male quail plucking one hen

[3goodeggs]

I have three coturnix. one male two females. the females are laying for about two weeks now.
Everything was just fine, and this morning the male started pulling the feathers out of quail number 2's head. I over turned a small box with an opening so she could get out of his sight, and it worked for a while. We left for a bit and when we got back she has bloody spots on her head. She has been separated, but... I'd rather have her than a brutish male quail.
what's up with him? 2square feet per bird correct? He was fine during the heat wave, but we have had a lot of rain storms the last 24 hours. could that have anything to do with it?
I will get an incubator, hatch his offspring- and eat him. little stinker.
any other suggestions besides consumption of the offender?

 

[gmendoza]

not really. if hes a stinker and ripping skin( like one of ours did) then he gets capital punishment. But dont put that hen back with him.You should have started with more hens than 2. that way he will be too pre-occupied to be plucking skin off.

 

[3goodeggs]

thanks!
If I remove him-It sounds like he will start on hen 'number one' next-can I put the wounded hen back with her sister, or are they like chickens and peck on anything red?
I don't know how they feel about being alone. Can they handle it or pine away?
also, how many hens per male works for you?
i appreciate this!

 

[gmendoza]

Usually 3-4 hens per male.Our male coturnix had 4 women,but sadly one died from heat stroke.

Anyways, they wont pine away being alone.We have a white texas a& m hen thats a bacholette in her own home.She got her head skin ripped off her twice and a bad eye pecking.Now she dont want friend or foe in her keep,nor presence.

We also have a bob bird roo and two bob bird hens in the main chicken coop.they do fine foraging and can drink and eat from the troths.These were the main culprits of de-skining the white hen, so instead of eating them,they get reprive and into the main run.

 

[Stellar]

Some males do fine with 2 hens but they will be bald pretty bad. 3-4, even 5 hens per male is ideal. The males are love monkeys and like their women

 

[3goodeggs]

We are headed to a swap next weekend. Maybe instead of eating him, I will just get a few more hens.
I am really enjoying quail and hate to give up the male. If I wish to incubate, he'll earn his food.
Do I need to quarantine quail like I do chickens ?
My poor husband, he has so many weekend 'honey-do' jobs lined up, and now I'll need a serious quail cage.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Stellar]

You should quarantine any animal you bring in, especially birds because of the diseases they may carry without you knowing. 30 days quarantine.

 

[snyd08]

Quote:
+1 .... 30 days is what i try with auction birds but even at that i'v got myself in trouble. i try not to bring ANY outside birds in anymore. all my own stock or eggs ONLY.

 

[Fat Daddy]

Quote:
+1 .... 30 days is what i try with auction birds but even at that i'v got myself in trouble. i try not to bring ANY outside birds in anymore. all my own stock or eggs ONLY.

Swap meet cooties are real!!!! One good case of syphilis monkey pox, caught from common barn yard avian, is all it takes to loose all your game birds. A incubator and mailed eggs is cheap insurance. And this way you get to have all the fuzzy butts!!! Bill

 

[3goodeggs]

ahh, I am so easily talked out of things. Okay, no swap meet quail. (That gives hubby some free time to make blue bird boxes.

)

So, buy an incubator, buy some eggs and meanwhile let the male quail cool his engines in his own cage.
or, the females are laying fertile eggs now, how long will they hold the 'male bits' without him? are they like chickens with the nurse cells?

one more question, and I feel like an idiot asking... what are quail called, hen and roo or?
malequail rhymes, but takes up more typing than I'd like.
It there a good 'quail for idiots' book?
It's all fun and games until someone gets their head plucked bald, and then I have to get serious about it.