Bald headed quails - help

[beckym100]

I have 4 female quails that live in a rabbit run of 12 sq feet, that has shelter, branches, sand the lot.

One started annoying the others and peaked one of the others heads so separated them, for two weeks, changed everything around in the run and reintroduced her. Everything was good, then bald heads starting appearing again on three quails, including the one that was doing the peaking.

During the day they seem fine together no chasing or fighting, so this must be happening at night. Could they be getting freaked by something like a cat, or hurting their heads other way (i have looked for sharp objects etc and there are none).

I do change their cage around alot as move it every three days, would they not like this? I don't know if I should separate them again they seem much happier together apart from the bald heads, and would have to get rid of the one causing the issue.

they were laying there eggs all together in a straw nest, but this has changed recently too and they are scattered anywhere and sometimes one doesn't laid for a day or two

Any advice please, or what i should do?

 

[kingmt]

The roosters keep all the feathers picked from there girls head in the ones I keep. Are you sure there isn't a male in there?

I've had chicken hens think they were a roster trying to bread the hens so maybe this could be the case also.

 

[beckym100]

they are definitely all girls!

 

[dc3085]

At the end of the day if no one is bleeding bald birds are nothing but an aesthetic issue however it is something social or environmental and youd be best served to solve it. Were they raised together? Id stop moving the cage around too they dont like change at all unless it filling an empty feeder.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

I would house them seperately then reintroduce them slowly after the feathers grow back. If the problem persists, try to add more hides, shrubs, and feeding areas. They may be fighting over food/water, so moniter them carefully. Good luck!

 

[beckym100]

They are raised in two groups of two, one how seems to have an injury on the side of its head, I think I will remove the one that I reintroduced and see if that helps. If it does I may then have to get rid of her as I think she is the one causing the issues, they already have loads of hiding places and shrubs I can godly see them in the run!

Thanks for all your advice.

 

[dc3085]

If you raised them in different cages and then mixed them together that is why they are fighting.

 

[kingmt]

Unless they are getting beat up really bad I wouldn't pull it out. They will decide when enough is enough. If you keep pulling it out it is just going to get harder to introduce.

If I did have to pull it out I'd probably take the injured bird & the food out at the same time. Then after feeding it put it & the food in at the same time. I've not tried this but the one thing quail understand more then anything is food.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Yes, quail are constantly eating!

 

[beckym100]

Thanks I have kept them together for another night, what would you class as a serious injury, a cut?

Should I be concerned that I am now only getting 3 eggs a day when I was. Getting 4? It I do split them should I put them back into their original pairs? It was over 2 months ago that that where separated like this.

With hind sight I would have done so much differently