Dying quail

[chickchickgoose]

Mmmmmm…perhaps ask the vet if he or she checked for liver or kidney failure. I am raising Jumbo Brown Coturnix. The 28% protein is generally recommended for the first 6 weeks, and gradually blending in a wild game bird layer feed crumble that is 16% protein to arrive at a 50/50 blend of 28% and 16%, which is the optimal 22% protein and 2-3% calcium by their 8th week of life.

Liver and kidney disease and organ failure can cause loss of appetite and muscle wasting.

That's interesting! I'll definitely look into changing up their food. Thank you!

 

[007Sean]

I'm honestly not sure unfortunately. I was in a feed store when he called so I was kind of caught off guard and I don't think I asked as much as I should have. I'll definitely take notes though.

If the medication is what I think it may be, it should take care of UE if he is mistaken.

Could bad genetics cause any issues like this?

I will say I didn't think the ones dying looked small or malnourished. I've never seen them kick each other out from the food or water either. The one that I separated before she died was eating and drinking still the day she died.


Being new to quail I could be missing something but I've done my best to research. Hopefully I'll find out more tomorrow.

Genetical deformities, defects, abnormalities associated with this kind of an issue, (failure to thrive) in this case, usually are apparent at hatch. Other genetical abnormalities associated with reproduction won't show up until later or several generations down the line.

To answer you're question, No, I don't think it's "bad genetics".

 

[chickchickgoose]

I called the vet. The assistant said she believes that the spleen and liver looked normal. The vets main prognosis is hypothermia. It doesn't make much sense to me but he has prescribed lincomycin. So hopefully if it is something else it will be knocked out with that and possibly a diet change.

Other than that I'm not sure what to do.

 

[QuailQueen3]

I called the vet. The assistant said she believes that the spleen and liver looked normal. The vets main prognosis is hypothermia. It doesn't make much sense to me but he has prescribed lincomycin. So hopefully if it is something else it will be knocked out with that and possibly a diet change.

Other than that I'm not sure what to do.

Thank you for sharing this update! You and your flock will be in my thoughts and prayers!

 

[chickchickgoose]

Thank you for sharing this update! You and your flock will be in my thoughts and prayers!

Thank you.

 

[chickchickgoose]

So final update. We ended up bringing in 12 quail and putting them in the basement. We culled the rest.

We didn't start them on antibiotics because of the vets diagnosis of hypothermia. We decided that we would give it a little time and if we lost anymore we would start the antibiotics.

We have not lost a single quail since moving them indoors.

 

[Butchers Wife]

Since you have explored so many possibilities and are still at a loss, perhaps the straw is contaminated with something that is poisonous to quail. Poisoning will cause loss of appetite and over time muscle wasting.

Good Point! I've raised quail in years past and I'm now researching cage designs so I can start raising them again. I will not give them bedding material as it becomes filthy almost immediately. I'll keep food and water outside the wire and I'll replace the entire contents of their dust bath at least once a week, maybe twice a week. And I'll mix my own feed!

 

[Nabiki]

Good Point! I've raised quail in years past and I'm now researching cage designs so I can start raising them again. I will not give them bedding material as it becomes filthy almost immediately. I'll keep food and water outside the wire and I'll replace the entire contents of their dust bath at least once a week, maybe twice a week. And I'll mix my own feed!

Are you planning on leaving them on bare wire? They do need a place to rest their feet from the wire. If the don't, you're likely to see leg and door problems.

 

[QuailQueen3]

Good Point! I've raised quail in years past and I'm now researching cage designs so I can start raising them again. I will not give them bedding material as it becomes filthy almost immediately. I'll keep food and water outside the wire and I'll replace the entire contents of their dust bath at least once a week, maybe twice a week. And I'll mix my own feed!

I have an awesome Wynola Ranch cage for my teenagers and grownups. I have Dale’s quails brooders for the first 3-4 weeks.
All awesome!

 

[QuailQueen3]

Are you planning on leaving them on bare wire? They do need a place to rest their feet from the wire. If the don't, you're likely to see leg and door problems.

Respectfully, I have not found that to be the case.