Losing some quail the first day

[Kaybear1950]

I bought 103 quail and just got them today. 3 have passed already. Brooder is varying 94-100 Fahrenheit. I used chicken starter with 20% protein ground up and regular tap water. Heat lamp is on one side and I am using paper towel with some wood chips as flooring. Is this a normal loss or is something wrong with my set up?

 

[Kaybear1950]

Picture of brooder. It is a large plastic tub. In this picture warm side is 96 and cold is 94.

 

[Nabiki]

Quail require more protein than that. I believe that 25-28% is ideal.

Sometimes chicks just fail to thrive as well, but I'm pointing fingers at the food.

 

[Kaybear1950]

Quail require more protein than that. I believe that 25-28% is ideal.

Sometimes chicks just fail to thrive as well, but I'm pointing fingers at the food.

When I am at tractor supply I see 29.8% gamebird starter. Is that too high?

 

[Kaybear1950]

Will the electrolytes hurt them?

 

[Nabiki]

When I am at tractor supply I see 29.8% gamebird starter. Is that too high?

That should be fine. You can lower the protein as they get older, but that would be good for the chicks.

 

[Kaybear1950]

That should be fine. You can lower the protein as they get older, but that would be good for the chicks.

Okay, I got the feed, ground it up and they are loving it. No new mortalities yet. I'll check in tomorrow.

 

[JaeG]

The highest protein food I can get in my country is 20% and mine grow just fine on that. Sometimes they don't figure out the food and/or water even with all of the other chicks showing them what to do.

I've had one like recently that so I put it in with my littlies (I had a very staggered hatch because I was naughty and just keep adding eggs over the course of 4 days - not the first time either , then some hatched on day 15 as the initial eggs weren't freshly collected so the hot weather we've had must've jumped started them, so hatching went on for a week!).

Anyway, it is now eating and drinking just fine and is no longer lethargic, but it doesn't seem to be growing so I'll wait and see what happens with it.

It isn't unusual to lose the odd few and as long as the rest are looking active and happy they'll be fine. The first 4 days seem to be the most critical and once they are past that you can relax.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Your brooder is pretty crowded too. Smaller, weaker chicks could be trampled.

 

[mdees88]

I use 30% turkey starter and I also add electrolytes to the water. 24% chick starter is generally accepted as the lowest protien you want to use. I typically lose 1-3 out of a hundred in the first day or two. Usually they're the last ones that hatched (smallest birds in the brooder) or ones that I assisted to hatch.....

That brooder is a tad on the small side. You're going to need second one for sure once the get bigger anyway. I use 55-gallon totes from home Depot. They are roughly 4ft x 20in and make excellent brooders. Here's a link to them....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/diy-storage-tote-quail-chick-brooder.1247747/