Quail troubles...HELP

[p.james]

First of all let me say that I am a newcomer to this site. We are just experimenting with raising quail and it seems I know less than I thought. Any feed back from those smarter than myself would be appreciated.

I recently (about two weeks ago) purchased close to forty coturnix that were 1-2 weeks old. This is my first attempt with a goal at raising for both meat and eggs. I have lost probably ten birds since then, some due I believe to my inexperience and letting them get too crowded. However, in the past few days overcrowding has not been an issue and I still seem to be losing birds. At least one had a leg problem that would not allow it sit or stand upright for very long. The legs were not spraddled but it would lay with the legs together stretched out behind. It had no balance though looked otherwise healthy. I have seen a couple of others laying this way but with no noticeable problems. The one I found dead today was in a pen with adequate space, based on the bird to sqare footage ratio of the breeder I bought them from and they all looked healthy this morning.

Basically I have two questions: 1. Why are they dying? 2. What happened to the legs?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Are you keeping them warm enough? The legs is usually an incubation issue or poor parent stock. You may have just gotten a bad batch

Sorry I can't help more...fairly new to quail myself... but

 

[Valley quail breeder]

probably due to not enough heat if they were 2 weeks old they require at least 95 degrees

 

[aprophet]

where are you how cold is it there? mine have not quiet made it outdoors yet they are in an unheated shed in a rubbermaid brooder with no heat lamp on this week I started at 95* and went down 10* a week but mine were inside the ones I have are 4 weeks old.

 

[kingmt]

There is people on here with great knowledge about these birds but I'm not one of them. However I will try to get the ball rolling & maybe one of those others will be along to finish.

It sounds like there is a good chance of it being a protein deficiency or dehydration. Are you feeding high enough protein feed? What percent protein is your feed? Are they getting enough water? Do you have them on antibiotics?

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Try this thread for tons of Coturnix Quail information..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=102281

 

[Overeasyplz]

may I ask what you are feeding them? they need at least a 28% unmedicated gamebird feed.

 

[NanaJune]

First of all, let me say that ALL quail (in my humble opinion) are born looking for a place to die!

We have been raising quail for four years, and I never cease to be amazed at "what next" can cause them to kick the bucket! However, I have to go along with everyone else, here. They need to be brooded at 95 degrees for the first week. Then, we decrease their temp by 5 degrees per week until they are about 5 to 6 weeks old (except in summer). We DO NOT turn them out into "nurseries" with heat lamps until they are at least 5 weeks old unless the temperature OUTSIDE is consistently in the 70's. The slightest chill or draft WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE. ANY dampness and cold together WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE. Overcrowding WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE. Wood chips or shavings WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE. We use oats as litter in the bottom of our brooder troughs to a depth of about 3 inches deep. It makes great brooder litter, it absorbs the moisture and the odor, and if they peck at it, it does not harm them. Oh, and we make all of the corners in our nurseries "rounded". Their FAVORITE way to kill themselves is to pile into corners and suffocate to death! As a matter of fact, we use 6 foot round horse troughs as brooders inside the brooder houses.

Too little protein WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE. You probably get the general idea - LOTS of things WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE! We only feed 28% protein gamebird feed NON-medicated). You cannot feed regular chick starter or laying mash. It does not have the proper ratio of nutrients and protein like the gamebird feed does. We never feed medicated feeds.

And just so you will know - when (and if) they get grown. You know the grass that grows and makes the black "sticky" seeds on top of it. Do not have that accessible to the birds. If they eat the black sticky seeds off the top of that grass IT WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE!

Getting stressed WILL CAUSE THEM TO DIE. In your flight pens, be sure to have 2 square feet per bird or they will get stressed. Also, be sure to have PLENTY of "cover" for them. We plant fountain grass, maze, and (believe it or not) collard greens, as well as native grasses in our flight pens in early Spring while they are still chicks. Once they are ready to be released into the flight pens, the cover grasses and collards are really big and provide lots of places for them to hide (and they LOVE to eat the collards). We also take plastic barrels and cut them in half and cut little doorways in them. We put their feeders under some of those, as well as have empty ones for them to hide in. We also make little "tee pees" for them out of plywood and 2x4's for them to hide in. If they don't feel secure, they will get nervous and literally peck each others feet off! They like to have things to peck at - I throw the little cat toys that are the bright colored plastic balls with bells inside them (or no bells) in their flight pens. They peck them and roll them around the pens. It keeps them occupied with something other than pecking each other!

We also make "dusting" areas for them. We hollow out a little sandy area and fill it with food grade Diatomaceous Earth for them to dust in. When it rains and gets the DE wet, we replace it with fresh DE.

You can go to our website - www.justintimekennels.com - I think we have some pics of our flight pens. If you want to see some more pics or need more info, just shoot me an email.

June Robinson
JustinTime Kennels & Hatchery
email: [email protected]

 

[p.james]

Thanks for all the information. We are in central MS and until just a few days ago they were in an enclosed shed under a light due to the cool nights still. Now they are outside in a covered shed. The nights are just getting down in the sixties and pretty warm days. They are still eating a turkey/game bird starter that is high protein and medicated. There is always feed and water in front of them. The ones that are healthy look really good, very active.

 

[Mrs MIA]

First thing I ask... are they on wire, shavings? What is the temperature of the brooder? How much space are you talking about?

Our gamebird feed is limited here, so 20-25% is the highest I can go without supplementing, and I've raised them just fine on that.

The first week: they are on rubber shelf liner, changed out daily (or when needed). Water is changed out daily for fresh, with a fresh waterer that has been run through the dishwasher. Water has soluble vitamins included, and under a brooder lamp with quail babies pooping in it (yada yada) it can get icky quick. Crumbles are ground even finer so they can eat them. By 2-3 weeks, though, they should be able to handle the crumbles without grinding. They need fresh water and plenty of feed 24/7.

By 3 weeks the heat is turned down, and by 4-5 weeks they are without heat in our 55-60°F garage. By 6-7 weeks they are turned loose in the breeder pen, which is 4x4' and has shavings. Wire is more practical, because they poop... A LOT. Ours will be getting their own hutches later this year after it warms up a little more.

The legs could be slipped tendons, which happens when they don't have good traction as babies... later, it can just happen. There are things you can do for them, but sometimes they don't work for whatever reason.

If you have fresh water, fresh food, heat, space and the brooder is clean, then there shouldn't be any reason for them to die unless they're beating themselves up.