Button Quail acting like she has something in throat

[2 many chickens]

Hello, I have 5 month old female Button Quail. For the past 2 days she keeps rubbing her big ol beak on the ground and opening her mouth. I'm assuming she's trying to get something out of her throat. She poops fine, drinks and laid egg's since.
She does go to the water a lot when she has this happening. She does not go outside, she lives inside with her flock mates so nothing like gapeworms,etc. It's just her.
I tried to pick her up and look at her but she flocked about and crapped on me.
I saw nothing in her mouth or anything.
Advice? She eats 24 percent crumble and the occasional frozen mealworm. I also give her soil to bathe in but I bake it first so nothing come in from outside.
Thanks.

 

[2 many chickens]

Also, nothing like mites or anything cause I clean their stink house every couple of days.

 

[2 many chickens]

@DK newbie
since you give great quail advice, need advice.

 

[HuffleClaw]

@ButtonquailGirl14

 

[2 many chickens]

@ButtonquailGirl14

Thank you for tagging someone to help

 

[HuffleClaw]

Thank you for tagging someone to help, how on earth do you tag someone?

You type the @ symbol and the you type the user name

@2 many chickens

 

[2 many chickens]

You type the @ symbol and the you type the user name

@2 many chickens View attachment 1496152

Thank you very much ^.^

 

[HuffleClaw]

Thank you very much ^.^

You’re very welcome! ^v^

 

[DK newbie]

Do you think you could get a video of the behavior perhaps?

She could have had gapeworm for as long as you have had her, without showing symptoms (unless you hatched her and every bird she's ever been near yourself). Stress or other diseases challenging the immune system can suddenly make the gapeworm breed like crazy so an infestation that previously gave no symptoms suddenly do.

If you can get someone to help you hold her when you properly check her mouth and throat, that would probably be best. Try to do it with one of the others as well, so you know what it's supposed to look like - it could be she just has a subtle change of color or a slight swelling or something you won't notice if you have nothing to compare with.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

honestly, I have no clue what causes this, but mine does it every once in a while, and I am pretty convinced it is just a behavior.. she seems to do it when she is stressed. how big is your setup? does she have a mate?