Hi All,
Well, this was a new one for me. As some of you know I have several special needs chickens and one pheasant, and also a small flock of 'normal' bantams. Anything new that comes in that I take on is quarantined for a month, then gradually introduced if possible. So far, any that I take on find a good home elsewhere, and I only keep the ones that need more special care and "Fort Knox" type housing.
Someone brought me a baby quail yesterday. This is my first quail. Appears healthy, maybe a week old, smaller than a ping pong ball, eyes bright, no wounds, poop looks good. We had a storm and the people think it got blown about, unsure. They probably should have left it for the mom to find, but what is done is done, too late now.
I have it inside under a heat lamp at 90 degrees like a regular chick. It is on a towel in a tupperware, water provided in a gatorade cap and a gamebird crumble mash in another larger size cap with some crumbles scattered about. Not eating on its own that I have seen. I did syringe and tube fed it some of the mash watered down. I am careful not to aspirate and have done the syringe feeding quite a bit. I know there is a risk, but feel fairly okay about it.
Question: a wildlife rehabber told me Not to syringe or tube feed it, but to let it eat on its own and drink too. Keep it warm (which I am), and put it with my chickens if I had any small ones.
I don't have Anything that small! Am sure they would kill it. My questions are: should I wait to see if it eats on its own or keep supplementing with the syringe and/or tube feeding until it does? I will keep it on its own because 1. I quarantine everything I bring in and would not expose my own to an unknown. Will it be able to be released back into the woods or will it imprint to much on me? And, lastly, if I have to keep it, I have heard that male quail can be quite mean and can even try to kill chickens. Is this true? It can't be kept with the pheasant, she is inside and too handicapped.
I really don't like to keep any past the point that they need care or special continued care. What to do?? Advise Please!
Well, this was a new one for me. As some of you know I have several special needs chickens and one pheasant, and also a small flock of 'normal' bantams. Anything new that comes in that I take on is quarantined for a month, then gradually introduced if possible. So far, any that I take on find a good home elsewhere, and I only keep the ones that need more special care and "Fort Knox" type housing.
Someone brought me a baby quail yesterday. This is my first quail. Appears healthy, maybe a week old, smaller than a ping pong ball, eyes bright, no wounds, poop looks good. We had a storm and the people think it got blown about, unsure. They probably should have left it for the mom to find, but what is done is done, too late now.
I have it inside under a heat lamp at 90 degrees like a regular chick. It is on a towel in a tupperware, water provided in a gatorade cap and a gamebird crumble mash in another larger size cap with some crumbles scattered about. Not eating on its own that I have seen. I did syringe and tube fed it some of the mash watered down. I am careful not to aspirate and have done the syringe feeding quite a bit. I know there is a risk, but feel fairly okay about it.
Question: a wildlife rehabber told me Not to syringe or tube feed it, but to let it eat on its own and drink too. Keep it warm (which I am), and put it with my chickens if I had any small ones.
I don't have Anything that small! Am sure they would kill it. My questions are: should I wait to see if it eats on its own or keep supplementing with the syringe and/or tube feeding until it does? I will keep it on its own because 1. I quarantine everything I bring in and would not expose my own to an unknown. Will it be able to be released back into the woods or will it imprint to much on me? And, lastly, if I have to keep it, I have heard that male quail can be quite mean and can even try to kill chickens. Is this true? It can't be kept with the pheasant, she is inside and too handicapped.I really don't like to keep any past the point that they need care or special continued care. What to do?? Advise Please!
