Foam inside the FEMALE hens feces.

[TheWulfofAwe]

So I go over to check on the quail. I have two females and one male that are all adults and While adding bedding, I noticed that there was some yellowish white-ish foam in her feces. I was just wondering if this was a problem. I will provide pictures if you ask. Im pretty sure it isn't from the male either.

 

[Sill]

What color is this hen? Obvious hen markings? I've had roos that were colored almost like a hen, but never breed them. Only breed roos that have good masculine coloring. If you hear a crow, there would be your proof.

Vent sexing is easy, especially if the roo hasn't had time to breed first thing in the morning. The foam gland between the vent and tail will be very full. Hens can and will pass foam in their droppings if they were recently bred, but will never have a full foam gland like a roo.

 

[franklinstreetwest]

The foam sounds like semen.

 

[TheWulfofAwe]

Unfortunately when I came back from school to check on the quail, I found them ALL dead. Now I don't know how they died but it was very saddening. Could it be that either that I had them exposed to the sun for too long? or could it be that sometimes they would eat their own feces... I oh I feel so bad for those birds.

 

[franklinstreetwest]

Oh, that is always a hard thing to come home to! I am sooo sorry for your loss.

Was their water full? How hot was it during the day? How old were they?

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh I am so sorry!

If you left them in the sun all day, they could have over heated or died from dehydration.

Birds do eat feces sometimes for the probiotics in them. As long as the birds are healthy, tiny amounts of poop will not hurt them. Eating poop would not have killed them all together so fast.

 

[TheWulfofAwe]

Thank you for all the condolences. All your help is appreciated. I think now the cause of death is heat stroke. I will have to finish my quail coop and then hope the next batch of Quails don't pass away. Ill be smarter next time and ill come back here on the forums if I ever need help. Thank you for your care guys.

 

[franklinstreetwest]

Good luck with your next batch. Just so you know... In my experience, quail go through TONS of water. I have pop bottle waterers in my quail cages and the same size waterer in my chicken cage. 7 Quail will drink/empty the bottle in one 60 degree day....the 4 bantam (silkie/cochin) chickens will take 2 days to drink the same volume of water. When I had open bowls of water for the quail, they mostly bathed in it....then I would find them out of water faster. Just my experience so far. Best wishes to you.

 

[TwoCrows]

My quail avoid the sun for the most part and only briefly during the day will they sun bathe in it. They are very tiny and over heat very quickly. So offer them up lots of shade and only a tiny bit of sun, if at all. Plenty of UV coming in from all sides anyway.