Elle Beasley
Hatching
- Oct 20, 2025
- 3
- 2
- 9
Just wondering if anyone knows what an average quail chick mortality is?
We set 96 eggs (posted), 77 of which showed fertility, a couple were quitters by day 14 (brinsea incubator), had 60 chicks come out. A few were late and I ended up checking them and assisted with increasing their zip but left to push themselves out because I couldn't just leave them.
We had one which never could stand up which we sadly decided to cull after a couple of days trying and deciding its quality of life would be no good. One with splay leg and two with curled toes, a coupld of days with plasteres and they have disappeared into the group and I couldn't tell you who is who anymore. We've lost one to a sleep pile where it looks like it was crushed. One looked completely fine but died overnight at 6/7 days old. And they've just managed to drown one by tipping the whole waterer onto it - gutted because it was meant to be one the safe ones. They are now 7/8 days. We've got thermometers to monitor the heat lamp, regular bedding changes (on puppy pads atm), they're on crushed quail chick feed and in a converted wooden rabbit hutch with plenty of ventilation. They have nap times but for the most part are all very active.
The cull and the drowned one had obvious reasons but the others showed no signs. No pasty butter or weakness before. I'm getting them out 2/3 times a day to clean out so checking them then. There's another one that looked a bit lethargic compared to the others so that's in a spare incubator for now so doesn't get picked.
First time with quails but I've never had this happen with chickens. I've heard quail can be fragile but pretty concerned about the rest of them now. How many is 'normal' to lose? Is there anything else I can do? I've got some poultry tonic for the chickens, it says its safe for chicks but would it be okay to give to quail?
Sorry now panicking, I thought if they got through the first week they'd have better chances and was hoping they could onto proper bedding and start introducing them to sticks and things after next week.
We set 96 eggs (posted), 77 of which showed fertility, a couple were quitters by day 14 (brinsea incubator), had 60 chicks come out. A few were late and I ended up checking them and assisted with increasing their zip but left to push themselves out because I couldn't just leave them.
We had one which never could stand up which we sadly decided to cull after a couple of days trying and deciding its quality of life would be no good. One with splay leg and two with curled toes, a coupld of days with plasteres and they have disappeared into the group and I couldn't tell you who is who anymore. We've lost one to a sleep pile where it looks like it was crushed. One looked completely fine but died overnight at 6/7 days old. And they've just managed to drown one by tipping the whole waterer onto it - gutted because it was meant to be one the safe ones. They are now 7/8 days. We've got thermometers to monitor the heat lamp, regular bedding changes (on puppy pads atm), they're on crushed quail chick feed and in a converted wooden rabbit hutch with plenty of ventilation. They have nap times but for the most part are all very active.
The cull and the drowned one had obvious reasons but the others showed no signs. No pasty butter or weakness before. I'm getting them out 2/3 times a day to clean out so checking them then. There's another one that looked a bit lethargic compared to the others so that's in a spare incubator for now so doesn't get picked.
First time with quails but I've never had this happen with chickens. I've heard quail can be fragile but pretty concerned about the rest of them now. How many is 'normal' to lose? Is there anything else I can do? I've got some poultry tonic for the chickens, it says its safe for chicks but would it be okay to give to quail?
Sorry now panicking, I thought if they got through the first week they'd have better chances and was hoping they could onto proper bedding and start introducing them to sticks and things after next week.
