new baby questions???

[imagine]

Ok, so I have always wanted to keep chickens. Hubby says they're just not gonna work for him. So i talked him into letting me keep quails. Awesome! I have been doing my research on coturnix since then and had bought some hatching eggs from someone in Los Angeles...I had already built my own styrofoam incubator and had stabilized the temp/humidity...I didn't want to over do it so I only bought a dozen eggs. My kids and I were so excited I was expecting atleast 2 or 3 ATLEAST to hatch...hatch day came and went, none hatched I cracked them all open and pretty much i got ripped off...none were even fertilized So i decided I'd put the whole project on hold until January. BUT THEN a friend of mine who keeps chickens had to make a trip to the feed store and they had quail chicks so of course she calls me and tells me how cute they are and the next day (yesterday) I'm at the feed store picking out 4 quails. They are about three weeks old and I got 3 wild colored ones that I made sure had some good spotting on their chests and then i got one that is white with some wild colored spots on its back and side with a yellow head, I'm pretty sure he is a boy as he seems to be attempting to crow. So here is the part I am needing input on....

I tried to make sure to pick healthy birds...but I noticed when I got them out of the box that there was some runny poo in the box and now that I have them in their brooder, I am still seeing one runny poo....So i was wondering if anyone can lend any advice on what I can feed to try and get them healthier faster, I have already been adding a little apple cider vinegar to their water. They are running around just fine and eating and drinking just fine but i also noticed that one of them keeps stretching its legs out behind it and then lying on its side pretty often...??? And also one more thing...one of them has poop caked onto one of its toes...the toe doesn't look swollen so I figured I could run some warm water over it and it might come right off....some of it did, but not all and I didn't want to force it off because I was afraid I could rip her precious skin...but I was thinking maybe try setting this foot in some water with bit of peroxide or something to break down what is on there...???

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[DK newbie]

I've never had coturnix, but I wouldn't worry too much about the runny poo, as long as they seem healthy otherwise and you are sure you are feeding them a diet that fits their needs. Apple cider vinegar should be a good way to try to solve it.
With regards to poop cakes, my buttons seem to get them quite often, but I have found a relatively easy way to get rid of them without handling the bird much. I take a small hamster cage, cover the bottom with pebbles, place the affected birds in the cage and pour in lukewarm water so it almost covers the pebbles. Theory is the water dissolves the poop and the pebbles remove the dissolved poop so the water can get to the next layer. It might work as well without the pebbles, haven't tried. It usually takes 1½-2 hours to clean them this way, but being together with friends in the hamster cage they don't seem to get too stressed and I won't risk hurting their toes when doing it like that.

 

[imagine]

Thank you so much, I will definitely try that I so appreciate your advice. Have you ever heard of anything like what I said about the one stretching it's legs at all?

 

[Laurens]

I am also new. It freaked me out when mine were babies and would lay on their sides and stretch with legs straight out but I think it's normal. When I first brought them home at 1 week old I thought they were dying when they would fall asleep face down and legs out but then I realized they are just like any other baby, they run and eat and then fall asleep wherever. Sometimes right in the food lol. Sounds like normal stretching and sleeping behaviour to me but like I said, I am also new.

 

[imagine]

I am so excited to finally have them I want to make sure they're completely healthy, I'm sure I'm not the only one around these parts. do you keep coturnix as well?

 

[Del1977]

Completely normal for them to lay on their side with legs stretched out to sleep when they are young. Don't seem to do it so much once they reach maturity. Gave me a fright the first time we saw one doing it as thought it was dying.

Soaking caked foot in warm water is the only was to get that poo off, and the pebble idea sounds like a good way to do it.

 

[dc3085]

Use a large tub with a hole cut in the lid and wire over the hole just like a brooder. Put em in warm water lock the lid down and let them soak for a half hour at a time between tries.

 

[imagine]

So I was about to do the pebble thing last night and guess what? I didn't have to! There was no poo on any of their toes thanks everyone

 

[Laurens]

I am also keeping cotournix. Don't worry I am equally paranoid! I want them to be healthy. Believe me, I've spent hours already giving quail pedicures!

 

[imagine]

Ok so just for fun...or not... What sex do you think???