My baby quail keep dying...help

[shesaredroan]

mmmmm, you really are having troubles. Have you talked to your feed store about this? Or perhaps the place where you got your eggs?

 

[Denninmi]

Have you tried antibiotics? At the first sign of any trouble, I put my hatchlings on a course of tetracycline and either penicillin, streptomyacin, or a cephalosporin like cephalex. I also use an electrolyte solution instead of plain water. I just recently heard about using apple cider vinegar in the water as well, so have added that to the routine, I figure it can't hurt. Finally, I use Avitron vitamin supplement for birds in the water.

This has gotten some that were pretty doubtful to survive.

Finally, one other thought -- what are you using for bedding, how often do you clean it, and what are the conditions underneath. Mold growing in the bedding or underneath it can cause "brooder pneumonia" due to toxic mold spores.

I'm so sorry to hear you lost so many birds. It must be very discouraging. I hope you can figure out what the problem is before they are all gone.

 

[wildmountainboy]

We are having the same problem, this was our first time and we incubated 70 Pharaoh and 12 bob white. 14 of the Pharaoh hatched 6 days ago. 3 did not live long enough to make it to the brooder. and one by one they have been dying we only have 5 left.

We have marbles in their water dish and are feeding them regular chick feed from the feed store but grinding it in a coffee grinder. We add some freeze dried meal worms (Aqua Culture brand) to the mix as a protein supplement before we grind. They all drink and eat vigorously and seem pretty healthy and active until we find them dead.

Our Brooder is a 10gal aquarium with a gripy foam cabinet liner. A plant light is set up in one corner facing from the inside out and the temp fluctuates from 94* to 96* directly under the light.

9 our Bob white eggs hatched today and are almost ready for the brooder, I need to know if we are doing something wrong. or is this a normal mortality rate for quail?

 

[SSTupperware]

Interesting to know, but 250 w in Orlando will fry an egg this time of year, or maybe steam it...

 

[blacktop240]

I know it's a lot later... But on my coturnix quail and buttons I use blue seal high protein crumbles. I then take my small food processor and chop until it's the same consistency of my chick starter. I do not use any medicated food with my quail! After 2-3 weeks I do a rough chop then a week or so later just straight crumbles. For water they all get save a chick electrolytes for at least the first week. Then I usually switch to a regular vitamin supplement every other day. The brood is a reptile enclosure that is 3ft long x 2 1/2ft deep x 2ft tall. Temps stay in the 96-98 range until they are feathered out then dropped slowly to room temp. I have only had fatalities when my 4 yr old thought it would be funny to yell booo! Then a few cracked there heads bad and died pretty soon after. He cried and doesn't do that anymore. I handle the buttons and the coturnix and neither one are really skittish. The coturnix even jump into your hand and like to be held. Oh and they do get chick grit once feathered as well as fine crushed oyster shell for egg laying. So button 7 deaths in 2 yrs and coturnix a big 0 deaths. Hope that helps anyone having issues that finds this thread.

 

[shabbyfarm]

I am also losing a quail or two a day. They are eating chick starter that has been ground up fine,drinking water, running around, i do have a heat lamp in one corner of their box, (but their box is 6 feet long and two feet wide, they can self regulate heat), But when i check in on them one or two will be dead, and there seems to be small amounts of blood on and around their feet and legs.

 

[SavageChick]

Regarding the bloody feet/legs, here is a posting link that may be of help to you...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/774946/baby-quail-with-bloody-legs-feet#post_11071114

 

[shabbyfarm]

I went from a 250 watt red heat lamp bulb to a 25 watt regular red light bulb and put it down closer to the quail, and quit losing quail at that point. Thanks for the suggestions that the Heat might be to high. Hopefully this will save the last seven quail.

 

[mnhausfrau]

My daughter hatched quail eggs for school. 7 came out...now after day 3, 1 little chick won't eat/drink. Much smaller than the others. We made up the Poly-vi-sol +sugar+trace elements and are trying to syringe it into her...but don't know if we are just prolonging the inevitable. She is peeping quite frequently, little peep, peep,peep. Won't try to open her mouth to feed her. Takes a few steps backward. We thought they were all doing well, but we should have made sure each one was eating and drinking.
Any tips with the syringe?

 

[tx_dane_mom]

Well, at least I'm not the only one :-( I got 14 babies who did great for 2 nights & now they're dropping off steadily. I spent hours with them yesterday making them drink & eat & this morning their are 5 remaining. :-( I just told my daughter it must be genetic & not to count on the rest surviving. Shame.