my cortunix quail cant walk

[64 ranchero]

he is 3 years old. a few days ago he started falling down a lot and yesterday he was not able to walk at all. he still tries to walk but just falls on his face or his back then he whimpers, he still acts the same as far as eating and making his noises except for the loud call. im very worried that he might not have long to live.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

He may have boinked his head on the ceiling. If he became frightened and flushed up into the ceiling, they can damage their spinal cord or injured the brain. The symptoms of a "boink" is loosing the ability to stand or walk. Keep the bird warm and isolated for a few days. You may need a heat lamp if the bird is cold. (injured birds get cold) Keep food and water really close by and you may need to hand feed the bird and dip the beak into the water every hour for a few days. Many birds do heal from from this if the supportive care is at tentative. If the damage is bad enough, sometimes they don't make it. Since your bird is fairly conscious, he may heal just fine. Just keep close watch on him, keep him isolated and warm, feed and water him for a few days.

Keep us posted!

 

[64 ranchero]

I keep him in a large rabbit cage in the house, i only have this quail as a pet, i have seen some post about a neurological disease that affect chickens and quail. is there a chance that he developed this? how long do these quail live for anyway? thanks

 

[TwoCrows]

He could have some sort of encephalitis, which could cause neurological issues. Head boinks are pretty common with quail. So I am not sure.

The average lifespan of captive kept quail is 2 to 5 years although they can live many years longer if kept well.

 

[64 ranchero]

he is still very alive, eats and drinks on his own. i noticed that he has 2 large bumps on one of his legs and he seems to have seizures, his pupils get big and he shakes sometimes. he still can not balance, but he can feel and move his legs.

 

[64 ranchero]

he is finally starting to walk again, the seizures have stopped, i still have no idea what happened to him but it looks like he is going to be ok.