HELP! Hens killing roosters (Gory pic warning)

[Kiki]

He was dead when I found him, if not I would have culled him immediately. Should I be putting the hens I want to breed in a separate enclosure with a rooster just long enough to watch them mate and then separate them?? I’m so confused on what to do here.

Sorry.

I am not sure what you should do but if I were you I'd just order more eggs, feather sexable colors, and start over.

I keep all of the birds I hatch in one cage until they are about 3 weeks old when I can sex them and then I split them up into single male groups. I really do avoid integrating quail at all costs.

 

[Kiki]

What do your cages look like?
What size are they and how many hiding spots do you have in each one? This things make a difference too.

 

[Kiki]

They sure are. This group is my “docile”
bunch… but apparently, that docility only applies to interactions with me, with their fellow quail they’re absolutely nuts

Is there a general rule about how many times/how often they should be mated to produce fertile eggs? My operation is small scale, so if possible I’d prefer to set eggs from specific birds, rather than setting a larger batch and and then have to house and feed them while culling them down to a selected few. If I improve my integration methods does the former seem like a realistic plan?

The less you move them around the better. Moving them and switching up partners and housing is stressful and each time you do it you're likely to cause the hens to stop laying for a while.

 

[Kiki]

@OneHappyDuckie Read everything here, please.

 

[Kiki]

Are you currently using those tiny cages that you were using back in July?
If so, this is most definitely part of the problem.

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

Are Coturnix Quail normally this terrible? My quail I have moved more than once and even moved one male recently to my girl pens and have had no problems. I have never had a quail kill another.

 

[Kiki]

Are Coturnix Quail normally this terrible? My quail I have moved more than once and even moved one male recently to my girl pens and have had no problems. I have never had a quail kill another.

Age and housing matter. There are no hard rules that apply to all quail.

 

[OneHappyDuckie]

@OneHappyDuckie Read everything here, please.

Just did. This is what I planned on doing

I keep all of the birds I hatch in one cage until they are about 3 weeks old when I can sex them and then I split them up into single male groups. I really do avoid integrating quail at all costs.

 

[NinjaGamer2022]

Age and housing matter. There are no hard rules that apply to all quail.

I better be careful with my new baby quail when I move them then... Poor rooster.

 

[ChristinaD25]

What do your cages look like?
What size are they and how many hiding spots do you have in each one? This things make a difference too.

I built a 2 layer hutch that is wood with hardware cloth for floor and ventilation. Each layer is 4’ x 2.5’, divided into 1 side fully enclosed with wood and the other has the hardware cloth ‘windows’.

I do still have the 2 layer hatching time cage. I don’t love it, neither do the quail. But I do use it still. The one layer in which the 3 stalls are connected is my grow out pen, and the other layer with 3 separate tiny pens. I use those as a recovery place for injuries, death row housing for those I need to separate but don’t immediately have the time to process. I also have 2 smaller and 1 very large modified storage bin enclosures that I use as brooders, but also to separate males who aren’t living peacefully with the others.

I don’t have any good hiding spots, I think that may a much bigger problem that I previously thought it was. I’ve been meaning to look into synthetic vines that are safe for them (sturdy, nontoxic, etc) to create hiding spaces. As soon as I’m done writing this, I’m going to take some grape vine trimmings to create some I have enough of that available to change out as they wilt until I can get a more long term hiding place solution in order.