This is my life... day 15 quail in lockdown...

[le_bwah]

It's safe to open the incubator as long as no one is zipping and you're quick about it. With your type of heating plate, you could take the chicks out even if they're a bit damp. As long as the plate is the right height (this might take some fiddling), they'll fluff up just fine. Don't worry if they look a bit wobbly, they'll strengthen up in a day or so.

 

[Sara L]

Toes can be curled if they are freshly hatched or stayed in the shell a bit long. They should fix themselves within a few hours up to a day. Vitamins will help them get fixed faster. If its been more than a full day and they are still curled then that would be the time to make little foot braces. Usually they fix themselves on their own though.

Congrats on the chicks and the great hatch!

 

[Erkenstein]

Great job!

Your water dish is going to be fouled quickly and your chicks can get chilled if they get wet. It's going to be unsanitary and dangerous. Much better to get a standard quart waterer with the quail base or marbles in the regular chick base. You can dip their little beaks in the water to let them know it's there.

The chicks will do better eating right off the floor for the first day or so since they won't have much coordination to reach into the feeder. So when you get them into the brooder sprinkle a pile of (ground up) feed in one area and tap with your finger to get them interested.

Don't worry if they don't eat or drink for a few hours since they've got everything they need from the egg.

 

[RenegadeSkate3]

Quick question.... on the the quails was born with spraddle legs.... I used a bandaid to keep them together so it would help her/him keeps the legs together(goggled it) and now she flops on the ground and won’t get up when she tries?

 

[le_bwah]

Quick question.... on the the quails was born with spraddle legs.... I used a bandaid to keep them together so it would help her/him keeps the legs together(goggled it) and now she flops on the ground and won’t get up when she tries?

Try making a little nest out of a rag and setting her in it, that way she has to rest right-side-up.

 

[RenegadeSkate3]

Update...11/13 chicks were born.... 1 of the eggs exploded.... crap... the second one I worried since it had a crack but leaking... turned out it never even had an embryo in it.... so yeah 11/13 is still not bad?

 

[RenegadeSkate3]

Try making a little nest out of a rag and setting her in it, that way she has to rest right-side-up.

Is there a picture or a way to do it? They like jumping atleast 3-4 cm high...

 

[RenegadeSkate3]

This is the best best I could make her.... but she keeps jumping out of it or wobbling off....

 

[Sara L]

Give her some time to get used to the hobbles. If you have time to spare you can put your hand into the brooder over her and hopefully she will push up into your hand like she would if she were under a momma. If the hobbles have her legs in the right place then it should help strengthen the muscles as kind of a physical therapy.

 

[Erkenstein]

If you do it, be careful that you don't "nest" the bird in an area that's too hot or cold.

I use a little piece of pipe cleaner to make a hobble. I try to place the bird with legs folded under in the proper position and since they sleep a lot at first they get a lot of time that way. I spend a few hours with them doing PT and put them back rightside up if they fall over.

It generally takes less than a day to work it out. If it doesn't you should be ready to cull since it is miserable for them. Good luck!