Various questions around taking care of baby quail

[Hope It]

Hi, I am hoping someone can shed some light on some questions I have around raising quail. I have a brand new hatch of 60 A&M babies - 1 week old. They are doing beautifully in two home-made brooders

I started to put down a little big of pine shavings to the bottom of my two brooders (on day 5) over the paper towels I use to line the bottom, as it seems to keep it dry and clean for them and allows the poop to fall/sift to the bottom. So, I saw a lot of people do this, but then I read somewhere that wood shavings must not be used, too dusty, etc. I don't find them dusty... What would you say?

Also, I see it is recommended to use a red light in the brooder? I have DIY brooders made out of huge plastic bins with installed lights on one wall of the bin and a dimmer switch. I have a regular clear 150W bulb and I dim it down to the correct temperature. Is this OK? My chicks are extremely happy, growing beautiful white feathers, not fighting, eating and drinking, sleeping a lot - they seem happy... Do I need to change the light bulb to a red one? will it put out enough heat? I'm confused....

Cleaning the brooders: OK, so I'm new at this and so far I've done this: I evacuate the chicks into a separate cardboard box (gently one by one). Then I empty and clean the brooder. Then one by one gently get the babies back in. This has been working, but I'm starting to worry... eventually they will get much bigger, like in a couple weeks, right? so shuffling them in and out of the brooder may not be feasible much longer. Also, they may fly out, they are already starting to jump up, flutter and try out their new baby-feather wings so cute! So, is it OK to keep handling them by hand and will it work going forward? Or should I not handle them 3 times a day every day - does this cause stress? Any advise on an easy or better way of doing this?

Waterer: it seems that paper towels around the waterer inevitably get wet, so I put a separate plastic container under it (flat plastic box lid with slight rim, so it's easy for chicks to step over), just to keep from getting the entire brooter wet in minutes. It works But is there a better way of handling this?

Thanks so much for your patience and help!
Hope

 

[dc3085]

Hi, I am hoping someone can shed some light on some questions I have around raising quail. I have a brand new hatch of 60 A&M babies - 1 week old. They are doing beautifully in two home-made brooders

I started to put down a little big of pine shavings to the bottom of my two brooders (on day 5) over the paper towels I use to line the bottom, as it seems to keep it dry and clean for them and allows the poop to fall/sift to the bottom. So, I saw a lot of people do this, but then I read somewhere that wood shavings must not be used, too dusty, etc. I don't find them dusty... What would you say?

I don't give chicks access to sand or shavings until after 6 weeks. I've never had a problem with shaving but shaved and chipped wood put off small fibers called fines. I used to work a power plant that would burn wood shavings and chips and every night my sinuses would be full of wood fiber. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean they aren't breathing it.

Also, I see it is recommended to use a red light in the brooder? I have DIY brooders made out of huge plastic bins with installed lights on one wall of the bin and a dimmer switch. I have a regular clear 150W bulb and I dim it down to the correct temperature. Is this OK? My chicks are extremely happy, growing beautiful white feathers, not fighting, eating and drinking, sleeping a lot - they seem happy... Do I need to change the light bulb to a red one? will it put out enough heat? I'm confused....

For years I used a white 90w light to brood chicks though and never saw any ill results. Others will tell you to use only infrared lights.

Cleaning the brooders: OK, so I'm new at this and so far I've done this: I evacuate the chicks into a separate cardboard box (gently one by one). Then I empty and clean the brooder. Then one by one gently get the babies back in. This has been working, but I'm starting to worry... eventually they will get much bigger, like in a couple weeks, right? so shuffling them in and out of the brooder may not be feasible much longer. Also, they may fly out, they are already starting to jump up, flutter and try out their new baby-feather wings so cute! So, is it OK to keep handling them by hand and will it work going forward? Or should I not handle them 3 times a day every day - does this cause stress? Any advise on an easy or better way of doing this?

I make my brooders out of large plastic totes (giant tupperware containers) I cut the center of the lid out and zip tie a piece of chicken wire over the hole I cut. Then I just set the heat lamp on the wire. The chicks I keep on a towel in the brooder so I just push the chicks and towel to one end and slide a new towel under them. Or I just put them in a whole new brooder since I keep about a dozen of those tubs.

The more you handle them the tamer they'll be later. I usually don't handle chicks for the first couple days and make sure to wash your hands first.

Waterer: it seems that paper towels around the waterer inevitably get wet, so I put a separate plastic container under it (flat plastic box lid with slight rim, so it's easy for chicks to step over), just to keep from getting the entire brooter wet in minutes. It works But is there a better way of handling this?

The water font should have so many marbles in it that their feet aren't getting wet at all and they have to put their beak down in between them to get water.

Thanks so much for your patience and help!
Hope

 

[sniper338]

Yep

 

[Hope It]

Thanks so much!! Appreicate it!
Hope