Quail chick rejected by siblings

[Jannbo]

So a few days ago I posted about a 10 day old coturnix chick that was looking really bad and wasn’t growing at all. I separated it to its own brooder and it bounced back after getting electrolyte water and vitamins mixed in. Now they’re all 5 days old and while he’s still about 3/4 the size of the others, he has most of his energy back so I decided to put him with the others in a new brooder while I cleaned his brooder. They seemed confused at first while he was happy. Quickly though they circled up on him and began attacking him. I grabbed him out before they could draw any blood or pull any feathers so physically he’s fine but I know he’s lonely. During the day he cries a bit, but at night he cries nonstop from about 7pm till 1:30am or whenever he cries himself to sleep. He has a mirror that he loves and is constantly looking into and resting against, but he obviously needs other birds since he was born and raised with them for awhile. I’m a bit at a loss for what to do honestly because him crying like this during the day is one thing, I can manage that, but till 1:30 am is an entirely different story. The others are chill now, but he’s been crying ever since I took him back out. I got him to calm down a bit when I held him and carried him outside while I was dumping out the food he’d gotten under the paper towel. I brought him out in his brooder for a bit and he liked it, but I can’t leave him outside. The high is 97 degrees Fahrenheit and he doesn’t have all his feathers yet to regulate his temperature, and I can’t stay out there all day to be sure he’s safe.

He’s still eating and drinking fine. He hasn’t taken a poop yet but the one he took in the towel I held him in looked normal.

Is it best just to keep them apart until they’re adults? Some way to safely introduce him or just wait till he’s reached their size? It’s clear he’s lonely despite his stuffed animal and mirror

 

[Holdthechicken]

Maybe try to put one or two in with him? I figure if it’s one against all of them they may have a mob mentality but maybe one on one would be less tense and then introducing both together after a day or so?

 

[Jannbo]

Maybe try to put one or two in with him? I figure if it’s one against all of them they may have a mob mentality but maybe one on one would be less tense and then introducing both together after a day or so?

Not a bad idea. I'll give it a try tomorrow so they can kinda reset and what happened this morning isn't fresh on their mind

 

[Nabiki]

I would try putting one chick in with the little one for company.

 

[007Sean]

I agree with @Nabiki , try putting a different chick in with it until you find one that won't pick on it.

 

[Jannbo]

I would try putting one chick in with the little one for company.

I'll give it a try tonight so hopefully it can actually get some rest

 

[Jannbo]

Alright, so they're together now. I put the one that he used to snuggle up with the most and its starting to smooth out. Both of them were terrified at first too the extent neither would move for about 5 straight minutes. They've both started eating and drinking, but the little one is crying quite a bit. The big one is doing that distress call every now and then, but I think that's normal after being put in a new a environment. I'm wondering if I should move them to a different room for the night so they can't interact at all with the others

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Move all of them out into a darkened brooder box, then put them all back into the original housing. They don't like newbies, but if they're confused enough, they can't remember who was there to begin with.

 

[Jannbo]

I’ve tried twice swine putting it with the other chick to reunite all of them. Both times in a different brooder and once in the dark like this person suggested, and both times they started attacking the small one. Seems these two are staying separated for quite some time. Luckily he’s growing extremely well and is almost as big as the one I moved in with him. They’re getting along well. They’re still very vocal and will cry at night but once I put a blanket around the sides so light doesn’t get in they chill out and go to sleep pretty quick. I’m hoping once they’re ready to move outside I can put them together without much worry, and if not I might just have to rehome this one

 

[Nabiki]

When you move all of them to the new location, put the small one and its buddy in there first, but you don't have to delay long. Move them all in the evening if you can so they go to sleep and wake up with everyone in a new place. That helps start them off on the same footing.