Lockdown day for quail

[caseymacom]

I have 20 quail eggs in the incubator, just put them on lockdown, this is the first go with quail (only incubated chicken) so im really excited, anyone got any advice on brooding them that is different from chickens?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Make sure they can't drown in the water dish, warmth and you're good to go. Luck!

 

[caseymacom]

Should the brooder temp be the same as it is for chicks?

 

[pkhunter]

Should the brooder temp be the same as it is for chicks?

I keep mine at 95 first week, lower it 5 degrees every week. Warm water and ground up food for a week and make sure they can't get wet.

 

[caseymacom]

Ok thank u very much, is the game bird/showbird starter feed from tractor supply ok?

 

[pkhunter]

Ok thank u very much, is the game bird/showbird starter feed from tractor supply ok?

It's 24% so it should be ok, but at $6.49 for 5# I would check with some other feed stores. I feed my birds 28% gamebird from day one with no problem. I buy from a feed mill and only pay $13 for 50# but I have a lot of quail and go through a bag a week right now. Most feed store here carry Purina gamebird at 30% about $22 here. I use Bryant's feed but I think they only sell in Texas. Good luck with your hatch.

 

[Binki]

Definitely make sure you go with game bird "starter" feed with high protein - there seems to be threads here created every other week by people who are having their several day old chicks all die off simply because they're not being fed the proper food. "Layer" and "finisher" aren't going to cut it

 

[Binki]

Oh also baby quail aren't too smart So it's best to have "boring" ground like paper towels instead of shavings or sand they make mistake for food, they usually pick up on eating pretty quick, sometimes by themselves and sometimes you have to peck at it with your finger to get one going which will show the others. As another poster mentioned it definitely has to be crushed would recommend a blender because it gets tedious doing it by hand for about two weeks hehe!

The biggest thing is water - it's a danger for drowning so people use marbles/rocks in it. Also, they usually need to be taught what water is, like food but more difficult xD!

Some people dip their beaks in the water, I like to crush a little bit of dried grass and sprinkle it on the water so it's floating on the surface. Then, I dip my finger in the water and this will make the grass move around on the water's surface, attracting any looking quail and insisting it be pecked at which is when they discover the water source

 

[caseymacom]

Ok I started with 20 eggs 4 wasnt fertile, 1 was a quitter, 15 hatched, 2 I had to euthanize had bad spraddle leg so I ended up with 13 beautiful babies that are almost 2 weeks old...YAAYY

 

[caseymacom]