Mysterious Button Quail Injury

[Feathers & Friends]

Thank you to those of you who have previously offered positive responses, advice, or information referrals during some of my poultry crisis's!! This community has been very helpful.

During some slight changes in environment my happy trio of button quail had some changes I wasn't too excited about. One of the females had the feathers on her back plucked out. I started to keep an eye on them, then a couple days later my other female was showing the same baldness. As I watched closer I caught the male pecking their feathers off. After some research I concluded that males can have seasons of agresssion and rotating your males during these times helps the females recoup. So during the night I switched out the males.

The next day I found my female quail like this.... Unfortunately she is from my original stock and is one of the only button females I have who can successfully hatch and raise her young. CURRENT SYMPTOMS: can't fly, can't really walk- does a shuffle on the ground.. she acts as if she has a broken back or broken legs... I have her separated with an infared light, water with apple cider vinegar, an antibiotic, and Cal-D supplement. She is making small improvements but I still don't know what's wrong with her.. I have aavideo that wouldn't load but the pictures are her and how she "sits" now on the ground. Also her legs appear possibly bent in an awkward position? An thoughts on what's going on with her? Chance of recovery?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you to those of you who have previously offered positive responses, advice, or information referrals during some of my poultry crisis's!! This community has been very helpful.

During some slight changes in environment my happy trio of button quail had some changes I wasn't too excited about. One of the females had the feathers on her back plucked out. I started to keep an eye on them, then a couple days later my other female was showing the same baldness. As I watched closer I caught the male pecking their feathers off. After some research I concluded that males can have seasons of agresssion and rotating your males during these times helps the females recoup. So during the night I switched out the males.

The next day I found my female quail like this.... Unfortunately she is from my original stock and is one of the only button females I have who can successfully hatch and raise her young. CURRENT SYMPTOMS: can't fly, can't really walk- does a shuffle on the ground.. she acts as if she has a broken back or broken legs... I have her separated with an infared light, water with apple cider vinegar, an antibiotic, and Cal-D supplement. She is making small improvements but I still don't know what's wrong with her.. I have aavideo that wouldn't load but the pictures are her and how she "sits" now on the ground. Also her legs appear possibly bent in an awkward position? An thoughts on what's going on with her? Chance of recovery?

I'm sorry about your Quail, you may also want to post on the Quail forum to ask if anyone has ideas too.
@Little Jerry Seinfeld or @TwoCrows

 

[TwoCrows]

Sorry about your little girl.

This is going to be a "head boink" from hitting the ceiling. They either damage their brains, spinal cord, neck, nerves leading to the brain, however what basically has happened is there is swelling from the boink and it causes neurological issues like, loss of balance, walking backwards, unable to stand, lays on their sides, can't focus their eyes, no motor control, ect...

You need to put her in a box on a towel for padding, and keep her warm. Bring her inside or use a heat lamp at 75+F. If she isn't fidgety, prop her upright with small towels so she keeps the equilibrium stable in her head. Keep food right in her face even if you have to sprinkle it on the towel in front of her. Use a jelly jar lid filled with water, right up in front of her.

If she is too fidgety to stay propped up, you will need to hold her to feed and drink every hour. You can hand feed her as you hold her or stick her beak right into the water and feed.

It can take a day or a few days but usually they do heal. So keep her separated, on a towel, propped up if you can, fed and watered.

If you have any liquid vitamins, (human or baby vitamins) add them to the water. You can remove the antibiotics, keep the infra red heat.

In the furture, it really helps if you keep a bunch of fake foliage or hidey spots in the pen so they tend to dive for cover instead of flushing up when scared at night.

Give her time, within the week she should be as good as new. Keep us posted!

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

Yes could be from hitting or head, keep an eye on the twisted leg if her ligament slipped out of the joint you will see swelling. Also if it is injured in any way you will see swelling. I dont have button quail but my coturnix have had their ligament slip out of the knee joint before, but you will see swelling by the end of the day if it is her knee or leg.
I keep my roof with a floating screen a few inches below the actual roof that way if they flush upwards they cant hit their heads, i think its needed with most type of quail, or to have a high enough enclosure theycant hit their heads, or to have it full of brush so they cannot flush so much.

(If you need to load a video you can upload it to youtube and paste the link here)

How is she doing by now? I hope shes improving.