Quail chicks can’t walk and then die.

[IceDad]

Just started hatching quails. We have been somewhat successful but for some reason a few chicks after a few days start stumbling and kick legs in air, then eventually die. We have had 4 do this out of roughly 30. I use pine bedding, we use 30% protein chick starter which I grind up even finer. The best seems to be fine as they aren’t huddling or trying to get out to edges. We keep fresh water and food available at all times.

 

[Nabiki]

Can you show us pictures of your setup?

If you hadn't mentioned the feed, that would have been my first thought. Has the feed ever gotten wet? I'm wondering if you got a bad bag.

 

[IceDad]

Can you show us pictures of your setup?

If you hadn't mentioned the feed, that would have been my first thought. Has the feed ever gotten wet? I'm wondering if you got a bad bag.

Maybe I should have turned the heat lamp off.

 

[Nabiki]

How hot is it down where the chicks are? Do they have a warm spot and a cool spot? They might be getting too hot?

 

[Skipper7410]

How hot is it down where the chicks are? Do they have a warm spot and a cool spot? They might be getting too hot?

I agree with this. They don't look like they have a place to get away from the heat if needed. How hot is it at the bedding level?

They need to be able to get out of the heat as needed as well as have the food and water in the cooler side

 

[ChopDunkSplit]

They are definitely getting too hot. If you are using a 250w Infrared Heat Lamp bulb, good choice, I use them also sometimes as they are best for freshly hatched chicks up until 3wks old. It helps keep the vent (butt) pecking down to a minimal. That being said these bulbs needs to be a minimum of 18-20inches away from the top of bedding, at this height its around 110-115°F directly under the light on bedding and only heating one side (half) of the brooder floor. The other side should be shaded or somehow blocked from the light/heat. Looking at your picture, you have zero area for shade allowing the chicks to escape from the heath. Anything closer to floor, example 14-16inches the temperature jumps to 130-140+°F which is a death sentence. Easiest thing to do is buy a couple of small cheap digital thermometers and place one on the brooder floor directly under your light, and one about 6-8 inches out from center of light focus, leave them for 10 minutes and check it. Adjust distance from bedding accordingly. And don't beat yourself up! I learned from experience and had the same thing happen. About 6 of my very first hatching died because of this. I didnt know the light got that hot and when I checked it using method I just explained... it was about 150°F and please know, I left them briefly to go feed, water, and collect eggs from the rest of my flock. When I come back to the brooder they were already gone, so this only took about 15minutes from the time I put them into the brooder.

Also, I would like to add... watch and monitor your chicks for a while. If you see them with their necks kinda stretched, their heads into the air, beak up, with their throats throbbing (kinda looks like as if you would imagine a chick gargling water etc) This is a sure sign of overheating and stress and that something isnt right.

 

[IceDad]

Ok I will check with a thermometer and see how hot it is. The bulb is about 20” up from bottom of the sink I have them in. Thanks guys and gals

 

[IceDad]

Ok guys, I put a thermometer at the bottom of the sink I have the chicks in. I moved it to each corner of the sink and let it sit for 10 minutes. The warmest corner is 84F and the coldest is 79F.
Is that too hot or too cold?

 

[Nabiki]

That doesn't sound right. That would be too cold for new chicks, but I don't see them huddling together in a corner.

 

[IceDad]

That doesn't sound right. That would be too cold for new chicks, but I don't see them huddling together in a corner.

That’s why I thought the temp was fine, they don’t huddle and they don’t try and stay on the outside like they are too hot. I will lower the light and inch or so to raise the temp. Or I could just angle the light straight down instead of aT an angle