bob white question

[fowlman33]

ok guys and girls.....I have some Bobs that are about 10-12 weeks old and they have lost all feathers on their backs.....I have seperated all roos and hens as a precaution although I dont think it is because of the roos, they are still young birds.

Is it something they are not getting? I feed Purina Startena 30% protein, its' about to get real cold and I want babies to have feathers ;(

 

[7L Farm]

I've never seen your pen but space is needed to raise Bob's. Lots of space.

 

[rittert3]

I second that, bobs can be really tough to raise, you need alot of space for their size.

 

[JJMR794]

WOULD YOU BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING THRU THEIR JUVENILE MOULT?

 

[TwoCrows]

X2 from JJ.

They are molting out all their baby feathers and when they grow in the new ones, you will be able to tell male from female.

 

[fowlman33]

Quote:
All the rest of their feathers looks great, just on the back.....no evidence of picking or nothing.

Never would have guessed a molt ??? How soon should the feathers start coming back in ??

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes, at that age, the loss of feathers is not going to be from any mating. They should be molting at this time and growing in their adult feathers. However if you suspect anything suspicious, have you checked for any mites? I really doubt their is anything wrong other than molting. Bobs generally don't go after back feathers. If they fight with each other, they normally go after feet, toes, heads or faces.

Edit to add: They should be fully feathered with adult feathers by 16 weeks or so. Lost feathers take about 6 weeks to fully grow.

 

[7L Farm]

I've noticed that Bob's & coturnix seem to shed feathers all the time atleast mine do. Haven't noticed bare backs. Have noticed bare heads & bleeding heads do to what I think is unbalanced male to female ratio. I just adjust & fire up the pit.

 

[fowlman33]

Quote:
haven't checked for mites....they are on wire (not that it matters) but what should I look for? what do I need to get rid of any if I find them?

 

[TwoCrows]

Are you offering them a place to take a dust bath? Quail need to dust bath daily to keep the mites down on them. The dust helps smoother out the bugs. Look for red skin patches where the feathers are lost. Look around the neck beneath the beak and also the back of the head. You may even see bugs if they are really infested. Those places are the most difficult to rid themselves of mites. Their skin should look evenly colored and clean. If you see anything, then you need to dust them with Sevin powder or even DE. It is not easy to do however. If you can get someone to hold the bird and the other person can blow the feathers out of the way, you can dust them fairly well. Some folks put the powders in the bag with the bird in it, shake the bag and that will dust them. You can also spray them with permethrin (sp) spray. I find that this is the easiest thing to do if they are really infested. You can get that at most poultry or feed stores.

Also, make sure to put a small amount of DE or Sevin in the dusting area once a week. That way they are bathing in the dust.