Help! Week old Jap quail can't walk?

[IvyShine]

I recently bought some coturnix quails from a breeder. They have all been going very well, and are happy and healthy.
Today, I was cleaning out the brooder, and found that one of them couldn't walk. It is the normal wild color (if it matters), and looked very healthy just a few hours earlier. It is about one week old now, as are it's six siblings (I bought six). I am worried for the poor baby, and think it might die soon. They others kind of trample her, when they try and huddle together.

Aside from not being able to walk, it looks pretty healthy. It seems to be able to move its legs, but they have suddenly gone weak and can't properly support her.

I have tried giving it honey water, and some scrambled quail eggs (no milk or anything), but it seems to not have gotten any better. She is eating and drinking and pooping. I have put some food and water in little jar lids and sat them next to it where it can reach them, and it does drink and eat from them. I put it on a dish towel to keep her warm, and be comfortable.

Please give any advice! Thank you!

 

[dc3085]

At that age it is one of two problems.

Chick stuck in the egg or high humidity can cause foot problems but those are usually visible through curled toes

The other problem is that it may not have had enough water early on and it may be suffering from nerve damage.


Are any of it's toes curled? Are its hips set normally or are they pointing out from its body to the sides?

 

[TwoCrows]

Separate this baby so she doesn't get trampled by the others. Turn up the heat a few degrees more than what the others have...so somewhere around 97 degrees.

Get some poly vi sol and let her drink this for a few days. Until you get this, put 2 tablespoons of sugar in a one quart waterer and fill with water. Dip the beak to make sure she is getting this stuff.

If you have any poultry vitamins, like Rooster Booster, this is excellent to use. Something with B's E and Selenium.

Chop up some warm hard boiled eggs and feed this to the chick. It is loaded with B vitamins and amino acids, both of which this chick is lacking. Don't worry he is not eating chick feed yet. Keep him on eggs until he can walk and function.

Weakness is common in freshly hatched babies, especially as DC has mentioned, there was incubation issues. Genetics can cause this too being passed down into the eggs.

 

[IvyShine]

The baby quail is doing well. She is eating the bits of egg, and doing good poops. I don't ever see her drinking the water, but I to drip it into her mouth with my finger, or a water bottle (one of the suck-cap lid things, with a tiny bit of water dribbling out), so she doesn't get dehydrated.
She looks happier and has gotten stronger, now being able to stand up on her hocks, as well as being able to stand up while leaning on something.

This afternoon, I was checking her, and saw a lump on her neck. I was like 'Oh no, she has a tumor, and I'm gonna have to put her down!' I got very sad, as she is my most tamest baby. Upon further research, I found out it was just her crop.
Anyway, I have been doing leg exercises with her, and that has been helping a lot. It is just moving her legs beck and forward gently while holding her.

One of the other quails, who is a bit older seems to be getting weaker. It looks like it's getting the same problem as the first baby, but it is still much stronger in the legs. It walks around like it is squatting, but not walking on it's hocks. This is the same way one of my adult quail walks, who, for some reason is the most tame of my three adults. I am sort of noticing a trend: the weaker-legged quails are the most tame (but the adult one is still strong.). But that's off topic. Should I be doing leg exercises and stuff with those two quails?

Thank you two for the advice it has really helped, and I will post another update saying if she's better or worse in a day or two.

 

[TwoCrows]

The baby quail is doing well. She is eating the bits of egg, and doing good poops. I don't ever see her drinking the water, but I to drip it into her mouth with my finger, or a water bottle (one of the suck-cap lid things, with a tiny bit of water dribbling out), so she doesn't get dehydrated.
She looks happier and has gotten stronger, now being able to stand up on her hocks, as well as being able to stand up while leaning on something.

This afternoon, I was checking her, and saw a lump on her neck. I was like 'Oh no, she has a tumor, and I'm gonna have to put her down!' I got very sad, as she is my most tamest baby. Upon further research, I found out it was just her crop.
Anyway, I have been doing leg exercises with her, and that has been helping a lot. It is just moving her legs beck and forward gently while holding her.

One of the other quails, who is a bit older seems to be getting weaker. It looks like it's getting the same problem as the first baby, but it is still much stronger in the legs. It walks around like it is squatting, but not walking on it's hocks. This is the same way one of my adult quail walks, who, for some reason is the most tame of my three adults. I am sort of noticing a trend: the weaker-legged quails are the most tame (but the adult one is still strong.). But that's off topic. Should I be doing leg exercises and stuff with those two quails?

Thank you two for the advice it has really helped, and I will post another update saying if she's better or worse in a day or two.

What type of feed do you have them on? Not all feed is created equally. This could also be genetic. If the parent birds were not fed properly or carry some strange growth gene, this could have been passed down to the offspring.

I would get some Rooster Booster on line and keep this in their water for a few months. It not only has vitamins but probiotics. Probiotics help to boost the immune system and help to prevent deadly pathogens from taking hold in the intestines, which is where many diseases start.

 

[IvyShine]

I have them on a chick starter from a 'pet super centre' type place. The breeder that I got my 3 adults from was only feeding them finch seed, but they had the ground to peck at and stuff. I was initially giving them finch seed as well, but they weren't eating it. (I had both the seed and the chick starter available, and when I held the seed in my hand, they'd walk past it. Whereas, when I held the chick starter in my hand they'd eat it.)
My quails are on the ground in my yard, and they can peck at the grass and forage. They also eat this weedy thing that sort of looks like this: http://files.idealhomegarden.com/files/commons/purslane_photo_weed_identification.jpg
I also give them lawn clippings that have started to decompose, and it has little silverfishy bugs in it, which they like to eat. I have been doing this for a while, this isn't bad is it?

The chicks are eating eating the same brand (same as chicken starter) of turkey starter (I don't have any of this in my area, but I saw it at the markets one time) and some water. I have also given them bits of egg, as well as the sick chick.

Anyways, last night, the chick did something, I'm not sure what, and now it's almost fully healed! It can stand up by it's self (a tad wobbly), and can take a few steps at a time. I'm so happy! I do hope she gets fully better soon.

Oh, and none of it's toes are curled, forgot to say that in my first update.


Edit: I think they also fed the quails layer mix too...

 

[TwoCrows]

Ok, good that they are on a gamebird food. Sounds like the problem may lie in the fact that they only had finch seed available to them. And no doubt all his breeder birds are on finch seed as well. Finch seed is great for a treat, but it can not sustain a healthy life for quail, especially growing quail. Your babies were definitely lacking in all kinds of nutrients and so were the parent birds, I am sure. They may all heal over time being on a good quail food now. But if you are not happy with the progress of the energy levels and health, you might get some poultry vitamins in them. Even some probiotics to help boost the immune system.

Good luck and I hope your quail grow to be happy and healthy, especially this little one having the troubles!

 

[IvyShine]

Thanks!

 

[IvyShine]

Just an update, not that anyone reads this anymore:

All of the quails are doing well, and the sick quail is fully healed and as healthy as the other ones. They should soon start to lay, and have gone through their first molt. The little sick quail is a girl, and I think that of the 6, there are 1 or 2 boys.

Thought I'd post what happened to them just in case the same thing happened to someone else's quail babies.

 

[Rainy_dayz]

Just an update, not that anyone reads this anymore:

All of the quails are doing well, and the sick quail is fully healed and as healthy as the other ones. They should soon start to lay, and have gone through their first molt. The little sick quail is a girl, and I think that of the 6, there are 1 or 2 boys.

Thought I'd post what happened to them just in case the same thing happened to someone else's quail babies.

Yes this had just happened to one of mine and I was looking up what to do and all of the articles I read was saying spratle leg but her legs arent sticking out she just lays on them