URGENT~Help! I️ have a baby quail!

[Sleek28]

I️ found a baby quail in the middle of the road yesterday with no parents to be found. He couldn’t walk very well either. I️ have him in a hard plastic cricket cage that is on a heating pad. I️ have set up food and water. I️ have tried to smash up the food to tiny bits and placed a coin in it and he won’t eat. When I️ try to tap the food he runs away and hides. He’s not scared of my hand, he will try to snuggle up to it. He won’t drink the water unless I️ tap his head in the water very gently. He doesn’t seem to be moving very much and is sleeping most of the time. He will peep every once in awhile. Please help me, I️ really want to keep him alive!
Thanks

 

[Kale the Quail]

you should crush the food more. They look pretty big. But your set up sounds good. Maybe try searching around to get him a friend.

 

[Nabiki]

I would try mashing up the feed a bit more. It looks too big for it to eat. Do you have a dropper or toothpick that you can use to tap at the food? That might be less intimidating. Do you have a thermometer in there? What temperature is it? It should be in the mid to low 90s, since it looks to be 1 or 2 days old.

Edit: Can you get some Nutri-drench or Save-a-Chick? Some of that in the water may help as well.

 

[britesidefarm]

It doesn’t look like he’s doing to well... He might have been left behind by his mom if she noticed something was wrong, (survival of the fittest). I would keep giving it water the way you have been and keep trying to get it to eat. If he doesn’t eat in the next 4 hours, I would suggest tube feeding or using a syringe with chick crumble mixed with water to make it more of a liquid. Until he starts getting back on his feet, keep it away from any other quails, chicks, etc.

 

[Sasha-chickens]

he needs a heat lamp. his food needs to be crushed more. and maybe hold him some more and play with him and he won’t get as scared

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Keep him warm. @muddy75 @Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock @Ninjasquirrel @Nabiki

 

[Sleek28]

I️ will be heading out to pick my Incubator up this afternoon from someone who was borrowing it. I️ will put him in that when I️ get it set up. I️ am a little concerned he is lonely so I️ will hold him more until I️ can hopefully find a friend for him. I️ will crush up the food better. Will canned food hurt him, in the event I️ have to syringe feed him? I️ have my heating pad on Medium, but no I️ don’t have a thermometer yet.

 

[NatJ]

What is the food? (I mean, before you smashed it.)

Do quail like their food wet? Because I know chickens like it if you add water and it gets wet and soft.

Have you checked the chick's crop? If it has a full crop, then it's just eating when you are not looking.

Checking temperature with a thermometer is a good idea. Heating pad can make the entire area warm, but it's better to have a warm side and a cool side, so the baby can go wherever it's just right. So maybe heating pad under just one half? (Might not make much difference in a container that small.)

 

[Sleek28]

What is the food? (I mean, before you smashed it.)

Do quail like their food wet? Because I know chickens like it if you add water and it gets wet and soft.

Have you checked the chick's crop? If it has a full crop, then it's just eating when you are not looking.

Checking temperature with a thermometer is a good idea. Heating pad can make the entire area warm, but it's better to have a warm side and a cool side, so the baby can go wherever it's just right. So maybe heating pad under just one half? (Might not make much difference in a container that small.)

The food is Game Bird Starter Chow by Purina. I️ only have the heating pad under half. The chicks crop is pretty empty that is why I’m concerned.

 

[NatJ]

The food is Game Bird Starter Chow by Purina. I️ only have the heating pad under half. The chicks crop is pretty empty that is why I’m concerned.

Good food choice.

You could try crushing the food finer--maybe put some in a plastic bag and using a hammer.

And you could try getting some wet (just a tiny bit, for that size chick--maybe serve the wet food in a bottle cap or something.)

Do quail babies eat bugs? Could you catch a few for it? Moving things might be more interesting than food that holds still.

I'm glad you checked the crop, but I just don't know how to get a quail to eat