Remove your chicks from the incubator as soon as they are dry.. unlike
many other types of chicks, Button Quail babies will start to eat and
drink within hours of hatching. Remove your chicks from the incubator as soon as they are dry.. unlike
many other types of chicks, Button Quail babies will start to eat and
drink within hours of hatching.
Newly hatched chicks need artificial incubation for about 3 weeks after hatching. A commercial brooder does not work well as the chicks are only the size of a bumble bee when first hatched, and are able to escape through the wire of most brooders.
Even though they are small they are really a lot hardier than they look. We’ve shown a photo of a simple make shift brooder that works very well for Button Quail. We’ve used a 10 gallon glass aquarium, but you can use a plastic storage tub, or a cardboard box if you prefer.. we like the aquariums for the first few weeks because it not only lets the quail see out, we can easily see in and enjoy their antics as they develop and grow.
This system begins with a container of your choice. (Note.. if using a cardboard box, please double check to be sure there is no danger of the bulb coming in contact with the cardboard and causing a fire). As shown in the photo we then place a shop lamp with a 60 watt bulb in it (as the heat source). The lamp is placed on top of two upright bricks which help to radiate the heat and give the baby Buttons something warm to snuggle against. Note that the bricks are placed on one end of the aquarium.. this allows the babies to snuggle under it if they are cold or to move away to the other side if they become too warm.. In colder weather you may have to place a piece of cardboard, aluminum foil or towel over 1/4 to 1/2 of the tank to help maintain an even heat.. this generally is not necessary if your room temperature is at least 65 degrees or higher. The best thermometer will be your chicks themselves. By watching them you’ll be able to know if they need more or less heat. If they are too cold they will all huddle under the lamp, stand erect as if reaching upward to the heat and peep loudly. If they are too hot, they will scatter to the furthest end of their container trying to find a place to cool off. When they are comfortable they will cuddle up under the light to sleep or warm themselves.. then wander out from under it to eat, drink and exercise.
Your chicks will mature with amazing speed. In just a few days their wing feathers start to develop (this is natures way of giving them protection from predators.. they are able to make short flights by the time they are 2 weeks of age). As soon as you notice their wing feathers developing it will be necessary to cover the top of the tank with screen to prevent them from flying up and out of their brooder.
By the time the chicks are about 3 weeks old they will go through an amazing change. They suddenly will enter what we call the “Popcorn Stage”. Your once calm little chicks will suddenly fly upward at the slightest movement (real or imaginary). Again, this is a normal and natural stage of development. It’s their “fright flight” training mode. It’s natures way of preparing them for rapid escape from predators. Don’t worry, this stage only lasts a short while. Once they are convinced they can out maneuver their imaginary predators they will calm down again.
Feeding Requirements: Button Quail chicks have a high metabolic rate: For the first 10 to 12 weeks a high protein ration should be provided to them. A good quality non-medicated gamebird or turkey starter crumbles works well as a base. It should be no less than 16% protein, but 18% to 27% is better. If you are not able to find either the gamebird or turkey starter crumbles at your feed store, a good quality non-medicated chick crumble starter will work. IMPORTANT: Your newly hatched chicks are very tiny and not able to eat large pieces of food...we recommend using a kitchen food blender to grind their feed to about the consistency of corn meal. For the first week, it is best to lightly scatter the feed directly onto the flooring as well as putting it in a very shallow dish or large jar lid... the chicks will naturally start pecking at the ground looking for a source of food.. it may take them a while to catch on to the dish concept.
At Bracken Ridge Ranch, we use a custom formula chick starter blend.. which consists roughly of: 1 cup of Gamebird starter crumbles (run through a food blender), 1 cup high protein kitten chow (run through a blender) and 1/2 cup of a good quality finch seed.
Fresh greens can be given to the chicks after their first week. They readily enjoy fresh grass (be sure the grass has not been sprayed with any chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides or fungicides) chopped spinach leaves or chopped dandelion leaves (again be sure they are chemical free) Button quail also enjoy hard boiled eggs and apple slices.
Button quail love small mealworms (can be purchased from most pet shops) and will learn to take them from your fingers once they become familiar with you... but don’t over do it.. 2 or 3 small mealworms a day per bird is enough. In the wild they also eat small beetles, ants and grubs to supplement to their grain diet.
One of the most important things to consider for your newly hatched
quail is their water. Because they are so tiny when first hatched...
providing adequate water can be a challenge. If the container is too
tall they can’t reach it.. if it is too deep they can fall in and drown
or wade through it and take a chill. We use, and recommend using a
plastic jar lid, similar to the type on a mayonnaise jar. We put
colorful marbles in the jar lid then fill it with water.. the shinny
marbles serve not only to keep the chicks from drowning, they also
attract them to the water. The curious chicks are drawn to the marbles
and begin to peck at them and thus find the water.
When they are about a week old they can be put on a “non drowning” gamebird chick water fountain as shown in the photo.(the kind that screws into a Mason type canning jar). Be sure though that it is not a standard chicken chick fountain, they are too large.
Be sure to provide fresh water at all times: Baby Buttons dehydrate rapidly, especially in warmer weather. Also, because the warm temperatures in the brooder quickly heat the water in their drinking containers causing a bacterial growth, such as salmonellae, we recommend it be changed no less than twice a day.
We add 3 drops of a good vitamin/mineral combination to each jar lid of water and 8 drops to each pint of water when the chicks are drinking from the fountain. Our particular choice is called “Red Cell” which can be purchased in a feed store... but any good vitamin/mineral combination will work. It is important to get the little guys off to a healthy start!
Newly hatched chicks have very soft and delicate bones. For the first 48 to 72 hours they can develop a condition known as “Straddle Leg”. This is caused when the chick is not able to find solid footing and in the process of struggling to get to its feet dislocates its hip. To prevent this we always line the brooder with a piece of nonskid rubberized shelf liner that is commonly sold in any store that sells shelf paper and liners. The non-skid liner is easily washed and disinfected between uses. It is important to keep your chicks clean and dry.... BE SURE THE LINER IS COMPLETELY DRY BEFORE REPLACING IT IN THE BROODER.
After 3 to 5 days, you can eliminate the non-skid liner and use pine shavings to cover the bottom of their tank. At this time, it will be necessary to add some sort of “table” to put the water on to keep the chicks from scattering shavings in it. We use a short piece of 2” x 4” lumber that is cut about 4 inches longer than the water container, so that the chicks can jump up on it and drink