One of my quails is losing her feathers and very moody

[beckym100]

Hi

I have four quails, who where happily living in a shed and I was getting 4 eggs a day.

This stopped about a week ago, how I am only getting three eggs a day and today I noticed that one of the quails has lost a lot of its feathers around its neck and is generally in a mad mood, making funny noises. Another one seems now to hate me and crows at me when I enter the shed!

Are they molting? If so could this happen to only one or two of the four birds? or could they have mites of something? how would I treat this?

I tried to catch to moody quail to have a closer look at it, but it gave me the run away and we all got stressed - so I gave up.

Thanks for any advice
Becky

 

[dc3085]

Its molting season but early yet for most locales. If shes losing feathers in a concentrated area one of the other birds is picking them. Usually when this happens one of the birds has a wound that the other is picking at or aggravating. Give all the birds a thorough inspection and see if anyone has hurt feet or any other wounds.

 

[beckym100]

thanks, I have looked all over them best I can and can't see any cuts etc.

The one that is losing her feathers is losing them everywhere but particularity around her neck, but its not like a patch of bladness just thinned feathers.

I couldn't see any bugs on her, but she does not like being examined. I'm in the UK so starting to get cooler and the nights are getting longer.

When they molt, how many feathers do they lose?

 

[dc3085]

A ton of small feathers. If I remember Ill take a picture under my breeding cage this afternoon. They'll be so many feathers on the ground it will look something killed a bird.

 

[GrandmaBird]

My button quail have molted this past two weeks, mess of feathers everywhere and no eggs. Now they look better and are back at it again...mating and eggs. I live in Colorado and these birds are in the house so I think it has more to do with natural sun light then temperature. Sounds to me like a molt. Good luck.

 

[beckym100]

thanks, so much. Would all four birds molt at once or could they do it at different times?

 

[beckym100]

Do they look like they have been pulled through a hedge backwards? Mine do, very scruffy

 

[beckym100]

Got some photos of her, is this quail molting?

 

[GrandmaBird]

I would vote yes, she is molting. And sometimes they all molt and sometimes they don't at all. Maybe someone with courtnix can help here. I have buttons.

 

[dc3085]

Molting.