| HEAT: |
Have your brooder set up and ready 24 hours in advance of
the chicks arrival. The temperature where the chicks are should be 90 to
95 degrees for the first week. Reduce the temperature five degrees per
week until you get to 70 degrees. |
| FEED: |
Use a high protein feed for the first 8
weeks (preferably 28%-30% protein).
For day-old quail, the feed must be in very small crumbles or ground fine. Be sure that the feed that you
purchase is fresh. As feeds get old they lose many of the vital nutrients that
baby chicks need. Never let the chicks run out of feed. |
| DRAFT SHIELD: |
12 inch high cardboard can be put in circle around the
chicks helps cut down drafts on the floor. Be sure the circle is large enough to
allow chicks to get away from the heat if they want to. |
| LITTER: |
Wood chips/shavings, rice hulls, peat moss, or ground corn cobs
work for litter. If using shavings for litter, be sure they are kiln-dried.
Place the litter over the floor at least 1-inch thick. A smooth surface is
deadly, because the baby quail will be unable to stand properly, and their legs
will continuously slip out from beneath them. This is the main cause of splayed
legs in chicks. |
| SPACE: |
Try to provide 1/2 square foot per chick.
Do not mix different age groups together in the same space. |
| WATER: |
Have one gallon of water
available for each 50 chicks. For the first
two days, add 3 tablespoons of table sugar to each quart of water for extra
energy. Use plain water after that. Make sure the dish part of your waterers are
shallow enough to allow the chicks to reach the water. Marbles should be
added to the dish part of the waterers for the first couple of weeks so chicks
cannot pile up and drown in the dish. Never let your chicks run out of water. |
| LIGHT: |
If you use a heat bulb, this will also serve as the light you
need. Otherwise, be sure to give your chicks light. Use a 60 or 75-watt bulb on
dark days, and a smaller light for night- 15 watts or similar - to keep them
from piling. |
| PICKING: |
Baby chicks will pick at each other if they are too hot, too
crowded, without fresh air; or short of room. Sometimes bright light causes them
to pick. To stop it, try putting in green grass clippings, fresh lettuce, melon,
etc. and
darken the area. Old feed may also cause picking since old feed may lose
nutrients that are important for baby chicks. If baby chicks continue to pick,
try putting just a pinch of salt on their feed. To treat chicks that have been
picked smear pine tar or black grease on the area injured, separate them from
the others if possible, and continue treating until healed. |
| PREDATORS: |
Make sure chicks are safe from predators. Cats, dogs,
skunks, mink, raccoons, and hawks are some of the worst offenders. |
