A Few Questions About Jumbo Coturnix Quails...

[LJpnw]

haha i have the same softy heart. I have a pen just for my misfits. If i get a retarded or deformed chick i put them in the misfit pen to breed with the other freaks.Not going to sell them to others for breeding stock but in time i may end up with a freak quail that lays a 30g egg or all the chicks have 2 heads or something crazy. Or at least thats what i tell myself for keeping them around and not culling them. Right now i have a somewhat retarded roo and a hen with weird toes in my misfit pen. I just moved a roo that had a broken ankle out of the misfits pen because he healed enough to go back with the others and is doing great. Oh and the hen with the weird toes just layed a 17g egg yesterday. Man its huge for how small she is. I love the underdogs....

 

[SunnyAlberta]

Ethically, I have a problem with breeding animals with defects if they are passing those defects on to offspring who suffer.

 

[bugglesmommy]

Here is a link to maybe help with the spraddle leg:

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/spraddle-leg-in-baby-chicks-what-is-it.html?m=1

But if you cannot fix it, then please consider the quality of life the bird has. Putting down a chick is simple, but never "easy" and growing attached will only make doing to right thing harder but you must do the selfless thing and let the chick go, even if it breaks your heart.

http://www.waldeneffect.org/how_to_cull_chicks/

 

[kevinmcd32]

 

[Quailsong]

She is eating on her own now but her legs are usekess abd dead. One side of her is growing but the other is not. She has gotten used to crawling and has two friends that she likes to cuddle with. Muchbetter than yesterday, I think she was sick or something. Any suggestions on special care? As she is improving, I don't think she'll need to be culled unless her condition gets worse.Thanks for your help, guys!

Shadow, I'm very sorry but I can't recommend trying to prolong her life with what you've described. Spraddle leg is one thing, complete loss of leg use is another. You have to see things from her point of view. It is possible she's in great pain, will never be able to run, or walk with the other chickens. Having one side growing & the other not shows an extreme defect/issue which will most likely cause a slow & painful death. Assuming the lower half (legs/bottom) aren't growing (and not just right/left side), if she IS a girl & lives to adult stage, the first egg could bind & kill her.

I know you care very much for her, and my heart really goes out for you & the little one. I just can't recommend anything other than culling at this stage.

 

[LJpnw]

I cull any birds with defects that clearly cause a low quality of life but if they just seem slow or have weird toes i keep them from my main breeders and put them in the misfit flock. Ethically i dont think its good to kill birds that can have a good productive life even if they are not as perfect.

We all have our ways.

 

[ShadowCrona]

okay lemme explain something. I am on vacation in MT.My friend is taking care of the birds and I get news by text. These are most often like, "lily isnt eating," folowed by another text that she is. I got a text that said sge was doing ok this morning. My info is prety pieced together and out of date. As for breeding,I am not going to. When I get back I'll take her to a vet who raises chickens in Peoria.

 

[Quailsong]

okay lemme explain something.

I am on vacation in MT.My friend is taking care of the birds and I get news by text. These are most often like, "lily isnt eating," folowed by another text that she is. I got a text that said sge was doing ok this morning. My info is prety pieced together and out of date. As for breeding,I am not going to. When I get back I'll take her to a vet who raises chickens in Peoria.

Ah, I see. Well you know the situation best, (rather, your friend does). Sometimes images speak volumes, so if your friend can send you images (I assume most phones that can text, can take photos) then that would def help you make the best decisions for the situation.

Best of luck, Shadow.^^

 

[ShadowCrona]

Thanks~

Actually I am picking them up tomorrow, so I'm pretty much good. Hopefully the vet can take care of everything

 

[lana3k]

I had 70 eggs in incubator, 52 hatched few days ago. 1 was stuck for 2 days so I decided to help him/her out. It literally was stuck to the shell. it was born with crooked feet, and neck. I did that bandage stuff, 1 foot is normal now, the other foot has 1 toe that is up in the air, weird

The bird had hard time eating and walking, so I was helping a lot and today little guy in on his own. I wouldn't do anything, just help out and see if it will adopt and make it