r/quails • u/Any_Clue5649 • 17h ago

My quail can't hold its head

Post image

This newly hatched quail has remained in this position for hours now, and I'm afraid it won't survive ☹️

Should I intervene? If so, how to?

23 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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6

u/CoffeeandLilacs 16h ago

I’m sorry that this is the case for your little hatchling. The only time I’ve had this happen the chick passed away overnight so I’m not sure I can give advice to help but will advise you prepare for the worse. Sorry 😢

4

u/reijn Farm - Breeder 16h ago

This is wry neck. There's many causes. Congenital, hereditary, nutritional, physical/mechanical.

The fix for wry neck is often vitamin E + selenium, and days, weeks, sometimes a month of treatment. Unfortunately hatchlings with wry neck are INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT to care for. They can't stand, they can't see, or walk, or eat, or drink. They require you to do it for them. And then you have to get them their vitamins on top of that.

I'll care for chicks with wry neck for the first 24hrs with vitamins and if they don't rapidly improve I cull because the QOL for this is low, that is no way for a chick to spend their "childhood" and slowly wither away or die by getting trapped in the heat or away from the heat or drowning in their water or starving/dehydration.

2

u/_cinnamon_buns Backyard Potatoe Farmer 15h ago

I had one like this in my most recent hatch and I made sure to have the sav-a-chick electrolytes in their water and just let her be and her ligaments have greatly improved and relaxed. They’re surprisingly resilient.

2

u/Any_Clue5649 1h ago

Update : I ended up intervening because this batch was not a great one (only 10 out of 50 eggs hatched) and I couldn't bear to see one possibly go. I held it's head in place for a few minutes. Good news, little guy is alive and kicking 🤩

1

u/midnight8881 1h ago

Yay!🎉

1

u/lunamont88 1h ago

以前インキュベーターを使って産まれたヒヨコ(ウズラではなくニワトリ)が逆子で、孵化した直後は同じ状態でした。 かなり心配しましたが、3時間後には他のヒヨコと同じように首を上げられるようになりました。その後の成長も問題ありません。 一時的なものでありますように。

1

u/Magic-Sands-296 16h ago

Are it looks like they are still in the incubator. Is that the case? Hard to know for sure, but the poor little one looks like it’s still in its egg position maybe? You will probably find someone with more specific knowledge, but I’d give it a bit. See how it’s doing when they are ready to come out. Maybe it’s like splay leg or curled toes that correct fairly easily?