My indoor Pet Quail is SICK!! HELP!!

[Luvmybirds1]

Hi all! I'm hoping somone can help. First here's a little back ground on my bird..... I rescued a Bobwhite Quil last November. Her name is Clair. I brought her inside and put her in a bird cage with everything a Quail could want... It's pretty cozy! LOL! So because I had a Parakeet I fed her Parakeet food and now it's the only food I can get her to eat and she has been healthy for a year now. She laid an egg daily this past summer and seemed to be doing well. Now that it is cold she has stopped laying eggs and today has been acting strange. She wabbles when she walks like she's drunk. She falls over and struggles to get up. And now has a noticeable bulge right below her beak, maybe throat? She is eating, drinking and pooping like normal. Any Ideas? Is this normal for winter? I'm worried about my sweet Clair

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!!

Sorry about your bird. If this came on suddenly, it sounds like she may have boinked her head on the ceiling, resulting in a head or neck injury. This will cause them to go off balance. Of course if they hit hard enough it can cause severe swelling and death.

I would keep her someplace warm for a few days. And feed her what ever she will eat. Sometimes sick or injured birds go off their feed.

I would also try and get her back on some gamebird food. A lack of even 1 vitamin or mineral can cause severe weakness as well. Females especially since they put so much into their eggs.

If she did boink her head, she hopefully should recover.

At least get her on some good poultry vitamins if you can't get her to eat better.

Good luck and I hope your girl will be ok!

 

[Del1977]

I second the use of vitamins. Always seems to help any of our quail recover quickly if the are looking a bit off.

Good luck. Hope she recovers.