Quail with sores on their feet - Page 2

3 months is pretty early for Bobs mating, and they may be establishing the pecking order. Most likely they won't actually pair off til next spring, as far as you might be able to tell, however I have had males become attracted to one female at 2 or 3 months old as well, however they were not actually a "pair" til the following spring. It seems to me that with Bobs, it is not just the female that chooses, or the male that chooses, but rather they both choose each other. 

 

 

Thank you for the information!  It is so great to get advice from this forum!  There isn't a lot of information on the web.  I have been searching and reading everything I can get my hands on for the last few months!

You need to post some pics of these feet.

You say they still have sores on the top of their feet and are now missing feathers. I would guess the missing feathers are on their back, just above the tail? If so, you are still having aggression issues. This is where the use of "bits" will help. Lot of folks don't Like'em but it will save your birds... I have alot of bobs that wear them... Good luck, Bill
Edited by Fat Daddy - 8/3/12 at 5:25am

The large female (we call her Sasquatch) and our male (Little Chicky) were picking on one particular female, she was the female that the male was trying to mate with all the time.  It is the runt of the four that hatched together, we call her "Slow Poke".  I separated Slow Poke from the others so she could heal.  This is the second time we have had to separate her.  She had been pecked on the back of the head, and at the base of her neck.  This time, when I tried to put her back in with the others, Sasquatch was immediately attacking her in the same location, so I put her back in the other cage.  I noticed also, that once I took Slow Poke out, Little Chicky was trying to mate with Sasquatch.  Is this a case of the big female picking on Slow Poke so she could mate with Little Chicky?

 

Since I took Slow Poke out, the male was Bob White calling over and over, and each time Slow Poke would call back...so I decided to put them together the day before yesterday thinking about what someone earlier said to separate the breeders.  The calling has stopped, but they are both really agitated.  It may be that it's a new place for the male, and he is nervous in there.  I put them in the fish tank brooder, which is just temporary.  I am getting another cage for them.

 

I decided to wait on building an indoor aviary till I understand more about their needs.  Since I separated them, there hasn't been more aggression.  What do you all think about this?  Any suggestions?

Bob hens can be brutal. Sometimes down right EVIL! Every group is different. It sounds to me like your big hen wants the roo all to herself. Not uncommon at all. Your easiest options would likely be get a new roo for the little hen and just keep both in pairs. Or set up a pen for the little hen and bring the roo in to "visit" every 5 or 6 days during breeding season.... Either way, once it cools off and fall sets in you'll be able to put them all back together in a covey situation. its their nature to spend breeding season in pairs and covey up for fall and winter.... Good luck with your birds.Bill
 

Thanks, I have had to have the little runt, "Slow Poke" by herself.  I tried having her with the roo, and he was freaking her out.  She has a slightly different shaped beak, may be malformed, I think the other birds see this and don't like it.  She is by herself in her own big guinea pig cage.  The other three are in the other guinea pig cage and they are fine together.  Slow Poke, the runt who I had to pick out of the shell or she was going to die, just laid the first egg!  It is slightly larger than the eggs they hatched out of, and not as round at the bottom, more pointed on both ends.  I will post another post with pics.  It was probably fertilized as the roo was going to town on her for a while before they were separated.  We don't want more babies, we are just going to eat the eggs.  I am hoping we get some more soon!