Monarc, few questions...

[mrsengeseth]

hiya!! Just dropping a line to say all the quails you sent are doing wonderful! They are in their outdoor pen and I have a few questions...

One has a bald back...could this be from over mating? Being a favorite of the roos maybe?

None have begun to lay or crow thus far, are any of the rest of the clutch laying or crowing yet?

And lastly, I don't want the boogers to get bored...what are some things I can give them for some mental stimulation?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Hi Mrs. E... my youngsters have bald backs, too, and I believe it's from being too crowded and bored... they're picking on each other. If they're not laying eggs or crowing yet, they're probably not mating. Loss of feathers on the back of the head is usually caused by over mating.

Niki might have other ideas, but a deep pan of sand usually keeps them occupied forever... they love to dust in it.

Don't you just love your quail babies?

Niki, I hope you don't mind me stepping in...

 

[monarc23]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Hi Mrs. E... my youngsters have bald backs, too, and I believe it's from being too crowded and bored... they're picking on each other. If they're not laying eggs or crowing yet, they're probably not mating. Loss of feathers on the back of the head is usually caused by over mating.

Niki might have other ideas, but a deep pan of sand usually keeps them occupied forever... they love to dust in it.

Don't you just love your quail babies?

Niki, I hope you don't mind me stepping in...

Awh i dont mind you being helpful at all! Why would i silly beans!

thanks for adding about the dustpan!

I agree with Tori on this, they *may* be starting ot mate though because I know mine are (same age as yours) and BigAnt here in PA who also got the same aged birds from me are laying now as well too (he found his first egg from them today

) AND mine started laying yesterday! Well some of them did! I got 10 eggs today... which is a big jump from only getting 6 a day after my jumbo browns went into a molt! LOL!​

 

[mrsengeseth]

maybe they need a deeper dust pan that they can't knock out all the dirt from, my edeges are only an inch high. I was thinking siince they are small birds... But maybe it would be better to give them a deeper one?

 

[Mrs MIA]

They will throw it EVERYWHERE... no matter how deep, but deeper helps.

I just picked up a couple of bags of new sand yesterday... treat time, ladies!!!