Help with newly hatched chick care

[ecogen]

We just had a one day-old coturnix chick die. The temp in the brooder is fine, we have ground Purina game bird crumbles, and of course water with marbles in them.

there was a previous post on apple cider vinegar in water, but besides that debate what am i missing? Do they need vitamins, oyster shell, or grit at this stage? thanks.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

They don't need oyester shell or grit yet. The crumbles should be complete for them.

What kind of bedding are you using? Softwood coniferous trees aren't good for their resperatory systems. Pine, cedar, ect.

Do you cook in the same room? I remember reading a post by a guy who cooked with his teflon frypan only to have the fumes kill his chicks.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Also how many chicks have you got? It's not that unusual for 1 or 2 chicks to die in a batch. Was it healthy upon hatching? No foot problems or 'oddness' about it?

 

[ecogen]

The chick was healthy and although we are still hatching there are about 10 as of now.

I am using wood chips from Tractor Supply. They assured me that there was no cedar in there or anything to harm chicks. Maybe too trusting??

They are in the garage so no cooking fumes. I heard that new teflon pans can kill birds with fumes from the first use.

Thoughts?

 

[JJMR794]

1st-- Use Paper Towels Or The Non Slip Shelf Liner For The 1st Week Of Life To Prevent Spraddle Leg.

2nd-- Never Ever Trust Tsc Worker--- They Just Dont Have The Experience To Be Able To Answer Accurately On Everything

3rd--- Its Very Normal To Loose Chicks In The 1st 48 Hrs Of Life And Again At Days 4-6 --- Its Just A Quail Thing...

4th Use Aspen Shaving For Bedding After Week 1.

5th Can You Say For Absolute Certain That They Are Drinking? Quail Can Be A Lil Dense On The Finer Things In Life.... Like What It Takes To Survive!

Nothing But Food And Water For Week1, Then If You Wish You Can Add Dilute---- Lemme Stress This--- Dilute! Vitamins And Minerals + Plain WAter As Well. This Is Important As The Vitamins And Minerals Can Make Them Dehydrated So They Also Need Access To Plain Clean Water As Well.

I Do Not Give Grit Or Oyster Shell Until About 4 Wks Old, If Then.... Many Never Give This To Their Stock And They Have No Problems. Same With The Vitamin/minerals...

Also Place A Shiny Dime Or 2 On Top Of The Ground Up Gamebird Food Your Using-- It Peaks Their Curiosity And Helps Them "find The Food And Figure Out That They Like It" Or Helps Teach Them What Food Is So They Will Catch On And Eat It.
,
Keep The Water Font As Far Away From The Heat Lamp As Possible Too--- This Helps Prevent Drowning Or Cold Wet Chicks.

 

[saddina]

Did it get wet and chilled? I use the finch waters at the pet store so they can't get themselves wet.

 

[kingmt]

Quote:

But very true.

Quote:
I wish I would have known that before I picked on the food container for an hour & maybe my finger wouldn't have been so sore.

 

[shelleyd2008]

One question I have is that you say the brooder temp is 'fine', but what is the temp? Your idea of fine, and the definition of fine, might not be the same thing.

If the chick is between 1-2 days old, it probably wasn't eating. Keep them on paper towels so you can sprinkle some of their feed on top. When they walk over the feed it will 'move' and get them interested. Once they figure out what it is, it won't matter where it's at. At least the first 3 days they should be on paper.

For chicks that young, I don't know if apple cider vinegar would be a good choice. They could probably use some vitamins and/or electrolytes. Either get a combination of the two from the feed store, or get the poly-vi-sol infant (human-non iron fortified) drops, and give each chick a drop in their mouth.

You can also add sugar to the water, but I've heard both good and bad things about that. Stick with the vitamins. You can also put something like pedialyte in their water, instead of getting the vit/elect. mix from the feed store.