Quail help needed so.calif.

[007Sean]

Your brooder is cold for new hatched chicks. I usually start mine in the high 90s, close to incubator temperatures. Chicks can't regulate their body temperature, so if they're getting down to 86 in the warm end, that could be enough for them to die.

Can you provide a bit more information on the game bird food that you're giving them? I've seen some "quail food" with as low as 12% protein. Chicks should be getting something around 28% protein.

The adults should be getting a feed with around 20% protein.

Got busy and didn't see the post on the brooder temp but Nabiki is right....90 to 86°F is too cool for newly hatched chicks.
For the 1st week, I have my brooders at 95 to 98°F on the warm end and around 85°F on the cool end.
Also, I place the feed and waterer's in the cool end.

 

[FloorCandy]

I’ve been having difficulty with my button Quail chicks in their first few days. I work really hard to keep them warm and dry, but they keep finding new ways to get wet. Coturnix are much more hardy than buttons, but I’m wondering if yours are getting wet and combined with the low temp in the brooder they are just not able to handle it. How are you providing water? You’ll want to make it very hard for them to get wet. The first couple days you can provide a dish, like a mayonnaise lid, with a shallow bit of water, and rocks breaking the surface all over so they can only drink by putting their beaks between the rocks. You want to keep the bowl away from the heat source or they’ll be tempted to lay on the warm rocks. After that you can move to small parakeet or canary style waterers, or quail chick waterers, just be sure they can’t get their bodies inside the water.