Is my quail sleep-deprived?

[Roomi the quail]

Hello, this is my first question in BYC and I am anxiously waiting for a reply from you seasoned bird owners!
My quail is 44 days old and I suppose she is going to lay eggs any time. The problem is, she is so afraid of darkness that she rarely sleeps at night, though I got her a night lamp. She used to fear darkness right from the start and I hoped that it would go away as she grows, but apparently it's getting worse. Red heating lamp was enough when she was a chick, but now she demands nightlight that's bright enough to read a book. She got really jumping skittish and lost some feathers on her head when I tried to change it to dimmer decorative fairy lights.
I read all these horrible things that happened to egg laying quail hens that got too much artificial light(messed up laying cycle and shortened lifespan, etc) and I became so worried. My quail spends 24/7 under artificial lights and has no bio rhythm or whatsoever. She sleeps at irregular intervals, wakes up every 10 minutes when she does so, and never uses sheds or anything that blocks the light. It's definitely abnormal, isn't it? I wonder if there's any way to make her have sound, all night's sleep. I also suspect that her recent developed skittishness is somehow due to sleep deprivation...

 

[K85trb]

What about changing to a blue light? I know for parrots that are afraid of the dark they recommend using a blue lightbulb.

 

[Roomi the quail]

Oh, is she going to be able to sleep undisturbed for a whole night under the blue lamp? I never thought the color matters, but I shall definitely try it this evening. Thanks for your reply!

 

[JaeG]

Is the quail on its own? She would no doubt be more relaxed with company. Birds need to experience a gradual dimming of the light so they can prepare to bed down rather than being plunged into darkness. It won't be healthy long-term to keep her under lights 24/7. They do become very unsettled and can be aggressive without a regular day/night cycle.

It's normal for quail to jump up and hit the roof of their cage, especially at night so putting some padding on the ceiling can help especially jumpy individuals. That's why it's advised to have a cage a foot high or 6 foot plus so that they cannot seriously injure themselves. At 1 foot they won't have gathered enough speed to hurt themselves and at 6 foot they should've at least slowed down enough.

 

[Roomi the quail]

I tried for a company when she was 3 weeks old. I got my quail, went to my friend's to meet her 5 friends, possibly her new cage mate, and they bullied my poor girl into submission..., but I will give it a try later. Tried a night lamp for human babies that gradually gets dimmer in 15 minutes, too. It was her former night buddy but now it's not bright enough for her. Thanks for your advice though!

 

[JaeG]

When introducing two quail (best to keep the numbers even on both sides) you have to keep them side by side where they can see each other but divided off from each other for at least a week before letting them mix. Any new quail is met with aggression initially until they get used to each other.

 

[Roomi the quail]

Should have known it before I messed up with my friends quails I regret... I wil keep your introduction rule in mind for hopefully Quailfull future! Currently my quail has a small mirror to one side and she sometimes looks at it like she doesnt know what to do with herself in it. Super cute.