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Well, ol' Babs died, a little over 5 years 4 months old. I knew it was coming the night before—she found a spot under a grass, hung her head, breathing heavy. Next morning I found her gone in the same spot. She was the last of my first flock, hatched before the aviary was even built (my bad...

Well, maybe more like #2.5 since this is Wilma's second go-round on "real" eggs. She's done everything a mother hen can do to give her adopted babies a shot at coming out, and weathered some impressive rain storms the last couple days. With luck, there will be chicks before Sunday. Have a...

Question in title. I've got a broody quail who has not started molting like the other hens. I want to give her some eggs to hatch but I need to know if she might quit halfway in order to molt.

Both of my <1 year hens seem to want chicks of their own, but one is particularly dedicated. The temps are still close to freezing some nights—it even snowed this morning—but sunlight dictates everyone is laying and molting. Yet my broody girl hasn't started her molt, and I'm wondering if being...

Actually, she's been broody for about nine weeks, totally dedicated to clutch after clutch of infertile eggs—I couldn't break her of it no matter what I did. I read somewhere that chicken broodys respond well to actually hatching out some chicks. So now Wilma's sitting on 14 fertile eggs. This...

In the last few months, about a third of my flock has developed unilateral muscle wasting followed by total paralysis of one leg. Weakness seems to come and go before becoming permanent. No cloudy eyes, no cutaneous signs. I spoke to an avian pathologist with my state who seemed 100%...

...during a windstorm, and the door must have been open and swinging for about an hour. The birds are no strangers to hoping through the doorway when it's treat time, but I'm always there to pop them back in. When my family realized what was going on, everyone geared up with pool nets and...

I've been meaning to make more videos of quail doing their thing. Here's a squad of freshly-molted hens eating treats for breakfast. Aside: my birds may or may not have Marek's—one hen has recently presented with symptoms and I culled her after her legs gave out due to unilateral muscle...

Everything's going smoothly, just wanted to share a vid from this morning of the birds reacting to treats. I'm pleased with how my setup has turned out—a better windbreak and intact grasses encourage "snuggling" at night and more movement during the day. The girls even managed to put on...

I've taken to leaving my phone in the pen for a few minutes while the hens are active post-feeding, but I'd like to set up a semi-permanent camera to record their antics (and maybe figure out who is fear-flying around sundown). Does anyone have a camera set up in their pens, and if so, what...

After almost three years of fretting over my quail's wintertime safety and comfort, I finally feel confident in their ability to weather the cold. These are a few things I've found helpful in helping quail remain comfortable in sub-freezing temperatures. Quail lose heat fastest through their...

This will be my attempt at treating bumblefoot in Coturnix quail using Tricide-Neo, a Neomycin-based dip for koi fish. I'll be sharing my process and outcomes for others who find themselves in my position. I've got not one but six hens with bumblefoot—this is my first time encountering the...

So I did my weekly "foot inspection" on the flock and found two hens with startling cases of bumblefoot, one on the foot pad and one on the toe. Will post pics as soon as I have another set of hands to hold the camera. I have general knowledge of treating this condition in chickens, but my...

Hello all—I've got a 1-year-old Coturnix quail hen who presented with a prolapsed vent last night. I cleaned her up and stuck it back in, along with a little hydrocortisone to help with swelling. This morning her vent looks MUCH better (can't get a good picture as she hates being held) but now...

Hello all—I've got a 1-year-old Coturnix quail hen who presented with a prolapsed vent last night. I cleaned her up and stuck it back in, along with a little hydrocortisone to help with swelling. This morning her vent looks MUCH better (can't get a good picture as she hates being held) but now...

In the last two weeks, most of my hens have quit laying and one appears to be losing substantial weight—I don't have a scale but her keel is recently more prominent. I thought it was due to an overly aggressive rooster, but now I'm concerned it could be intestinal worms. All birds are eating...

The flock has been mostly peaceful up until three days ago—one of my Golden hens (Violet), began chasing my rooster (Not-Curley) and pecking the back of his head. Right before she does it, she makes an odd growling vocalization, sticks her head straight out, and puffs up her feathers until they...

Immediately after finishing construction on the aviary, I started designing an expansion. It started small, just a brooder or a breeding pen. But then "quail math" struck—I realized it's not a matter of if I'll get more quail, but when. The more I thought about it, the more inadequate the...

I was under the impression that hens resume laying around the same time the boys start crowing—given 14 hours of daylight, I think? We're still below 12 hours at my latitude, yet my roos are crowing. Is it likely the girls will follow suit shortly, or should I expect eggs later in the spring?

Wanted to state for any fellow worrywarts searching for answers—Coturnix on the ground can handle freezing temps. They huddle together at night (when it's in the teens here), but are otherwise active during the day. Tarp up their enclosure (with ventilation!) to keep the wind off and give them...