What do I do???

[RachelleM1986]

So a lady customer just brought me a single quail chick, she said it walked into the bar she was at and when they tried to let it go there were no other quail around and it just kept coming back into the bar. I'm all set up with a brooder for it, but I know poultry are flock animals, does this little one need companions too?? I would assume so, but I don't have any young chicks at the moment so it puts me in a bit of a pinch...I think I can find some though... I know to feed it a game bird feed, which I have, do I need to do anything special with the water jug? I know guineas and turkeys have a tendency to drown themselves even in the quart-size water jugs so they suggest marbles along the bottom, do I need to do that for this little one too? Any advice would help, thank you!!

 

[Kennebee]

A bar, haha! That's random…

Quail are prone to drowning when they are young. Any idea how old it is? I have found mine don't have any problems after the first week, and I can remove the marbles. I don't know much about the social aspect, but they can get territorial towards new comers when they are older. It's best to introduce them in a neutral place, somewhere none of them are familiar with. In a group, they will huddle together and nap leaning on each other, so I'm sure company won't hurt Good luck!

 

[kingmt]

Everything you asked is yes. Sounds like you actually do know your easy around.

Of course I'd think it was obvious that he needed compassion ship since he kept walking in the bar. Did they not tell him that he was too young to serve?

Only thing I can add at the moment is to keep a spot in your brooder at 95 or above until he is fully feathered.

 

[RachelleM1986]

Haha you guys are funny Lol yep a bar!! She kept trying to put it up in nests on branches too - smh :/ I told her quail set nests on the ground under large brush. We have a lot of them around here, but she's not a bird person for sure haha, which is why she brought it to me, even though I'm unfamiliar with quail. Okay I will set some marbles in the water dish for it, it's found its way to the food finally so I'm feeling more confident. I have it in one of those metal watering bins for horses/livestock (we brood all our chicks/ducklings/goslings in them) and I have a heat lamp set to one side of it, low enough that it's warm for it but it can get away if need be. It's SMALL - and by the way it "kind of" walks around, I'd say it hatched within the last 24 hours, its down feathers are even still a little stuck together like with chicks. Honestly with its size I'm a little scared to give it chicks to hang out with, I didn't know they were THAT small lol...it's not even as big as a ping pong ball! It's very friendly though, when I was adjusting its food and water it kept trying to cuddle with my hand...I feel so bad for it :/ Do you think it'll be okay by itself?

 

[kingmt]

It will be better by it's self. Chicken will make Coturnix sick & for. I'm not sure about what you have but I wouldn't chance it. He will just peep all night.

 

[RachelleM1986]

Well thank you for everyone's help, I checked on it this morning and it had passed away during the night :/ Not sure what happened, I think it was just too shocked or over-handled. Kind of a bummer, I was hoping it would work out! Thanks anyway guys :/