When to Remove the Heat Lamp From Baby Quail - The SR Quail Update 4-17-18
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- My latest hatch of baby quail are about a week and a half old and are starting to feather out nicely. It is time to start weening them off of the heat lamp and getting them ready to go outside to the grow out pens.
I know this is old but I love the way you explain things perfectly clear you always make sure beginners like me understand and never confused. Thank you so much ❤
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching
Hi Chris,
I want to thank you for all the videos you shared about quails, and I could learn a lot about that. Through the knowledge you shared I actually have 18 quails and I built an incubator in ordor to incubate some some eggs, Friday the 06/03 I had my first quail chicks :)
Had no idea how fast they mature compared to chickens. Your quail info is great, hoping to get mine soon.
They do grow very fast indeed. Thanks for watching. I am glad you find my videos helpful.
Took my heat lamp away today. I got them just a little early. We aren't out of the freezing temperatures yet. I might have to have that heat lamp ready when I put them in the garage if it's going to get real cold at night again. What great timing on the video. 😀
I am dealing with the same thing. I don't have to put the heat lamp on but it is still a little cold to put them out to the grow out pens. another week (3 weeks old) and they will be fine regardless of the weather.
My first batch of quail are 6 weeks old and got my first 6 eggs today. Earlier than I expected to see eggs. When I got them the lady gave me a dozen eggs to try out but I put them in my homemade incubator and 6 hatched! They are fully feathered out and was wondering when to back off of the heat lamp. This video came just at the right time. Thanks. Cb75
awesome. So glad that my video was helpful. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, This is just what I needed to know. Also I put a variable speed control on my heat lamp and it works awesomely. You can dial in the perfect temp, very easy.
Nice. I would be curious if it made the heat lamp burn out quicker or not but sounds like a great idea.
Thanks u never disappoint u answer all my questions in all your videos keep up the good work 👏
Thank you my quail are spoiled! They didn't tell me they were ready to leave their spa!
lol. They can be a little stubborn sometimes.
Great video man! Thanks to you and your videos I got my own flock about a year ago. Being in Socal and this time of the year I keep mine under the heat lamp for a week and then outside since temps get in the mid 70s-80s with no issues. But I do check on them and bring them inside if it’s to cold outside .
Thanks so much for the kind comments. I am envious of your weather at times. It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter here.
Could you show your light set up on the quail that are laying? And explain how you use it to get best laying rate?
Keep up the great videos!!
Sure, I am actually working on some new lights and plan to shoot video on those when they get here. It may be fall before then though. Right now I just have some solar shed lights on the hutches and turn them on and off at night to extend the daylight.
Quick and to the point. Nice job!
I love the fact if I ever need to remind myself of something I just search youtube for the question then just put slightly redneck on the end and it just pop straight up ❤
Helped me out this video thanks bro! It’s cold at night in the uk some nights even though it’s nearly bloody august 🤦♂️ they are 9 days old now and I have it sat at 24c but I was worried I was making them too cold as it was dropping a few degrees in the brooder but this had made me feel a bit better :)
Making one today can't wait for hatch day.
Awesome. Good luck on your hatch.
You mentioned roosters vs. hens at 2 weeks. How can you determine that? Is the chest feathering already apparent at that age?
In the standard brown colors it is. That is one of the reason i like those over the other colors.
Thank you. Expecting first hatch in about a week and are expecting multiple varieties.
Chris, I can see that you reload your own ammo....we did that when I was in high school, that is actually enjoyable. I didn't like reloading shotgun shells though, can't seem to crimp them down and everything would pour out, lol....but that was back in the '80s so I am sure there are better tools now.
I have never reloaded shotgun myself but I know what you mean about the crimp not being good and the pellets pouring out. I have had that problem with factory ammo before.
Great Video and just in time! I have my first batch (approx 2weeks old now) I was expecting to keep them under heat for a few more weeks like my other birds. But good to know I can “relax” a bit! We are still under snow up here so They will stay a bit longer in the brooder box here. Your Videos have been a great learning tool! Keep up the great Informative videos and your responses to comments are very “Classy”. We also raise Rabbits, Geese, Ducks, Turkeys and of course a few Chickens. We do Live on a Farm so your info hasn’t just been useful to the backyard enthusiast. I advise anyone looking at getting Quail to your videos (I’ve been lurking the better part of a year now)I will be repurposing a few old Rabbit cages for our Quail. How many would you suggest in a 30”x36” cage “comfortably” as atm it’s a “little side project”. And what other “adjustments” would you recommend in turning a standard wire rabbit cage into a suitable Quail pen? It will be inside our main livestock barn but I can move them outside in nicer weather. Can they go on the grass in the cage to be allowed to forage a Bit? Or what considerations/concerns would there be in doing so if any? I don’t think I’ve seen this covered in any of your videos. If so please redirect me to them.
Thanks so much for the kind comments. I am so glad that you find my videos helpful. The only change I would make to a standard rabbit cage is to put a hardware cloth floor in it. The spacing in a standard rabbit cage wire is a little big and makes it hard for them to walk on. You should easily be able to fit about 6 to 9 birds in there. The only other thing I would say is that quail don't like to be moved around a lot. Nothing wrong with your plan and you might test it out but I would be concerned that moving them to grass and back might cause them to not lay very regularly. Then again, they might get used to it. I have never tried it.
Slightly Rednecked thank you for the response and depth of it! I will make sure to add the hard wire flooring in before moving them outside and see how things go if I decide to leave them inside it try moving them outside on nice day. I will let you know how it works out if I do.
Nice info. Notice the reloading stuffing. Are you going to do any videos on that?
I might some day. Doesn't really fit with the rest of my channel but if people would like to see it I would be happy to shoot some video on it.
Yeah, I have 4 week old birds, fully feathered for a while now and all the sites 5 degrees per week. My basement is 55 year round, so I was a bit nervous, but switched it to a led and will watch them. Not sure why everyone says 5 degrees a week.
Good question. I have found that they can adjust much quicker than 5 degrees per week as well.
Hey Chris, I noticed on one of your other videos that you had a piece of hardware cloth holding the heat lamp off of the brooder box's hardware cloth on the lid. I see on this video that you have the heat lamp clamped to the table. The first way is much safer. My son-in-law is a fireman and he said he has been to three fires caused by brooder box heat lamps. I have a thermostat on mine so I don't have to try to regulate the heat by raising it up. By keeping the hardware cloth around the heat lamp, it can't fall against something flammable. Just a safety suggestion. I very much appreciate you and your willingness to share you knowledge. Thank you!
that is a good suggestion. Heat lamps are dangerous for sure. When I clip it to a table I make sure to secure it so it can't come off the table. I was concerned with using the hardware cloth because my dog had access to the room and I was afraid he would knock it over.
My cat brought me a baby quail and I have had him for about a week. Would this still apply for only one quail as well?
Hi Chris,
Thanks for all your helpful videos. Do you know if the heating plates that you can adjust the height up and down work well for button quail? Also at what age can they go into aviary with adult buttons?
My quail will be 3 weeks old on I took the heat plate away. I will be starting to shut the light off during the day. Because my sewing room gets super warm when the sun hits it. I think they will be fine. Starting to get the garage cage ready for the birds in 4 weeks will move them in there.
by three weeks old they should be good to go. Sounds like you have a good plan for them. Congrats on your new birds.
Chris mine are two weeks old and in our bathroom where are quail babies are in its warm in their and found them panting should I just remove the lamp?
We are using the red bulb had it raised up and they stay away from the lamp we live in MS. Is it safe to totally remove our lamp from them. Our temps outside have been in the 80’s-90’s and lows in the 60-70 range.
Weaning my babies is a bit scary my first hatch and took them this far and dont want to hurt them lol. Right now we have a regular light bulb on them now.
You can probably remove the heat lamp all together at this point. At least during the day. At 2 weeks old they should be feathered out and should be able to handle it just fine but you might give them some heat at night for a few more days just to be sure.
Love baby quail🐤.
they are sure fun to watch.
Hey again Chris,
A corollary issue which I wanted to know about, was that of temperature gauges.
Do you have any suggestions on enclosed temperature gauges, that would be safe for inside the brooder?
I'm thinking of something simple, analog rather than digital so that it does not need a battery, but with a plastic cover to keep the chicks from pecking the thermometer pipe and breaking the glass.
Thank you again for your time and effort, I do appreciate it.
I don't think that the chicks could peck hard enough to break any glass so any thermometer should work. I never found one necessary as I just watch the birds and adjust the heat based on how they are acting.
I have about 27 Texas A&M chicks. Almost a week old. Lost one because the radiant heater didn't get warm enough and switched to lamp. 3 had mud but and one was so bad that the little guy died while attending to the issue.
Thank you, appreciate the video. :)
Thanks for watching. I am glad you liked it.
They are pretty hardy fowl. Coturnix Japonica browns and Pharaos are outside in - 6 C ~ (about 20 degrees F) As long it's not very windy with rain.
They don't even want to go inside. One night, it was -11 C (12 F) They went inside and puffed up but did not seem to care that much otherwise.
Only thing is their water freezes and you'll have to fix that like 3 times a day.
that is my experience as well. We had -15 F (-26 C) this winter and it didn't seem to bother them much.
@@Slightlyrednecked Keep it up Chris. Great work while doing a full time job.
Btw. That's rather cold. In Denmark we don't get that low temperatures very often, mostly wind, rain and high humidity - AKA "English weather".
I just got some quail, 5 days old now. At first I thought their fluff was wet, but it looks like they are missing some fluff. Random patches of fluffless skin exposed. Not red or anything. Maybe the beginning of mites? Anyways, I put some hydrogen peroxide on it, just a dab with a qtip. I started on Apple cidar vinegar and garlic in their water, just a smidge, hopefully that gets rid of it. What do you think? Have you had problems like this?
Great video. Thanks for the info. My quail were huddling for a bit now they are stretching their legs out. They look so cute.
It may be that they are just starting to feather out. I don't know that I have noticed a lot of missing fluff at one time but it is common for them to lose some fluff as they start to grow their true feathers in (at about 5 days old or so).
@@SlightlyredneckedThat's what I thought. But they were acting too lethargic for chicks. I gave them a bit of apple cider vinegar, honey, and garlic water mix along with some brewers yeast. The next day they were running around with tons of energy. Maybe mites? Whatever the case, they are fixed, their fur is fluffed and they are beginning to get feathers already. Thanks for the reply.
Thank you great advice 😃🇦🇺🦘
Thank you for watching. I am glad you found it helpful.
I noticed your homemade brooder box . How many chicks can stay in there at one time until they're ready to come out and is there room in there for a rent a coupe heat plate instead of the red lamp
I am not sure what size the heat plate is but I don't see why it wouldn't fit. I can easily fit 35 baby quail in this brooder until they are about 2 weeks old. If you plan on keeping them in the brooder longer then you would probably want to limit it to about 20 birds.
🙏
I have 25 Texas A&M quail that are three months old. They were raised on chick starter but have been getting good quail breeder food for two weeks. I still haven't got an egg. Any ideas?
Light is most likely the issue. They need 14 hours a day to start laying. If you don't have external lights added you should add them. Also, it may take about 2 to 3 weeks when you make a big change (new housing, change in food, etc.) for them to start laying. I hope that helps.
Thanks for the come back. I'll just be patient. All of a sudden, some are getting their head picked bad too. Perhaps it is males wanting to breed?
You mentioned in this video that you can tell which are roosters and which are hens. Do you have a video on this subject and the quail are at about 2-3 weeks old? I have some pharoahs/wildtype that are almost 2 weeks old. Please fill me in on how to do this please....... thanks 😆
I don't think I have a video on sexing baby quail. The pharoah and Wildtype should be able to be feather sexed at 3 weeks but it might be a little early to tell. With those it is really easy though, the hens will have a speckled chest and the roosters will have more of a rusty chest with no speckles. I did a video on sexing adult birds and the feather color is the same in them so this might help. You will have to wait until they are much older to vent sex of course but you shouldn't need to do that anyway.
ua-cam.com/video/WHFXeERLb1w/v-deo.html
@@Slightlyrednecked ok, thanks 😆
How did you attach the wire mesh to the brooder lid? Do you have a video?
Zip ties
Hello I have older quail and newer quail when I put the younger quail into the bigger quail cage the younger smaller ones tend to get hurt and some have died from putting them together so do you have any ideas on how I could change that
How old are the younger quail? I have had good luck with mixing quail that are about 5 weeks old in with mature birds.
Slightly Rednecked the younger quail were about 3-4 weeks and the older are around 6 weeks I found that the male quail would peck and chase the younger quail ~ thanks for helping
Interesting. You might give the older quail just a little longer to calm down. They get pretty aggressive when they first hit sexual maturity (about 6 to 8 weeks old) but then tend to calm down after a few weeks.
Hey Chris. I was wondering if I could move mine outside when they are about 10 days old. Here in SC its about 100 during the day and 85-90 at night.
They will probably be ok but I would keep an eye on them for the first few days just to make sure. If they appear to be cuddling together in the late evening then they may be a little chilly.
Hi Chris I just incubated my 1st hatch I got 21 out of 32 .2 died just chipping out. 1 died 2days after hatching .rest unfertilised. The eggs were given to me. 61.76% hatch rate I have the heat lamp 250 off the bottom is that ok .love your videos there helped me alot as I'm new to breeding coturnix quail thanks for the great videos u put out
They are 7 days old now
Is safe to put Jumbos outside with temps of 60F after 4 weeks old?
@@SteelersHub Sorry, No Answer.
But, I have found it ok to do so.
I also have one that is with a splayed leg. He gets picked on. I want to give her to a lady that is going to try a splint. Any comments?
I know your comment was a while ago but I had a quail with splay legs I attached band around there legs one that won’t hurt them and his legs were fixed in about 2 days
Ok why are some hatched lighter than others?
I’ve got jumbo browns and one of their chicks came out lighter?
the darker ones are males and lighter ones are females so if its a lighter color on the chest of the quail its a female and if its a darker color on the chest its a male.
Could you give a tour of all your coop and your rabbits
well there isn't much more than what I show in pretty much every video. I will see what I can do though.
How are bad are quail for ppl with allergies? I live in an rv, if I raise them they’ll be indoors. But If I do this, I’ll cover the entire coop in plastic panels with a vent going outside.
I don't have allergies myself so I don't know that I can answer that for you. I can tell you that they do produce a decent amount of dust so that might be an issue if you are sensitive to it. It sounds like you have a pretty good plan so you may not have any issues with them.
@@Slightlyrednecked thank you
Can 2 bobwhite quail (one male and one female) live with 2 A&M quail? (One male and one female) will the males fight? And will the bobwhites pick on the A&M? They will be living in a 4 by 4 aviary. With plants.
I honestly don't know. If there is enough space i am guessing they will be fine but there very well may be some fighting too.
Hey Cris my name is Welington ,how are you,I have question for you,..the quails eggs , do you think they can hatching in winter time ??
If you’re using an incubator, chicks can hatch at anytime of year that you choose 👍
What are your thoughts on extreme heat with two week olds? I plan on moving my chicks outside at two weeks but it’s summer so it easily gets to 100 degrees F during the day maybe even up to 110 if we get a heatwave which is probable. They will be in the shade but it’s still very hot out. How do you think they will fair? The brooder is in the house so they are at a good temp inside.
Did you do that and did the quail care?
@@yardpimps8327 I ended up moving them when they are like 2.5 weeks old. They didn’t seem to have any issues. I didn’t put a light on them at all when they were moved outside.
They are 5.5 weeks old now and are doing well. It’s been hot lately here and they just open their beaks to breathe like chickens do when it’s hot. It doesn’t worry me because they have access to clean water all the time and always in the shade from the house.
My quail is 23 days. She still looks about the size of a 1.5 week old (very small). She still rests under the lamp. Should I be concerned she may have worms or something? Heat lamp temp: 88 degrees. 4 out of 5 of our chicks already died. We live in Southern California (75-85 degree days). She's inside. Scared she too will die. Brooder cleaned 1-2 times/day. So confused.
You sure you have coturnix quail? What are you feeding them?
@@kathvg Yes, she a coturnix. I have been feeding her the dove mix commonly sold at stores for now.
Wow, that is strange. By that time she should be much bigger and fully feathered out. I saw that you were feeding dove mix. That really isn't an ideal feed for her. That may be part of the issue. I would suggest you try to find some game bird starter or even chick starter and see how she does with that.
Same problem after two weeks they don’t grow properly feathers out some I also give them esotici grandmix
I'm having the same problem with two of them and they have been on gamebird starter feed and the water has been mixed with electrolytes and prebiotic. I'm so worried about them but they seem to be healthy enough. One though is starting to mult I think cause the feathers on down its back are not there. They are three weeks old and both dont have their adult feathers coming in compared to others that I have that are flying now.
also my quail are hatching tomorrow.
Awesome. Good luck with your hatch. I hope it goes well.
heat lamp near smokeless powder ? be careful
yup, i make sure it is good and secure. Actually, powder or no powder you have to make sure the heat lamp is secure anytime you use one. They are inherently dangerous.
Lynn Plestid actually smokeless powder has to to get very hot before is ignites from just ammbent heat a spark will set it off and uncontained it will just produce a lot of smoke this why smokeless gunpowder is sold in plastic cans now if it were to ignight the plastic can would rupture venting the pressure to safe levels
What would you recommend if you are doing this in the winter?
Ween them off the heat lamp at about 2 to 3 weeks old. Then keep them in a cool but not cold area for another week or two before moving them out. I keep mine in the garage that gets down to about 50 F. Hope that helps.
how old are your quail in this video?
I am sorry but I don't remember exactly how old they were when I shot this video. Not more than a week old I am sure.
Do you keep the heat lamp 24/7?
yes. They need the heat lamp all the time until they feather out.
Slightly Rednecked ok. Thank you! Would if they have a mother that’s keeping them warm do I still have to keep the heat lamp on? And do I separate the male from the female and chicks?
i think its better to take them out when they are flying out i also take them out at the time the start flying out so ya.
mine will "fly" out of the box at a little over a week old. They aren't quite ready to go outside at that point though.
What watt heat lamp do I need to raise quails
I use a 250 watt heat lamp.
Sorry not really related to this video advise, but I been hearing ppl say they need to be off the ground .like off their own poo or they can die . Is that true ?
Andrew Schrock I don’t think so...
Use a seedling heat mat and they can snuggle down on it when they want and walk away when warm enough. You DONT NEED a heat lamp!! It is BAD for them to never have dark!! Mine were off their heat mat at about 2 weeks and are happy, healthy birds. DONT USE A HEAT LAMP!!
I have a heat globe with no light so I will be using my heat lamp. It’s a blob for heat not light for reptiles.
friendly reminder for those that wanna use heat mats to use a thermostat with them or you risk severely burning your quail
How hot does the mat get?
Great stuff!
Thanks, I am glad you liked it.
Thank great info 👍
Thank you so much for sharing with us. I live in Maine and my quail (first batch for me) are 4 weeks old and I'm really eager to get them outside, but every thing I read says they can not generate their own heat until 5 weeks old. It dips into the mid to high 40's right now. Can I get them out side? I'm using converted rabbit hutches. Coturnix. If you want to see the hutch, here is the video ua-cam.com/video/Gt0R6Urk2E4/v-deo.html skip to 3:27. I have modified the hutch by covering the 1X2 with 1/2 inch hardware cloth. and a few other modifications not worth mentioning.
Does anyone know where I can buy like 10 coturnix or A&M quail chicks in Minnesota area?
I am sorry but I don't have a source for that. You might check on craigslist. Around here they go up for sale pretty regularly there.
I'm in Deer River and NPIP certified. Currently have Italian and Scarlet Tuxedos. By mid summer will have Jumbos and Pansies.
good info.
thanks, I am glad you liked it.
Hello brother Your works good pakistan
My quail are 1 wk tomorrow, starting to feather. Days in the 70's to low 80's, nights in the 50's. Next week appears similar. They should be fine by then to go without heat outside? I have 16 of them
You really should wait until they feather out completely. Probably another week at least but then they should be fine to go outside.
Thank you
Are the lighter ones males? I just hatched 3 they are almost 2 weeks old now. I noticed from hatching that one was lighter.
At day one one was lighter I can tell em at 2 months but is that what you meant? Lighter almost orange is the males?
I was given a baby California quail, it's parents and siblings were killed. I just happened to have hatched chicks the day before. The quail is doing great... But I don't need to keep the lamp on her as long as I do the chicks? I could use some advice on how to continue to care for this little squirt...lol... Thanks
Pretty much the same way you do coturnix. You could probably mix her in with you other birds in fact.
What's the right temperature for a 2 day Chick??
ive kept mine between 93-100 but what I've read 95 degrees is ideal
I do the same system with chicks, just common sense.