Updated: bloody beaks....why??...Now...chicks just dying! 6/3

[monarc23]

Two questions for ya

1. is it coming OUT of their nostrils? If so this worries me...
2. if it's coming just from the cere skin around the nostril then this is pecking by the other chicks. It just happens sometimes. Normally it's when i introduce a weak newly hatched chick into the brooder (which i no longer do becauseof this issue) for some reason they attack the cere and feet of the new chick and can REALLy do damage....) so from now on I just keep the chicks in the incubator until they are fully running around...now i have no more boobooed beaks and tootsies



And i dont use red lights.

 

[wilds of pa]

Can the quail eat the food?

Most of the game bird crumble they sell is to large for small quail to eat the first week, we always put a scoop into a electric coffee grinder an smash the feed down some more for the first week..After that they have no problems taking the larger crumble in..

As for blood on beaks, check vent areas as well on the chicks..

Never had quail or pheasant chick losses here..knock on wood..

~Wilds~

 

[Mrs MIA]

On mine it's not from the wire floor, it's from the sides of the cage. I've also noticed that the inside edge of some of the galvanized feeders is VERY sharp... I've had a couple of quail actually cut the top beak off. The long aluminum feeders with multiple holes on either side, with the sliding top, are notoriously sharp on the inside.

PS... I rarely use red lights, too, because I can only find them in 25w (too weak) or 250w (too hot). 40-60w bulbs work just fine in my cages.

 

[wilds of pa]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain, don't they sell the 100 or 150 watt accent lighting spot bulbs there in red or blue?? those work great as well..

Wilds

 

[monarc23]

ooo blue lights with that much wattage i'd get one just to have a colorful brooder

I hate red it messes with my eyes LOL

 

[wilds of pa]

Monarc, blue works well for game birds.. Ive used it for quail and pheasant chicks with great success in brooding.. never tried yellow or green..But blue was known to help give a calm effect..

~Wilds~

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
green too, wow the things I don't know! LOL! What stores mostly sell these?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Charlie, I'm sure someone does, but none of the stores in my little boonie-town do.

I looked high and low, and the only thing besides the big 250s is the 25. And I'm not about to order them online. LOL! I'd like to try blue, though I'm sure the only ones here are 25s, too.

 

[kingmt]

The red 250w around here is $10 I think it is bad enough to give $5 for just a regular 250. I use the 250W in the outside brooder.

 

[silentrunning]

Is it possible that there is a crack in the brooder that the chicks could be sticking their beaks into and getting stuck? I noticed my babies are very curious and peck at everything. If there was a crack, they could lodge their beak in and then panic. Result - torn skin at the base.

As for food, I got tired of grinding up the crumbles in the blender after the first hatch. For the second one I just moistened the food and they seemed to eat it much better than the first batch did the dry stuff. This is how I will do it from now on.

Doug