Quailerino
Flailing
Hi All,
One of our coturnix quail chicks hatched at 2pm yesterday and died at 10am this morning. I'm at a loss for what I did wrong and am hoping for your advice & insight. I don't want the same fate to befall my other chicks.
Here's how this chick's very brief life went:
- Hatched at 2pm. Removed from incubator at 3:15pm
- Placed in 91F brooder box with two other quail chicks, both less than 48 hours old. Immediately began running around, and cuddling with the other two chicks.
- Introduced to clean, warm water at 5:30pm. with clean hands, I tapped into the little dish with my left index finger. None of the quail seem to come over when I do this, so after about 30 seconds of tapping, I pick them up gently, one at a time, and dip the very tip of their beak in the water (being careful not to submerge their nose holes). I repeat this every 3-4 hours, each time using new, clean, warm water.
- At 11pm I introduce them to 22% game crumble (the highest % I could find in my area, unfortunately) which I've ground down to something looking more like beach sand, with a mortor & pestle. They all take to the food with far greater enthusiasm than the water.
- At 2am they are all huddled together. Brooder temp still at 91F.
- At 6am they are all still huddled together. They appear to be sleeping. I don't want to wake them to make them drink. temp still steady at 91f.
- At 7am I wake them to make them drink. Everything seems normal. The little one seems lethargic and has it's eyes closed a lot. I figure it is sleepy.
- At 9am the little one hasn't moved since last handled, I pick it up and it's eyes are closed. It is panting noiselessly but seems to be gasping for air. I put some elecrolyte solution on a q-tip and try to get it to drink. It does drink some but continues quietly gasping for air. I keep feeding it electolyte solution with the q-tip.
- At about 10am it stops gasping and moving entirely in my hand. The poor thing has died.
Does anyone know what I did wrong here? I don't want this to happen to the other chicks. Any advice/insight you may have is greatly appreciated.
One of our coturnix quail chicks hatched at 2pm yesterday and died at 10am this morning. I'm at a loss for what I did wrong and am hoping for your advice & insight. I don't want the same fate to befall my other chicks.
Here's how this chick's very brief life went:
- Hatched at 2pm. Removed from incubator at 3:15pm
- Placed in 91F brooder box with two other quail chicks, both less than 48 hours old. Immediately began running around, and cuddling with the other two chicks.
- Introduced to clean, warm water at 5:30pm. with clean hands, I tapped into the little dish with my left index finger. None of the quail seem to come over when I do this, so after about 30 seconds of tapping, I pick them up gently, one at a time, and dip the very tip of their beak in the water (being careful not to submerge their nose holes). I repeat this every 3-4 hours, each time using new, clean, warm water.
- At 11pm I introduce them to 22% game crumble (the highest % I could find in my area, unfortunately) which I've ground down to something looking more like beach sand, with a mortor & pestle. They all take to the food with far greater enthusiasm than the water.
- At 2am they are all huddled together. Brooder temp still at 91F.
- At 6am they are all still huddled together. They appear to be sleeping. I don't want to wake them to make them drink. temp still steady at 91f.
- At 7am I wake them to make them drink. Everything seems normal. The little one seems lethargic and has it's eyes closed a lot. I figure it is sleepy.
- At 9am the little one hasn't moved since last handled, I pick it up and it's eyes are closed. It is panting noiselessly but seems to be gasping for air. I put some elecrolyte solution on a q-tip and try to get it to drink. It does drink some but continues quietly gasping for air. I keep feeding it electolyte solution with the q-tip.
- At about 10am it stops gasping and moving entirely in my hand. The poor thing has died.
Does anyone know what I did wrong here? I don't want this to happen to the other chicks. Any advice/insight you may have is greatly appreciated.
