Help with 4 day old Gambel's Quail

[innof8happinesses]

hi. We have a batch of baby Quail and one is looking very weak, sleepy. We are giving fresh water with electrolytes and a few grains of sugar but not getting it peppy. We feed medicated chick start. Our other quail do fine on this as this is what our local feed bin sells. Anyone suggest anything else to help this sweet little baby? thanks. My 13 year old prides herself in taking care of her babies and does not want to lose this one. She lost 2 a few weeks ago that we hatched from abandoned wild eggs. They seemed very healthy and then just died after a few days. We disinfected before buying these new babies from a local person. We also have 3 week old Bob White Quail who are doing very well (in addition to our outdoor chicken flock and Sun Room Parrots). The Quail are all inside. Our weather is typically around 105 degrees right now and sometimes gets over 90 degrees in the house.

Would love any suggestions! Thanks so much!

 

[TwoCrows]

If he is the only chick that is not doing well and this stays this way, then sometimes some chicks are not meant to make it to adulthood, no matter how much care they get. If others start to go the way of this chick, then it is definitely something in the environment.

Make sure the temp in the brooder is 97 degrees for 4 day olds. The temp is lowered by 5 degrees each week till they are 5 or 6 weeks old. Keep the heat on one side of the brooder and the feed and water on the other so they have to leave the heat to get to the goods.

If it is that warm outside and the house gets too warm, you may not need heat in the brooder. But monitor the temp closely. Babies need a lot of heat. 97 degrees the first week of life. If they are piling on each other under the light, it is too cold. If they are laying at the sides of the brooder layed out and panting, then it is too hot.

If he starts to develop any other symptoms, like respiratory or diarrhea ailments, then you might want to use some antibiotics in his water for a week or so. If he has something, then so do the others.

The medicated feed will not cause this issue, however at 6 weeks, get them on nonmedicated feed.

 

[innof8happinesses]

Thank you for the reply! I added a single drop of colloidal silver to the water to help with general health. In the past this has helped baby chicks. We are fairly new to quail so we were not sure if we were missing something. We greatly appreciate your thoughtful response!