Button quail: females dying

[Jo Protherough]

I had 13 button quail given to me last year by my son who'd rescued them from someone who had them living in a small cardboard box (basically had bought them on a whim and didn't want them anymore).

3 males and 10 females

I've got them a huge cage, multilayered with ramps, sandpits, plenty of water etc. the undersides of every level are padded but they don't tend to jump anyway. They are fed a high protein game bird mix with chick crumb mixed in. They have oyster shell available (but its for chickens). I give them fresh greenery (cabbage or lettuce or cress) and mealworms.

I've had 3 females die in the last 2 months. Each time they appear to have laid a big egg, and have gaping bloody vents. The eggs have not broken.

Am I feeding them too much? Too many mealworms? They need to lay smaller eggs I think.


A

 

[Nabiki]

Are you feeding them enough calcium? I've found that buttons seem to be particularly sensitive if they're not getting enough calcium, and the girls die fast.

 

[Jo Protherough]

Are you feeding them enough calcium? I've found that buttons seem to be particularly sensitive if they're not getting enough calcium, and the girls die fast.

I have put down the grit that my chickens have but maybe I need to grind it up a bit?

 

[nuthatched]

I have put down the grit that my chickens have but maybe I need to grind it up a bit?

Grit or oyster shell?

 

[Nabiki]

I have put down the grit that my chickens have but maybe I need to grind it up a bit?

Grit isn't calcium. They need crushed egg shell or oyster shell.

 

[Finchbreeder]

I keep my King quail in sand floor avairies and have never had this problem.
Lightly crushed boiled chicken egg shells are good for them, and small bird seed.
I have been breeding them like this for over 30 yrs.