathered and can be removed from the brooder, that might be the time for you to consider transporting it to a rehab facility. Yet, by that time, it will have become domesticated and likely more difficult to release into the wild even with rehab efforts. Depending on your state codes, you may be okay to keep this bird legally and without jumping through hoops, particularly if Bobwhites do not fall under your state's "protected wildlife." If you decide to keep it, you already know that you've got some great resources here on this board (people who have years of experience raising these birds) who can help guide you.

 

[Nichrome]

Well i say let us take it in steps and see if the little one survives and grows healthy!

Have we have a briefing on the situation AllyH?