Quail chick not growing?

[Alwaysfowlplay]

Hey everyone, I just recently hatched quail last week for the first time, you might have seen me on the hatch along thread. I have 7 chicks, all are developing well except for 1. He’s tiny. He was born last Monday, where the others were Sunday-Tuesday. He was always the smallest, 1 of 2 that hatched that pipped the wrong end. I didn’t help him at all and it took well over 24 hours for him to make it out. I did end up helping the other one. They were roughly the same size although he was just a tiny bit smaller, but now even the other one is quite large compared to him. He looks barely bigger than the day he hatched and is almost a week old. The others are getting their feathers but he is not. He is sleepy but active and does eat and drink. No bad poops that I’ve noticed. What can I do? He’s honestly our favorite because he’s the only one we actually got to watch hatch and we’re rooting for him because he’s the runt. They are on an unmedicated game bird starter, I add apple cidar vinegar and a clove of garlic to the waterer. I even added a crushed up B vitamin in the food because I had some curled toes and a leg splay (although both were from chicks that had a heck of a time hatching). Should I add honey to the water? Give him some boiled egg? Should I section him off to his own area so he’s not getting trampled and I can monitor exactly how much food he’s getting?
In the photo he’s on the right of the bottom 2 chicks.

 

[mdees88]

Curled toes and splayed leg are most likely from too high of humidity during incubation. Make sure he doesn't have pasty butt (look for stuck poo on his butt). In my last hatch I had a runt and unfortunately he had pasty butt and I didn't catch it for a while. I fixed it and he is 4 weeks old now but it less than half the size of the other quail.

 

[Alwaysfowlplay]

Curled toes and splayed leg are most likely from too high of humidity during incubation. Make sure he doesn't have pasty butt (look for stuck poo on his butt). In my last hatch I had a runt and unfortunately he had pasty butt and I didn't catch it for a while. I fixed it and he is 4 weeks old now but it less than half the size of the other quail.

I ran 35-45% the first 18 and 55-65% at lockdown. Out of 7 I had 2 with curled toes (and one of those was the 1 with a splayed leg) and they were the ones that had the hardest times hatching. What humidity would you suggest? No signs of pasty butt currently.

 

[mdees88]

35-45 is not bad if your gauge is accurate. I used to run 45-50% and always had a couple splayed or curled toes. My last hatch I was at 38 and had no leg problems but the air cells were still a tad on the small side. My current eggs are at 35% and I'm weighing them this time to make sure they're losing the appropriate amount of weight... Going to try 30% next time...

 

[Kiki]

I ran 35-45% the first 18 and 55-65% at lockdown. Out of 7 I had 2 with curled toes (and one of those was the 1 with a splayed leg) and they were the ones that had the hardest times hatching. What humidity would you suggest? No signs of pasty butt currently.

I'd lower the humidity next time and I'd bet you have less or no curled toes.

 

[Alwaysfowlplay]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think this chick isn’t going to make it. Very weak, rapid breathing. Feels bony and doesn’t seem to be eating or drinking now. I’m so sad.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Thanks for the advice guys. I think this chick isn’t going to make it. Very weak, rapid breathing. Feels bony and doesn’t seem to be eating or drinking now. I’m so sad.

Have you separated the chick from the rest of the group?

 

[Alwaysfowlplay]

Have you separated the chick from the rest of the group?

Yes I did. It had its own area and food and water so I can see how much it is eating and drinking.

 

[Quailobsessed]

Yes I did. It had its own area and food and water so I can see how much it is eating and drinking.

How is the chick doing now?

 

[Alwaysfowlplay]

How is the chick doing now?

It died the next day. Poor thing, but at least it isn’t suffering. My toddler hasn’t seemed to notice so that’s a plus.