quail started fighting any ideas on why?

[danielb1990]

Hi this morning i found one my quails suddenly attacking the other one and making some sort quite squark at them before leaping at them and it been doing it all day every now and then the other one trys hide but sometimes the attacker follows

they have plenty food and water any ideas why there doing this (so far no damage happened that i see more just chase them away from something/area)

I tried giving the attacker a 1 hour "time out" in a old bird cage i had for them but after re adding it sounds like it might be starting up again (i hear some basic calls)

 

[Erkenstein]

Hi what type of quail do you have? It sounds to me like sexual maturity and breeding season. I'm a little unclear if you have only two birds or more than two? Have there been any changes such as new additions to the flock?

It's hard to prevent bullying once it starts. If the others are mellow when your bully is removed, you may need to permanently remove the bully.

 

[danielb1990]

japanise ones only 2 and they live in a 1mx1m 30cm high (around 3ftx3ftx10")pen that up to now has been lit with a halogen light from 5am to 11pm although as i read lack of sleep can cause aggression im changing that from 8am-8pm roughly as they seem calmer in dark

The only "new" thing i changed is added some card after they started fighting as a place to hide under

I have quail food in tray small cat bowl of "wild bird" seed (contains sunflour, budgie seed etc) and grit

They grew up since hatching together and the one attacking was being picked on by other in past but they broke that up fast (think was fights over grasshoppers)

when lights off/dim they seem calm down alot so im hoping it just my light cycle was to bright to long so bad sleep and new hours better (although possible less eggs)

 

[danielb1990]

lights have been off last hour and they seem to be quite (no chasing and running sounds) i put a towel over the gaps so its dark as possible for most of the pen hopefully it just the "attacker" trying to sleep but other one was bugging it but still not 100% if was one off to much light type deal or agressive bird

 

[le_bwah]

japanise ones only 2 and they live in a 1mx1m 30cm high (around 3ftx3ftx10")pen that up to now has been lit with a halogen light from 5am to 11pm although as i read lack of sleep can cause aggression im changing that from 8am-8pm roughly as they seem calmer in dark

The only "new" thing i changed is added some card after they started fighting as a place to hide under

I have quail food in tray small cat bowl of "wild bird" seed (contains sunflour, budgie seed etc) and grit

They grew up since hatching together and the one attacking was being picked on by other in past but they broke that up fast (think was fights over grasshoppers)

when lights off/dim they seem calm down alot so im hoping it just my light cycle was to bright to long so bad sleep and new hours better (although possible less eggs)

Do you know their sex? One may be trying to mate the other. I also wonder about their food. Is "wild bird seed" the only food you provide?

 

[danielb1990]

no like i said they also have pellets made for quail that the 20% +protean and both female

 

[le_bwah]

no like i said they also have pellets made for quail that the 20% +protean and both female

Thanks for the info, none of that was in your original comment. I don't know why your ladies are fighting. 20% sounds low; if they aren't getting enough protein, they may be going after feathers. Has anything new been introduced to their cage lately? Could they be fighting over treats again? I'd keep the bully separate for a while. When you reintroduce them, rearrange the items in their pen so it feels like a new location; they can be less territorial after a shakeup.

 

[danielb1990]

just checked the name and it HEYGATES Country Quail & Partridge Layers Pellets Feed/Food - 2mm Pellet

in a min im going to shop to get some dry cat food as it says that stuff like 40% protien and crush it up and mix it with pellets to try boost the protien

 

[danielb1990]

Update : just separated them to diff cages next to each other so that can still hear each other in both cages i added crushed cat food 30% protein 11% fat + layer pellets (around 20% protein) grit and water + each a sandbath i feed dried meal worms as bonus to that of like a small handful a day for them to graze on

will try in few days-1week see if they get on when together again