Help! Quail Aggression!!

[Feathers & Friends]

If I was looking for an expert I would have gone to a vet that specializes in birds you offered your opinion on what you thought other people needed to answer my question. So you started with an opinion that required a lot of time and detail to validate your opinion. Some input after the extra time spent answering your questions would have been appreciated considering one of the most intuitive posts was based off of very little in my initial post before the extensive questions you proposed.

 

[mk4]

I've got some aggression issues as well. Female on female, female on male, male on male, male on female.

My observation is that it's all about housing/density. Most pens have ample space normally. But when there's a fight, the one that's being picked on just can't get away and the aggressor isn't satisfied and feels that the other has backed off because they're still in the same space.

Most pens don't allow for one to escape via a jump/flight.

I wonder if those with aviaries have as brutal aggressions as those with pens.

 

[DK newbie]

As I mentioned in my post, I have an aviary where they pluck each other. It's not brutal aggression at all though, it's just 'Oh! You have a feather right there! Let me get that for you!' and then it pulls out the feather and the victim runs away. I wouldn't say I've experienced brutal aggression in an aviary, but you still have to watch the flock dynamics. Leaving the chicks with the parents for too long is not a good idea, even if they don't kill each other. And hormones (such as the ones caused by spring or broodiness) can result in chasing from time to time.

 

[Nathan209]

New Member Intro: Hello, my name is Matthew. I am currently located in Idaho. I have raised poultry for 13+ years (mostly chickens and pigeons). I am currently raising Quail and Doves, although I'm fairly new to doves and quail.

Due to space limitations I started raising button quail and I am in immediate need to address female aggression. My females are pulling the feathers from the backs of other males and females. The feathers are pecked off from below the neck to underneath their legs. The pecking got so bad once that the other quail had caused an open lesion on one of the males backs and they were canabalizing him. Luckily I saved him in time and he has made a full recovery. I have increased their protein, I started grinding their calcium, ive practiced separating and re-introducing, I'm really running out of options. The aggression stops then starts again, and its only the females. Thanks for your time and information on this.

First photo: 29gallon tank, second: 55, and last photo is one of the females that's been getting picked on.
-MattView attachment 1325111

Not enough space man gotta give em more