Description	Quantity	Price	Shipping	Total
Vita-Plus	1 - 4oz. pkg.	$5.75 each	No Chg.	$5.75

Brooding Your New Chicks

Quail chicks need to be started at 99 degrees F. for the first week.  You should have your brooder heat source on at least 24 hours before your chicks arrive.  The most common and inexpensive way to select your brooder heat is with a heat lamp.  We recommend using a "red" colored heat bulb, as this helps with behavior issues in quail chicks, such as cannibalism.  It helps to keep them calm and is less intense light, but adequate as a heat source.  Make sure during your brooding period that the chicks are kept in a draft free area.  Each week lower your brooding temperature by 5 degrees F.   This is done for 6 - 8 weeks until the chicks are feathered out and can withstand the regular environment temperature, usually 70 degrees F.  Avoid overheating your chicks, make sure that they have plenty of room to get away from the heat source on their own.  The chicks will let you know if they are comfortable, if cold, they will pile up in a heap under the heat source.  If too hot, they will be spread out to the farthest areas of their home. Make adjustments accordingly.  Keep a thermometer at chick level. 

We recommend for the first watering after your shipment arrives and also for the first week, that the water temperature be warm, and that continued addition of the vitamins and electrolytes be mixed in their fresh water.  This helps in aiding stress related problems and gets them off to a great start.  Be very aware that quail chicks are very tiny, they can drown in a very small amount of water.  Add clean marbles to the base of your water fount.  Keep fresh water available at all times.

Quail chicks have a need for a high protein diet, the protein should be above 20%, we recommend at least 28% protein. Use a game bird starter ration or if not available turkey chick starter will do.  Make sure it is a fine crumble and that they have food at all times during the brooding period. To encourage eating for the first several days, sprinkle feed crumbles on a paper towel in different areas of the brooder floor, or on flat plastic lids, along with in a chick feeder. Soon they will know what is and isn't good food.

Quail chicks can become spradle legged if put on a slippery surface.  Do not raise your chicks on newspaper.  Use pine bedding, or paper towels for the first 14 days.  After that time they can be raised on wire flooring.

The most important thing to remember is to not overcrowd your chicks.  They need room to grow.

Safe Handling

Live game birds can be a source of potentially harmful microorganisms.  Please supervise children handling baby chicks, do not let children kiss them or snuggle them up around their face or mouth.  Make sure to always wash your hands with soap and water after handling any chicks or poultry.