From our last update, you learned we had quail eggs in the incubator! Initially, we had 17 eggs- 7 celadon, 5 jumbo brown, and 5 progressive pied. Unfortunately, from the first candlings, the number decreased as time went on. By lockdown, there were 14 eggs and at hatching, 11 quail.
Day one and two ran smoothly- the chicks were dry and fluffy and ready to move to the incubator. They were figuring out how to eat crumbles and use their waterer. They snuggled in piles and walked onto your hand to lean against your warm palm.
But day three brought tragedy. After being in town, I checked on them and found that two of them had passed under the brooder plate. One had choked on a tiny piece of bedding, and the other was a mystery. Then the dominoes fell. The next one kept its eyes closed, stayed on its side and was breathing too deeply.
I tried to keep it hydrated with a Q-Tip dipped in electrolyte water. I held it close and kept it warm. There was a point it would stand up on its own and open its eyes. I thought it was better and placed it back in the brooder. But an hour later it was going down again. I repeated the steps I followed before, but now it was twitching and swinging its head back. Vitamin E and Selenium was given but did nothing. The gasping for air began and shortly after, the chick passed.
While caring for this chick, the next fell ill. The same symptoms presented themselves. I tried rushing vitamin E, electrolytes and warmth quicker than I thought to give the last chick. Just the same, the gasping started and that chick also did not make it. After Marcus got home from work and I thought all that were ill were gone. But he came into the room with another chick and asked if this one seemed okay.
It did not. Same symptoms, same time to the end. It felt so strange that each chick with an issue deteriorated as soon as the previous had passed. We are now down to 6, as far as we can tell, healthy chicks. They run, drink, jump, chirp. We’re hopeful the worst has passed.
Here’s a pile of the remaining quail chicks enjoying the warmth. Until next time!
Leave a Reply