“Fluffed” quail?

[mnbackyardquail]

Hi all!

I have a lovely gal that has been “fluffed” for approximately a week. Image attached. She’s still eating, drinking, running around, and acting generally normal with perhaps a few moments of truly fluffing, tail bobbing, squinting and in general being a bit lethargic. She in general seems a bit more ragged than my other girls and doesn’t seem to be preening herself all that well. I have them in an 2x6x2 raised coop, hard bottom with an inch or so of mixed pine and coffee chaff. They’re fed 3:1 Dumor All Flock: Dumor Game Bird starter. I give them sand every three or four days or so. Anyone have any experience with something like this?

 

[Nabiki]

Does her poop look normal?

I'd be a bit concerned about the coffee chaff. I was reading up on coffee plants on PetMD before I bought three plants, and it says to keep it away from pretty much all of your animals because it can be toxic to them.

 

[Susan Skylark]

A few of mine look a bit like that: bad feather day almost! Not sure on cause, humidity or amorous boys or older feathers needing a molt? It isn’t the ‘I’m sick and feel like death warmed over’ feather fluffing, sort of reminds me of a middle aged long haired cat that doesn’t care about fur care (mats!). Do they have access to a sand bath? Mine are on pure pine and when I try putting in a sand bath they eat it and use it as a litter box but don’t dust bathe, they’d rather do that in the pine shavings! Maybe the oils in the bedding are making the feathers a little oily (like when you really need to wash your hair?). Everybody is happy and healthy, just a couple with a bad feather day! As for coffee fiber being bad for quail, that you might want to look into, cedar and black walnut would be a definite bad idea because the wood itself is pungent, but I believe it is coffee beans or leaves that are an issue and not necessarily the fiber? Hemp is fine but pot leaves would be a bad thing!

 

[mnbackyardquail]

Does her poop look normal?

I'd be a bit concerned about the coffee chaff. I was reading up on coffee plants on PetMD before I bought three plants, and it says to keep it away from pretty much all of your animals because it can be toxic to them.

Poop looks completely normal, but I have an opportunity to run a fecal for free on Friday so I'll be looking for parasites then.

I really hope its not the coffee chaff that's causing it! I've had them on it since I first got them in June, and it has been game changing - no more flies, no more smell, and it seems to keep predators away. I got the idea from a pork producer who kept his swine on chaff, but I know some people who keep their chickens on it with no issues. There are some coffee beans mixed in, but they're too big for the girls to eat and their water is raised so they cant accidental make "coffee" so I haven't been too worried so far. Something to look into tho!

 

[mnbackyardquail]

A few of mine look a bit like that: bad feather day almost! Not sure on cause, humidity or amorous boys or older feathers needing a molt? It isn’t the ‘I’m sick and feel like death warmed over’ feather fluffing, sort of reminds me of a middle aged long haired cat that doesn’t care about fur care (mats!). Do they have access to a sand bath? Mine are on pure pine and when I try putting in a sand bath they eat it and use it as a litter box but don’t dust bathe, they’d rather do that in the pine shavings! Maybe the oils in the bedding are making the feathers a little oily (like when you really need to wash your hair?). Everybody is happy and healthy, just a couple with a bad feather day! As for coffee fiber being bad for quail, that you might want to look into, cedar and black walnut would be a definite bad idea because the wood itself is pungent, but I believe it is coffee beans or leaves that are an issue and not necessarily the fiber? Hemp is fine but pot leaves would be a bad thing!

Phew, glad to hear its not just mine - a "bad feather day" is EXACTLY what it looks like. This girl prefers bathing in the chaff, and doesn't seem to care too much about sand when I put it in but I'm not sure if that's because the other girls push her off. Maybe I'll try adding an extra sand box to try to increase access.

The oils idea is interesting - something else to look into re: coffee chaff. Thank you for your reply!!