Hello, I live in Hampshire and started keeping 3 hybrid chickens 5 years ago, caught the bug and hatched three Light Sussex 3 years ago still laying happy hens. Have started a passion for quail this spring, have hatched 8 silver and blue cpq and recently given 7 wild colour cpq about 8 weeks old. Wondering if anyone could help with advice regarding brooding. Seem to be able to incubate eggs successfully, have a Brinsea auto mini advanced Inc. that's been very successful. After drying and fluffing 24-48 hours placing them under an electric hen on lowest height warming they seem to loose their energy and seem reluctant,despite encouragement, to feed and drink. Then over 2-3 days pass away. This week 10 hatched but only 3 are alive now, can you suggest anything I could do that might help with brooding? (I have them in a plastic storage box with heater inside) thank you.
Brooding quail.
- Thread starter Starnoir
- Start date
- Messages
- 8,130
- Location
- Hampshire, U.K.
Hi Starnior and welcome to the Forum.
I hatched my quail in a Mini Advance, great little incubators especially for quail. I then moved them on to a brooder with an overhead ceramic lamp, whats called a dull emitter cause it only gives out heat, not light and thus they can get a natural period of darkness overnight. They did well and with a thermometer in the brooder I could check that they were warm enough, and at night I lowered the lamp an inch or two to make up for the drop in temperature in February when the central heating went off indoors. I also lined the sides of the box I was using as brooder with the silver stuff you can buy to insulate the back of radiators, which I found made a big difference to the box holding its temperature right to the outside edges.
After a couple of weeks I tried moving them on to an Ecoglow, like you on the lowest setting, but I found they stopped running around actively like they did under the lamp and seemed to spend all their time huddled under the warmth instead of feeding. So I put the lamp back and they resumed activity and were fine again. I know the Ecoglow is successful for chicken chicks and larger breeds but I think these tiny little baby quails get chilled more easily and need the space heating that a lamp provides. It would perhaps be an idea for you to try with your next batch. Both of the batches hatched all grew into strong chicks with no losses. In a box about 2 ft square I used a 60 W. lamp, on a chain suspended above the box, and with a metal lamp holder to diffuse the heat.
See http://countryfayre-countrystore.co.uk/incubation-accessories/ceramic-dull-emitter-60w/prod_254.html (150w is illustrated but 60w is big enough.)
And the lamp holder http://countryfayre-countrystore.co.uk/incubation-accessories/lamp-holder/prod_260.html I removed the metal frame covering the base as it wasn't needed and got in the way, having tested out the temperature carefully in the brooder before they hatched. (BTW, get the brooder well up to the same temperature as the incubator and run the lamp for several hours before transferring them, so there's no thermal shock.)
I hatched my quail in a Mini Advance, great little incubators especially for quail. I then moved them on to a brooder with an overhead ceramic lamp, whats called a dull emitter cause it only gives out heat, not light and thus they can get a natural period of darkness overnight. They did well and with a thermometer in the brooder I could check that they were warm enough, and at night I lowered the lamp an inch or two to make up for the drop in temperature in February when the central heating went off indoors. I also lined the sides of the box I was using as brooder with the silver stuff you can buy to insulate the back of radiators, which I found made a big difference to the box holding its temperature right to the outside edges.
After a couple of weeks I tried moving them on to an Ecoglow, like you on the lowest setting, but I found they stopped running around actively like they did under the lamp and seemed to spend all their time huddled under the warmth instead of feeding. So I put the lamp back and they resumed activity and were fine again. I know the Ecoglow is successful for chicken chicks and larger breeds but I think these tiny little baby quails get chilled more easily and need the space heating that a lamp provides. It would perhaps be an idea for you to try with your next batch. Both of the batches hatched all grew into strong chicks with no losses. In a box about 2 ft square I used a 60 W. lamp, on a chain suspended above the box, and with a metal lamp holder to diffuse the heat.
See http://countryfayre-countrystore.co.uk/incubation-accessories/ceramic-dull-emitter-60w/prod_254.html (150w is illustrated but 60w is big enough.)
And the lamp holder http://countryfayre-countrystore.co.uk/incubation-accessories/lamp-holder/prod_260.html I removed the metal frame covering the base as it wasn't needed and got in the way, having tested out the temperature carefully in the brooder before they hatched. (BTW, get the brooder well up to the same temperature as the incubator and run the lamp for several hours before transferring them, so there's no thermal shock.)
- Messages
- 8,130
- Location
- Hampshire, U.K.
Good luck, I shall be interested to know how you get on. I did a few scraps of video of my quail chicks on my YouTube channel Ginnychick97 in case you're interested. This one shows the brooder setup with the insulated sides.http://youtu.be/1CrIF43ouNk I also lined the base with several layers of old sheeting or J- cloth, as I found I could then carefully roll up the top layer and remove it with all the mess, a couple of times a day, and then wash and reuse the cloth. You have to be careful not to roll anybody up in the cloth, though, and need to count them afterwards! It did help to keep them clean and dry, however, thus reducing the risk of coccidiosis, and it was soft and warm under their feet and held the heat effectively. I changed the drinking water very frequently for the same reason. After a day or two I gave them a very small chick drinker and put it on a little slab of concrete to make it a bit higher, once they could reach it.
They are, or should be, so active in the brooder that its hard to keep an eye on all of them, so I had to keep counting! I made one terrible mistake with my first batch in the early days when they were so very tiny, see http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5765&hilit=Terrible+mistake
With my older quails I use a drinker on the side of the cage, with a small lip, so they can't poo in it but you need mesh to attach this, so not possible in a box with smooth sides. See http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-EXTRA-LARGE-ANTI-ALGAE-BLUE-WEEKEND-CAGE-BIRD-DRINKERS-400ML-/231054930598?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Birds&hash=item35cbf272a6
They are, or should be, so active in the brooder that its hard to keep an eye on all of them, so I had to keep counting! I made one terrible mistake with my first batch in the early days when they were so very tiny, see http://poultrykeeperforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5765&hilit=Terrible+mistake
With my older quails I use a drinker on the side of the cage, with a small lip, so they can't poo in it but you need mesh to attach this, so not possible in a box with smooth sides. See http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-EXTRA-LARGE-ANTI-ALGAE-BLUE-WEEKEND-CAGE-BIRD-DRINKERS-400ML-/231054930598?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Birds&hash=item35cbf272a6
Thank you for the links, bought a lamp yesterday and wrapped an old fleece blanket around the outside of the box, my goodness what a difference, the little chicks are zooming around with endless energy and eating and drinking very enthusiastically. Two little brown striped and one little yellow bundle. Looking forward to trying again.
- Messages
- 8,130
- Location
- Hampshire, U.K.
Looks as if you've cracked it now, I'm so glad. Good luck with the next hatch, let us know how it goes,