Aussie Finch Forum

I've been having some issues with my chicks dying in the aviary with the adults. Firstly they chicks were getting hung by getting tangled in one of the hens feathers. So I started taking the eggs and incubating them myself with fair success.

As it happens life got hectic and I didn't get a clutch of eggs out of the aviary and they were hatched by the hens. The chicks started to die once again. It looked like one of the birds in the aviary was killing them. All the dead chicks had injuries mainly on the legs so once again I took the chicks and remaining eggs.

This time around I have had a chick die within a few hours of hatching in the brooder with similar symptoms to the dead chicks in the aviary. All of the chicks had bright red legs. I've lost chicks to pasty butt overnight and they haven't had this so I'm assuming it's a symptom of whatever killed them.


I've tried googling for possible diseases/bacteria etc that could cause this to no avail. Anyone have any idea what it might be? They are in the aviary with my gouldians who currently have some chicks so I'd like to sort this asap.

Most of mine survive so - questions - how big is the avairy? How many adult quail are in the avairy? Do they have a small water bowl they can access without drowning?
LML

I don't suppose you have any doves in that aviary? I just found out myself the other day after seeing one of my doves shaking a quail chick to death (it was too quick to try and intervene)
Cheers
Noah Till

Total of five quail in the aviary. It's not huge at 1.5m wide x 1.4m deep x 2.2 high. There is a ball waterer with marbles in the water available. Other than the quail there are 4 gouldians in the aviary.

Due to the deaths in the aviary I started taking and incubating the eggs. While I still have had chicks just die for no apparent reason in the brooder I've had a fairly good success rate.

The most recent deaths in the aviary all had one thing in common. The legs flushed red like in the photo and death within 12 hours of hatching. I have never had that in the brooder until yesterday.

You will have losses with king quail dying when hatched in an incubator. Unlike poultry chick that know how to feed themselves from hatching.
King Quail are normally shown and at times bill fed by the parents. You either put an older quail in to show them how to eat or assist them at first.
They won't die day one as they still have the remnants of the yoke sack in them to digest.
Pick one hen and one cockbird and put them in the aviary alone. Some ground cover and they should breed freely

There are too many quails in that size aviary. You only want 1 pr of quails per aviary because the males are highly territorial. Having said that, the males don't normally kill the chicks and the red legs is unusual.

Babies don't get caught up in the hen's feathers. The babies will sometimes hide on the hen's body, under her wings but you can't strangle anything with a quail feather.

I would take a couple of bodies to a bird vet and have them necropsied (animal autopsy) to find out if they have a bacterial infection.

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Does the aviary have a dirt floor?
Do you dig the soil over regularly?
Do you put anything around the aviary to control pests like ants?

You need to dig the soil over every week or two. And if the birds have any sort of bacterial infections (Coccidiosis, etc), the soil will need to be disinfected, or move the aviary to a different location. In fact it's a good idea to move the aviary every now and then if you can just to reduce the chance of the birds picking up diseases from the soil that is constantly being pooped on. If you move the aviary onto a new patch of grass, the birds usually have a field day picking at the grass and insects in it.

Ant powders around the aviary can blow into the aviary and get picked up by the birds and poison them. Try to avoid using powders around birds.

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The Gouldians won't be causing this.

Are the parents related?

There are too many quails in that size aviary.
I agree - I breed my quail in pairs and trios. But the trios are in a minimum of a 2mtr cube. And they must all be introduced as young 1st time pairings if you wish to breed trios. OR you must have 2 sisters as the wives. Preferably both. Too many adults will run the chicks off their feet calling them backwards and forwards between them in a flock situation too. So if you have a big avairy and with to run a flock, once the hen hatches round her and the chicks up and put them in a box about a metre square. No lid required then mum can get out and go talk to dad and he can get in and talk to her. But she will return to her chicks and raise them.
LML

seeing one of my doves shaking a quail chick
What sort of Dove? I have had diamonds with mine a great deal of the time with no problems. In fact my last remaining old boy frequently helps keep the chicks warm.
LML

Of the 5 quail only one is male. Not sure he'd be too keen to lose his harem.

Only some of the hens are possibly related but no relation to the male.

Aviary is an earth floor but has a sawdust layer. It is due a clean and turn over but with the gouldians with chicks I've left it.

No pesticides are used around aviary.

Lost 3 chicks out of first clutch to being hung by entanglement in hens feathers. I had to manually remove them. Last chick was so badly entangled it pulled out the feathers when it came away.

A very high percentage of my incubated chicks have worked out food within hours of hatching without older birds to teach them. Only lost a few due to not eating or drinking and that was with older chicks around them.