Q&A for How to Care for Quail Chicks

Cat litter can be a bit too rough on the quails' fragile feet, and it also has dangerous chemicals in it that aren't good for the birds' health. If you want a better option for bedding, use shredded paper or wood shavings.

Yes you can. Sand is perfectly fine for chicks and will not harm them in anyway, but if you're using it as a type of bedding, note that it isn't very absorbent. Chick's bedding needs to be absorbent for their own health, sand is one of the least absorbent beddings you can use. If you're wanting to use sand in the brooder so the chicks can dust bathe, then do so. If the sand is in the brooder the chicks may start to dust bathe often.

Quails take approximately 6-8 weeks to mature.

Consider them as bumblebees. Quails are just about over the size of the tip of your thumb. They're very tiny, which means they can escape and get hurt easily! Board the bottom of the cages up if it has wiring with big gaps and make sure there is nothing in the cage that can harm the chick.

Yes, they are. The adult quails motion the chicks to eat and also call for them with a little ''peep, peep, peep'' sound, which gets the chicks running over to them.

The mother, father or both should constantly be sitting on the eggs. The only time they get off the eggs is too eat, drink and poop.

You can make your own with a suitable light bulb that has enough watts, or even a heating pad. You might not accurately be able to tell the temperature with an ordinary light bulb, but the chicks will give it away. Hot chicks will move away from the heat source and pant, whilst extremely cold chicks will be directly under the heat source. Normal chicks should be spread around evenly.

Baby quail chicks can be fed a specific medicated quail feed that prevents coccidiosis. There are a few other feeds that contain antibiotics to prevent infection and illness. It's important to not buy medicated chicken feed, as it contains a different level of antibiotics and can be potentially lethal to feed to your quail. Go directly to a feed store and buy a quail game-bird chick starter that is specially medicated to suit their needs.

If you give it the proper care it needs you will successfully raise it. It will need a high protein feed and a warm place to stay. Don't forget to provide it with water.

Quail chick starter has more protein in it, as quails require approximately 10% - 15% more protein than chickens do. However, chick started can still be given to quails as an alternative if you cannot find a commercial quail starter. But it must be ground down so the chicks are able to digest the pellets properly.

As soon as all chicks are dry, they are good to go and can be transferred to their set-up brooder.

Until they are fully feathered, around 8 weeks. Start with the heat at 95 degrees in the brooder, and decrease by 5 degrees each week.

Fresh, fertile eggs that have not been shipped have a hatch rate pf 80%, making 6 of your eggs likely to hatch. If your eggs have been shipped, their hatch rate drops to 50%, making 4 of your eggs likely to hatch.

No, sand is only an optional choice to allow the quails to dust-bathe, which is beneficial to their health. Putting sand or dry dirt into the cage is highly recommended to prevent mites and create a hygienic environment for your quail to live in.

Yes, quail chicks are fully capable of digesting mealworms. If you're concerned, you could always buy dried mealworms rather than dormant ones.

At the six week mark.

For about a month.

Male quail can actually make great dads to their chicks. Some even help lay or feed the chicks. You should only remove the male if you feel necessary, or if he's harming the chicks when they do hatch.

A good time to candle an egg is about 15 days in.

It is suggested to have the heat lamp on throughout the day and night until the chicks reach 6 weeks. However, in a warmer climate the chicks may not require heat as much. In their third week they may not need the heat lamp during the day, but might benefit with it during the night when the temperatures drop. If you are concerned of the 24/7 light affecting the chicks, then you can purchase a red light bulb from farm supply stores which offers heat at a lower brightness. Another option is to invest in a heat plate.

It depends on the wattage of the lamp. A normal heat lamp or bulb should have 250 watts and be kept at 98 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week. Reptile lamps are typically more expensive, so you're better off buying a brooder bulb.

Store-bought eggs won't hatch because they won't be fertile. It's best to chuck the eggs away, as they will get infected.

Yes, but you may want to keep them out of direct sunlight. Partial sunlight is fine, but it shouldn't be the source of heat; a heat lamp should be added instead.

You need a ratio of 1:6 males to females. The males make the most noise, so it's easy to tell them apart!

The temperature should be kept at 37.8 °C for the first week, and lowered by 2 degrees every week until the chicks get acclimated with room temperature.

Yes, but you need to crush it down with a mortar and pestle in order for them to digest it properly.

A finch mix provides little to no nutrients to your chicks. Quail chicks require over 25% of protein in their feed. It's best to either feed them a game-bird mix or chick crumbles.

Approximately 21 days. However, the hatching period is different for each type of quail breed.

Cracked eggs should not be incubated. They pose a high risk of exploding and the damage provides an easy way for bacteria to enter and cause the egg to rot.

No, straw has a low absorbent rate and is far too coarse to use as bedding.