Quail hatchers help!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

[hobbychick]

I have or should I say had 48 Bobwhite Quail that hatched on July 2. They were all doing fine, I had lost one right off the bat but none since and today I came in to find 5 dead. They were all acting fine this morning. And, the rest seem to be acting fine now. Any suggestions? This is my first BW hatch and I do not want to loose any more!

 

[hobbychick]

OK I have figured out they are pecking each others legs!!!

What can I do? I have moved half of them into another box so there are not so many in one box and have put some tree limbs with leaves on them to give them something to do, but what else.

There is another chick about to die right now!!!!

What the heck!!!!

 

[bryan8]

Make it dark and make sure you have a red light not white

 

[hobbychick]

Will the red light keep them warm enough!

 

[bryan8]

Yup. What wattage is the light? I've raised hundreds of bobwhites.

 

[hobbychick]

The light I have them under now is just a regular bulb I think a 60watt It is about 95 degrees in their box.

 

[bryan8]

I use 250wat red bulbs in a heat lamp. Make it hotter than it would need to be and make it big enough so the chicks can move away if t gets too hot. I let my chicks adjust there own temps. Obvosily don't make it too hot though beacuse sone times you get a -special- chick. Hahah ~ bryan

 

[hobbychick]

Is there anything I can do tonight to keep them from pecking because I will not be able to get to town until in the morning!

 

[bryan8]

Try to make it darker some how. How big is your brooder?

 

[hobbychick]

I use the largest plastic totes that you get at walmart. They are 20"X35" and I keep the light at one end. Should I through a sheet over the other end just to darken it up?