help!!!!!! button quail

[ameraucanacrazy]

my button quail are killing one another they are pecking every feather off one another except for the wing feathers why are doing this help!

 

[Stellar]

How are you housing your buttons? In colonies or pairs? Button quail are monogamous birds (one male, one female). A pair will kill "intruders." If a hen broods her own young, she even kicks them out of the territory when they mature.

The more details you provide, the better.

 

[ameraucanacrazy]

there are about 7 button quail in a 4x12 aviary but i have a pen with a male and 2 females in it but the females killed the male and a pen with 3 females and 2 males and one of the female got pecked badly but the others 4 do not peck one another

 

[Stellar]

I really suggest pairing them up. They are killing each other because they are being territorial. Were you feeding them mealworms so the males could court the females?

 

[ameraucanacrazy]

no i have never given them mealworms

 

[Stellar]

How old are your buttons?

With the 7 you have in the one pen, how many males and how many females?

Plucking is a sign of stress and discomfort. If you pair the buttons up, I assure you the problem will stop.

 

[renegaderidgefarm]

Have you watched them to see which one is doing the feather plucking? I had a crazy little hen once that would pluck every feather out of any bird I put in her cage. She was just nuts and nothing made her happy so I got rid of her and haven't had any other problems since.

Another thing . . . what do you feed them? Lack of protein can cause pecking and too much protein can cause aggression.

 

[ameraucanacrazy]

i feed them bird seed

 

[Stellar]

Button quail need 30% protein which bird seed does not provide.

You need to feed them Gamebird crumbles NONMEDICATED

A good brand is Gamebird Showbird by Manna Pro.

 

[renegaderidgefarm]

You may just have a mean bird but I would try feeding them something with a little more protein. I feed all my quail a turkey feed, laying crumble, scratch mixture. Going easy on the scratch because mixed grains to caged birds is like candy to children. All my quail are healthy and happy and I have very little aggression problems.