Do these quails look healthy?!?

[Simonmagus]

I visited my mother in another country recently and she is raising quails. Upon first inspection I felt they looked off. Can you confirm my suspicion?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

So cool that you're looking out for mum and her birds!

I don't raise quail... but those look like hell to me.

Do you know how old they are and what she feeds... or if they have been inspected for external parasites? Are those bald backs I see? Do you know how many males to females?

Yes... I see a definite problem with those birds.

 

[Kiki]

Poor things, they do look off.
Is the hose connected to a water source?
Is the hose green or the water in it green...please tell her to give them fresh water asap.


Actually I think it might be best if she stops raising quail.

 

[le_bwah]

Those are pretty bad conditions: dirty, cramped, with skinny balding birds. I hope you can do something to improve their situation.

 

[Kiki]

Please do these birds a favor and end their misery.
This really is horrible.

 

[le_bwah]

Please do these birds a favor and end their misery.
This really is horrible.
View attachment 1533107

Holy cow, I didn't even see that one. Culling is kindest. Even if you could get your mother to treat them better, this is likely her idea of "okay"; that sort of attitude is hard to change in people. I'm sorry for you and the quail.

 

[BrindleFinch]

Please do these birds a favor and end their misery.
This really is horrible.
View attachment 1533107

Yikes... I literally could not make heads or tails out of what this picture even was at first. I didn't see the beak and thought it was a bare back with a sore on the neck.

Poor quail - I know it may be hard to try to reprimand a parent, and even harder when animal husbandry in other countries is so different than our own, but this image really highlights that these poor guys are unwell. You have to at least try, for these poor little ones.

 

[007Sean]

If this happened in the USA, they probably would get put in prison and at least fined heavily and the birds would be confiscated.
Their overcrowded, diseased, and very unhealthy!
Poor birds.

 

[Erkenstein]

Thank you for reaching out to us. We really care about the welfare of animals, even if we use them for eggs and meat.

You are right that the birds are not healthy. They look undernourished, beat up, and overmated. There is infection happening and what looks like injuries from fighting.

The birds are also in very cramped conditions with nothing to do except sit on wire. This is how battery hens are kept, and they can live like that (for a short time), but it is not an ethical way to raise an animal. They look like they have unclean water and are exposed to the elements with no escape. This is a miserable life.

Here is basic care information for quail. If your mother can't give them what they need, she should not keep quail. https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...asics-information-and-pictures-galore.102281/

 

[EggSighted4Life]

None of us are here to judge you. We are soo glad that you see something a miss and pursue the truth!

Really, I will even pass on judging your mom... people make mistakes and CAN choose to do differently once they are educated. Some people have mental illness (even undiagnosed) and cannot be reasoned with or taught. The fact that she said they are fine in that condition would indicate the later.

If I didn't think I could get her to change SOMETHING... I would be calling someone I know... and asking them to sneak in and release the birds... facing their fate in the wild is better than continuing to be subject to that... Or if it's a country with any animals welfare authorities, maybe them. I realized it was bad... but NOT how bad until kiki isolated that poor bird in the pic. And even then not until another person pointed out that was a beak! And I realize it must be difficult on you thinking about what to do.

I hope you can help her gently without real fall out.

At worst... I can only hope if nothing changes that their end comes soon and the suffering is stopped. You can tell by looking that hurts! Turns out they don't just look like hell... they are living it. (just a vent of frustration but not directed at the OP.)