Recent content by eveliens

  1. eveliens

    Quail hatch gone sideways - potential cannibalism

    Thanks for answering. After watching them as long as I could stand the flies/mosquitoes, the only thing I noticed was they seem itchy/scratching a lot. I gave them some egg and tomorrow I'll catch one to look for lice/mites or bites. I think this may be a case of taking an L and seeing what...
  2. eveliens

    Quail hatch gone sideways - potential cannibalism

    They were inside longer than usual due to me being sick as a dog right after they hatched but now they're outside in a 4x2 ft brooder, so they have plenty of space. I think more have died outside than in at this point. Plus the 3 injured ones [+2 runts I removed several days ago] I have pulled...
  3. eveliens

    Quail hatch gone sideways - potential cannibalism

    Been hatching & raising gambels for 4 years now and my latest hatch has been nothing be issues. Incubation & hatch was fine - 36/40 hatched, everyone was healthy and active, no obvious issues. Chicks were nosier/flightier than usual from the beginning but around day 10 it went downhill fast...
  4. eveliens

    Serama Cockerel Biting Hands - How to re-train/discourage biting

    I feel sorry for him because the hens do pick on him, as chickens do, and since he's an only child the aggression is pretty concentrated even though the pullets are only a few months older than him. They're being hormonal too and very cranky/broody with their first eggs. He spends most of his...
  5. eveliens

    Serama Cockerel Biting Hands - How to re-train/discourage biting

    I can see how it'd look that way without context. The first time he nailed me, he was asking to be picked up to go inside. He got me when I tried to do so. He's been picked up to come inside since he was 3 days old, so I think he feels he HAS to come to me to come inside not that he wanted to be...
  6. eveliens

    Serama Cockerel Biting Hands - How to re-train/discourage biting

    I guess being a teen boy is the same for all animals. I know in dogs, males (and some females) go through a "fear period" in their teen years. If something traumatic happens to them, it can be really hard to deal with the results because they're primed to make those associations. It appears...
  7. eveliens

    Serama Cockerel Biting Hands - How to re-train/discourage biting

    Little guy came up to me and allowed himself to be picked up without pecking this evening. He thought about it really hard and tensed but decided to make good choices LOL. Hopefully in a few more days he'll stop biting/pecking all together.
  8. eveliens

    Serama Cockerel Biting Hands - How to re-train/discourage biting

    What a witch! That's definitely a situation where you need to be the Top Bird - I'm glad it worked out for you. Hens can be really obnoxious too sometimes but drawing blood definitely crosses a line. Thank you for the advice - this is pretty close to what I've been doing. I actually did don...
  9. eveliens

    Serama Cockerel Biting Hands - How to re-train/discourage biting

    TL;DR: serama cockerel was watched by a sitter for 2 weeks and was handled too roughly - now he bites when you try to pick him up More detail: Lucky Duck is a 4 mo old cockerel who's hormones hit 3 days before I went out of town. Usually I rehome cockerels well before the hormones hit but he...
  10. eveliens

    Adult M + F Gambel's Quail for Sale - Central Valley, CA

    Hello, you are probably not going to have much luck finding chicks or eggs at this time of year. Breeding season for gamebirds like Gambels runs from late spring to late summer. Good luck on your search and beware of scams!
  11. eveliens

    Chick suddenly acting off - injury or illness?

    Well it's been a baffling few months, but I'd like to close this thread out on the positive: little fellow is about 85% recovered and appears to be improving slowly but surely. He still has some balance issues, his automatic foot responses are slow (like grabbing things when hopping up on...
  12. eveliens

    Chick suddenly acting off - injury or illness?

    Haven't updated because it wasn't looking good - he suddenly completely lost the use of a leg and had his toes locked in a curl. I nearly euthanized but as a last try I gave him some of the neuro supplements I take for my health issues. To my surprise, the ALA seemed to work - I looked it up...
  13. eveliens

    Chick suddenly acting off - injury or illness?

    Well, he's still going along, but I think it is less because he's doing better and more he's learning to cope with things. Unfortunately, he had something that looked like a seizure this morning - I've seen the tail end of these fits before and didn't know what had happened (he looks dazed with...
  14. eveliens

    Chick suddenly acting off - injury or illness?

    He's had rooster-tude since day 1. Definitely thinks he's Tuff Stuff haha. Funny because his dad was a total wimp.
  15. eveliens

    Chick suddenly acting off - injury or illness?

    Update: well, I have no idea what happened, but he is almost recovered! Running around on little peg legs but he is running and the body shaking/trembling has stopped. He and his mom had a jail break and I found them flopping around in the dirt across the yard this morning. They spent the day in...
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