ChristinaD25
In the Brooder
- Jul 12, 2022
- 12
- 23
- 34
I had 8 coturnix hens living together happily for about 2 months.
5 days ago I integrated 2 roosters. One was killed by a skull penetrating peck within 1 hour. 3 of the hens were acting unusually psychotic when I discovered this. They were darting around trying to attack the other birds in what seemed like a group effort. They were even going after the birds they had lived with without issue prior to introducing the roos. I removed those three to a separate pen, and they have been living harmoniously since.
I picked 3 hens and 1 rooster and introduced them to the existing set of quail in the dust bath and then put them into a brooder box to observe them. They all seemed to be fine with each other. I moved them back to the pen where they lived without any issue for 4 days. Today when I went ti check on them, I found the other rooster, not just dead, but mutilated. The remaining 8 hens and 1 too were all calm and content seeming and had no trace of blood on them. A couple of the hens have ruffled feathers where the top of their wing meets their back, but I think that might just be starting to molt (?).
They scalped his entire head/neck. The feathers on his right upper back we’re ripped out, but he had no bite marks or anything appearing that it may have been a predator trying to eat him. There was blood splatter on 2 of the walls inside the hutch, but none near the egg roll opening where i found him laying. The severely plucked side of his back was not against the bottom of the elevated hutch which is made of 1/2” hardware cloth. There were eggs in the egg roll that were untouched - wouldn’t they be an easy meal for a predator?
The surviving rooster does not crow much at all, but does mate with the hens. Both this and the previously killed rooster were CONSTANTLY crowing it seemed. Could that have something to do with it? Is this normal? Should I be choosing roosters with certain qualities for them?
These are my preferred quail which I would like to use for breeding. I just don’t see how that will happen if they keep killing the roosters. What can I do??
5 days ago I integrated 2 roosters. One was killed by a skull penetrating peck within 1 hour. 3 of the hens were acting unusually psychotic when I discovered this. They were darting around trying to attack the other birds in what seemed like a group effort. They were even going after the birds they had lived with without issue prior to introducing the roos. I removed those three to a separate pen, and they have been living harmoniously since.
I picked 3 hens and 1 rooster and introduced them to the existing set of quail in the dust bath and then put them into a brooder box to observe them. They all seemed to be fine with each other. I moved them back to the pen where they lived without any issue for 4 days. Today when I went ti check on them, I found the other rooster, not just dead, but mutilated. The remaining 8 hens and 1 too were all calm and content seeming and had no trace of blood on them. A couple of the hens have ruffled feathers where the top of their wing meets their back, but I think that might just be starting to molt (?).
They scalped his entire head/neck. The feathers on his right upper back we’re ripped out, but he had no bite marks or anything appearing that it may have been a predator trying to eat him. There was blood splatter on 2 of the walls inside the hutch, but none near the egg roll opening where i found him laying. The severely plucked side of his back was not against the bottom of the elevated hutch which is made of 1/2” hardware cloth. There were eggs in the egg roll that were untouched - wouldn’t they be an easy meal for a predator?
The surviving rooster does not crow much at all, but does mate with the hens. Both this and the previously killed rooster were CONSTANTLY crowing it seemed. Could that have something to do with it? Is this normal? Should I be choosing roosters with certain qualities for them?
These are my preferred quail which I would like to use for breeding. I just don’t see how that will happen if they keep killing the roosters. What can I do??