I have a coturnix hen that looks hurt. She bends her neck backwards, and will waddle around going backwards until she falls. Is there anything I can do for her?
Injury or illness? Some diseases manifest in neurological symptoms like this. It could also be what they refer to as a "bonking" injury if the bird flew up suddenly and hit a hard surface at a high speed, causing injury to the head and neck, and probably to the brain as well. Or, really, about a thousand other things. That's the hard part, knowing what the problem is. The basic first aid for most anything is isolation, heat (around 90 degrees == but NOT if the suspected problem is heat stroke, obviously in which case you need to cool the bird fast), water with electrolytes is possible and if the bird can swallow. If it survives a few hours and looks no worse, you can try giving it antibiotics, a broad spectrum mix such as tetracycline and penicillin. I know you don't know what the problem is, but the above approach has worked for me more than once in similar circumstances when I didn't know what the specific problem was either.
