"Runts"

[GatsbysGirl]

I currently have 22 baby quail about 2 weeks old. 2 of them are not getting bigger but are alert, eating, and don't appear sick in any way. This is my first time with quail, they are technically hubby's project but I am the one that cares for them. Would it be best to separate the 2 smaller ones to see if they thrive better, or leave them all together? I recently moved them into a much larger enclosure.

 

[TwoCrows]

What type of quail are these? I would leave them with the flock unless they show signs of falling behind the others in a big way, as in...they need higher temps in the brooder than the others...they are getting trampled because they are so small...or they are sick in someway, etc...

If they seem to act and move just the same as the rest of the babies, then I would leave them all together.

 

[snot]

I have a runt in two small groups I'm raising also I have read that some catch up to the rest of their brood after a few months but can't speak from experience as I've only had my runts around a month. I'm not going to let them breed ever though as I worry they may pass weak UN productive genes. My runts seem to eat just as much as normal brood but aren't converting that to size, So they seem to be a waste of food.

 

[snot]

One of my runts died today

 

[GatsbysGirl]

So sorry to hear! It's always hard to lose the babies.

 

[snot]

Those runts seem to be a lot friendlier than the normal ones

 

[GatsbysGirl]

Mine as a whole have calmed quite a bit since moving them to a much larger enclosure. I took a rubber water trough and put 1/4 gauge hardware cloth over it with 2 "doors" cut into it. They have a larger area and some hiding spots. They have calmed quite a big.