Backward-walking Quail

[CovidtimeQuail]

I have one weird coturnix that walks backward more than it walks forward. It also seems a bit "off." Best I can tell, it's otherwise healthy. Has anyone else experienced this?

(It was the runt of the batch, usually feels colder and sleeps more often than the rest still.)

 

[azygous]

It's most likely a form of torticolis. (Wry neck) Recently my rooster did exactly what your quail is doing. I gave him one capsule of vitamin E 400iu and he was back to normal in just hours. I continued with the E once a day for a few more days, and he's been fine since.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

How tall is the ceiling in the cage?
this is almost Always a result of a quail jumping up and hitting their heads on the ceiling.

 

[Nabiki]

In my experience this behaviour comes after injury to the head. It could be hitting the ceiling or walls of his pen or being beaten on by another bird.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Probably beaten by another bird. I recently thought I'd lose her due to injury. I made the mistake of culling the white male and the three white hens (including this one) lost their place in the pecking order.

She is looking a lot better after she and the other 2 white hens were separated. They have less room, but they look relaxed and content.

I hope she heals okay. Feathers are growing back on the other birds. Thanks for putting some perspective on this. I'm relieved and hopeful.

@azygous,
I have to ask, but do did your rooster eat a vitamin E capsule, or did you have to mix it with something first?

 

[azygous]

I'm lazy. I popped the capsule into his beak and it went right down. You have the option of doing that, and I imagine your quail would have no problem either, or break open the capsule and mix it with a tiny bit of food. If you do that, then I would give another dose later in the day to be sure enough gets down to do the job.

 

[FloorCandy]

It's most likely a form of torticolis. (Wry neck) Recently my rooster did exactly what your quail is doing. I gave him one capsule of vitamin E 400iu and he was back to normal in just hours. I continued with the E once a day for a few more days, and he's been fine since.

I have no idea if this is the issue with my quail, but I have an albino that has very small weak legs, she started stumbling, now rarely stands. She mostly lays between the food and water and shuffles between them with her butt in the air. I had changed feed, and the new stuff has been fine for everyone else, but I wondered because this started not long after the switch. I had ordered more of the pricey feed, but just to see in the mean time, I broke a vitamin e and squirted it in her mouth, 90 minutes later she’s standing on her own. She isn’t walking, so idk if she mustered strength after my vicious attack and force feeding of meds lol, or if it’s real improvement, time will tell, but I appreciate this suggestion all the same.

 

[azygous]

I have no idea if this is the issue with my quail, but I have an albino that has very small weak legs, she started stumbling, now rarely stands. She mostly lays between the food and water and shuffles between them with her butt in the air. I had changed feed, and the new stuff has been fine for everyone else, but I wondered because this started not long after the switch. I had ordered more of the pricey feed, but just to see in the mean time, I broke a vitamin e and squirted it in her mouth, 90 minutes later she’s standing on her own. She isn’t walking, so idk if she mustered strength after my vicious attack and force feeding of meds lol, or if it’s real improvement, time will tell, but I appreciate this suggestion all the same.

It would be worthwhile to continue with the E each day until this bird is walking normally and a couple days beyond that. There's good reason to expect even more improvement.

 

[FloorCandy]

It would be worthwhile to continue with the E each day until this bird is walking normally and a couple days beyond that. There's good reason to expect even more improvement.

I gave her another this morning, I have seen her standing on her own, and she walked a small distance twice, standing in the proper form, not butt in the air, shoveling with chest. However, she’s still mostly laying down, and has also shuffled in her sickly wheelbarrow position a few times. I’m still unsure if she’s improving, or if I’m just seeing more because I’m actively watching her a lot now, and I’m inventing improvement because I’m hoping she will get better. I’m going to give 2 per day, morning and night, for a few days to see if it’s helping, the new/old food should be arriving tomorrow or Saturday, so maybe that will help also. Both feeds say they add vitamin e supplements, but not how much, it’s just listed in ingredients, and not in the %s daily value, so perhaps there was a big difference in the amount.

Either way thank you again, our house quail have become an important part of our lives, losing a female when we have a bad m/f ratio already would be pretty hard, and these guys all have some kind of issue that makes them smaller than the outside ones, plus quail who aren’t blind would find our indoor accommodations much too small and dull compared to the yard pens.

 

[azygous]

Glad you decided to try doubling the dose of E. That may be what turns the tide for this little one. Additional doses of B-complex can help strengthen the legs in tandem with the E repairing any neurological damage. Don't give up. Some cases require longer treatment.