Is my hutch appropriate?

[Green Bean Quail]

Hey all!
here’s my brooder for my three babies. Just wondering, is it appropriate? One of my chicks is losing feathers on the edges of her wings so is there too little room? I can’t fix the white light, we live in rural area and it will take three weeks for a ref light to arrive (no Petsmarts or anything to get the right one) so by then they won’t need it. I added two “huts” to try and give them a darkroom if needed.

they are on 24% protien (should I add more?) have fresh (grounded with a mortar) food and water constantly. I just worry about the feather loss. Any tips for improving quality in brooder? Home remedies would be great because I am too far away to get much.(2-3 hr from nearest pets mart/petco.) I order most of my supplies

 

[Quailobsessed]

It looks pretty good. The starter I give mine contains 28% protein but 24% is fine. How old are they and how many are there?

 

[ValerieJ]

Can you get a close up of the feather loss? Have you checked them for mites? How old are they?

The space looks fine to me, and honestly they use white lights in the chick bins at our Wilco where I buy my chicks and haven't had a blind one yet. If you have a heating pad that doesn't automatically turn off, you can make a mama heat tunnel pretty easily and forgo light altogether.

 

[Green Bean Quail]

Can you get a close up of the feather loss? Have you checked them for mites? How old are they?

The space looks fine to me, and honestly they use white lights in the chick bins at our Wilco where I buy my chicks and haven't had a blind one yet. If you have a heating pad that doesn't automatically turn off, you can make a mama heat tunnel pretty easily and forgo light altogether.

They are about four days old! I hatched them myself and I’m pretty baffled by the feather loss because they’re completely isolated from all other animals and I’m the only person who handles them, plus I wash hands before and after! Only three of them. The feather loss is only on one, here’s a pic.

 

[Green Bean Quail]

It looks pretty good. The starter I give mine contains 28% protein but 24% is fine. How old are they and how many are there?

Four days old, only three chicks. Bad hatch rate for this batch

 

[ValerieJ]

Don't feel bad. I had only one hatch out of 12!!! I had to go buy some chicks to help him hatch. Yep, and it was a little cockerel.

I'm a little puzzled by the feather loss too. Try giving them some nutri-drench in their water, and direct dose the one with feather loss. If you don't have nutri-drench, you can use electrolytes. You can make your own electrolytes, if you need to. Recipes readily available online.

Is the little one acting normally in every other way? Normal poops, eating and drinking, all that? You have plenty of space for them, and with the little shelters you have provided avenues of escape. I don't think it is from pecking. Have you seen the others peck this one?

 

[Green Bean Quail]

Don't feel bad. I had only one hatch out of 12!!! I had to go buy some chicks to help him hatch. Yep, and it was a little cockerel.

I'm a little puzzled by the feather loss too. Try giving them some nutri-drench in their water, and direct dose the one with feather loss. If you don't have nutri-drench, you can use electrolytes. You can make your own electrolytes, if you need to. Recipes readily available online.

Is the little one acting normally in every other way? Normal poops, eating and drinking, all that? You have plenty of space for them, and with the little shelters you have provided avenues of escape. I don't think it is from pecking. Have you seen the others peck this one?

Thanks! They’ve all been eating and drinking normally, the one with feather loss was actually the first to get the hang of feed and water bowls and show the others! I will try to order the nutri grow but it will take a while to make it to my house. In the meantime, is it life-threatening to let her be? She grooms herself, but doesn’t take out any feathers, and I’ve never seen the others peck her besides when they’re all trying to pile into my hand for grooming (I brush them occasionally with a sterilized toothbrush)

 

[ValerieJ]

Maybe for now, stop brushing them. Is this something you have always done for your chicks? I'm just wondering if the down feathers are too fragile for it. I think you can get Nutri-drench on Amazon. They ship in 2 days to me and I'm rural. Meanwhile, here is one recipe for electrolytes made from ingredients you probably have in your cabinet.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2017/05/how-to-make-homemade-electrolytes-for.html

I think your chick will be fine, since there are no other symptoms. Sweet chicks!!!

 

[Green Bean Quail]

Maybe for now, stop brushing them. Is this something you have always done for your chicks? I'm just wondering if the down feathers are too fragile for it. I think you can get Nutri-drench on Amazon. They ship in 2 days to me and I'm rural. Meanwhile, here is one recipe for electrolytes made from ingredients you probably have in your cabinet.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2017/05/how-to-make-homemade-electrolytes-for.html

I think your chick will be fine, since there are no other symptoms. Sweet chicks!!!

Thanks so much! I will pause brushing for a bit and let them do their thing. I’ll get rolling on those electrolytes as well! Also, they are starting to get their flight feathers (poking through their baby fluff already and maybe that’s what’s caused the loss? Either way, as long as it’s not hurting their health I’ll let it be. I’ll think the little chick is beautiful even with weird feathering if she never grows out of this! ​

 

[ValerieJ]

Thanks so much! I will pause brushing for a bit and let them do their thing. I’ll get rolling on those electrolytes as well! Also, they are starting to get their flight feathers (poking through their baby fluff already and maybe that’s what’s caused the loss? Either way, as long as it’s not hurting their health I’ll let it be. I’ll think the little chick is beautiful even with weird feathering if she never grows out of this! ​

Oh! Are we looking at pin feathers already? That's surprising. I think you have one special chick there.