Incubated Baby Button Quail (HELP)

[BellaTweety]

Three days ago I hatched two button quail chicks, I kept them in the Incubator for the first two days but soon realized that I was disturbing the temperature! So I quickly took them out and put them in a clear plastic tub with timothy hay and a heating pad. They have chick starter feed available to them and water. But I am scared to leave them too long because they can't seem to recognize the heat source and are getting chills. They have also been unable to find the food and water even though I moved it near them. This is my first clutch and I am very concerned that I am doing something wrong. Please help. I will post pictures soon.

 

[Athaid]

Maybe if you peck at the food to show them where it is. A mother would be showing them how to do this stuff. You could also make a hot water bottle and wrap it up so it doesn't burn them and then sit them on it in the box. I'm sure you're doing fine

 

[DK newbie]

I don't know much about brooders as my buttons raise their own chicks, but the chicks seem attracted to large (button quail sized) dark objects, so perhaps you can place something like that in the heat pad area? A small teddy bear or something? And pecking at the food usually works with chickens and ducklings at least, so I'd think it'll work with quail as well. Chick starter, however, might not be suitable for quail. They need around 24% protein and I doubt you'll find any chick starter that's that high. You can mix it with hard boiled eggs to increase the protein. And make sure the feed is small enough for the chicks to eat, you might have to grind it to powder size.

 

[BellaTweety]

Thanks for the help. I tried a fluffy toy near the heating pad but they lost interest fast. I made my brooder a bit smaller and they seem to be staying warm but no avail to the feed. I've added some hard boiled eggs to their feed (I wasn't sure because that's what the adults eat) but no matter how many times I show them the food they can't seem to recognize it as food again. It also doesn't help that one of the chicks is deathly afraid of me.

 

[DK newbie]

Oow Well.. If you really don't think they are gonna make it as it is, I might actually try to introduce an adult to them. I have a group of 3 hens and a roo living together and on one occasion I've experienced a not-broody hen helping to care for the chicks hatched by another. I initially separated her when the chicks came, because she was quite interested in their toes, but when they were about a week old, I released her. They'd been able to see each other all the time. The chicks tried to hide under her for warmth and she'd run away, but one in particular kept chasing her and peeping when she ran away and that really seemed to bother her. Eventually (about 20 minutes, I think) she seemed to realize that the peeping stopped if she just allowed it to hide under her and after that it didn't take long before she was caring for the chicks just as much as the other hens - and the roo, he's also a very good dad. So I think it might be possible to get an adult to help you raise the chicks. Or maybe I was just extremely lucky..

 

[BellaTweety]

...

Oow Well.. If you really don't think they are gonna make it as it is, I might actually try to introduce an adult to them. I have a group of 3 hens and a roo living together and on one occasion I've experienced a not-broody hen helping to care for the chicks hatched by another. I initially separated her when the chicks came, because she was quite interested in their toes, but when they were about a week old, I released her. They'd been able to see each other all the time. The chicks tried to hide under her for warmth and she'd run away, but one in particular kept chasing her and peeping when she ran away and that really seemed to bother her. Eventually (about 20 minutes, I think) she seemed to realize that the peeping stopped if she just allowed it to hide under her and after that it didn't take long before she was caring for the chicks just as much as the other hens - and the roo, he's also a very good dad. So I think it might be possible to get an adult to help you raise the chicks. Or maybe I was just extremely lucky..
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I tried to put her in with them and it worked for awhile, but when they came out from under she was confused and started to peck at them. Any advice? Or because she's not broody will this just not happen.

 

[rottlady]

I raised a ton of Buttons back in the 80's. Because I knew them to be a skittish bird I actually pulled each chick as it hatched and kept in in my bra til dry so they imprinted on me. They were still flighty dingbats as adults but as chicks it helped a lot.
Back then I just fed mine Petamine, and super crushed hardboiled egg. They quickly got big enough to eat cage bird finch seed though. If I was raising them now though I'd probably feed them the same but add game bird starter when they were big enough or grind it to a powder

 

[BellaTweety]

Hello everyone. Thank you so much for supporting me in this thread. Sadly we lost one of our incubated baby's. Shortly afterwards I remembered my green cheek conure, and how sweet she is towards other birds. Long story short I put her in the brooder and she was a little confused but then fluffed up and became a first time mother! They are so cute together and inseparable. They become so distraught when Momma has to leave. But the best part is, is that she made her nest on the heating pad! So now whenever she has to go out little button stays seated in her nest unless she has to eat or drink. It is so cute when our conure Sunny tries to feed her XD. This is quite the miracle, thanks everyone and happy Mother's Day.

 

[DK newbie]

Oh wow. A parrot raising a button What happens when she tries to feed it? She's not being too hard on it? It only leaves the nest when she does? And she doesn't try to get it to stay in the nest? Has it learned how to eat on its own?

 

[BellaTweety]

Oh wow. A parrot raising a button What happens when she tries to feed it? She's not being too hard on it? It only leaves the nest when she does? And she doesn't try to get it to stay in the nest? Has it learned how to eat on its own?

Dk newbie,
It really is extraordinary that she adopted the chick as her own, considering she has never raised her own before and has no mate. So far she has only succeeded in feeding the baby once, and is thoroughly confused that it can eat on its own. She has always been a very gentle and considerate bird and is very careful with the baby, except for an occasional preening. The baby does not take to kindly to that XD. But as soon as it starts to cry she stops, its quite funny when it cries and she thinks that its hungry. The baby stays in the nest and waits for her mother to return when she has to go back in her cage, for I cannot leave her in the brooder all day. The baby got very upset last night when "mama" left. Poor thing cried all night, but at least its staying on the heat pad now. (And yes baby buttons can eat on their own the moment their borne, but my conure Sunny doesn't understand that.