Bad button quail mom?

[Quail man 45]

Recently my female quail has plucked the feathers off of the male just above where the tail feathers are. I've never had this happen before, one male I had a while back did this to his mate but never have I seen the female pluck the male before. Is there anything I can do to prevent it? My cage is about 3' by 3' and 2' tall.

 

[DK newbie]

You've actually seen this happen, so you know it's the female doing it? In that case, I'd separate them in two cages right beside each other, none of them being in their original cage, until the feathers have regrown completely. Then I'd attempt reintroduction in the original cage, making sure there are hiding places, a dust bath, a few treats and such so they don't get bored. If feather plucking becomes a habit, it can be impossible to get rid of it.