Need URGENT help with jumbo Coturnix quail hen

[K C]

Found one of the girls laying on her side. She is about a year old. Unable to stand, has no balance and her legs don't support her weight at all, she simply falls sideways. There are no visible signs of injury. She was listless at first, but after moving her to a small padded box with food and water, propped up on towels against one side of the box she seems alert and moving from the neck only. She doesn't seem to have a broken leg or wing and doesn't make any sounds of pain or distress, even when examined. When picked up she does slowly move her legs but she hasn't tried to flap or move her wings. Her vent is not swollen and her abdomen doesn't feel hard. At first I thought maybe she had hit her head or broken her back, but I can't discern any issues with her spine.

In the last month I have found one lash egg and maybe three all black eggs that are still intact and not solid or hard inside. I have no idea if she laid them. Would reproductive cancer cause such weakness if it was her? Or more likely a head injury affect coordination and lack of movement? There is no poultry vet to consult within 300 miles of here. I'm currently thinking of leaving her isolated for 24 to 48 hours to see if she bounces back, and if not would likely need to humanely dispatch her so she isn't suffering. Does anyone have quail experience who can make suggestions?

 

[Esc_Quaily]

I don't have much quail experience. However, look atvthis post. It sounds similar to what's going on with your hen. I hope she recovers. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/advise-on-ill-or-hurt-quail.1661248/post-28560783

 

[Nabiki]

If she could have hit her head, you may not see any spinal issues. It is quite possible that she did. I'm going to ask some questions on things that I have seen cause these kinds of symptoms, but it is not comprehensive, I am not a vet, and I can only guess.

How high is her pen?
What are you feeding her?
Is she eating and drinking?
Is her poop normal?

 

[K C]

I don't have much quail experience. However, look atvthis post. It sounds similar to what's going on with your hen. I hope she recovers. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/advise-on-ill-or-hurt-quail.1661248/post-28560783

Thanks!

 

[K C]

If she could have hit her head, you may not see any spinal issues. It is quite possible that she did. I'm going to ask some questions on things that I have seen cause these kinds of symptoms, but it is not comprehensive, I am not a vet, and I can only guess.

How high is her pen?
What are you feeding her?
Is she eating and drinking?
Is her poop normal?

The cage is about 12 inches high and the top is covered in 1/4-inch wire mesh hardware cloth. I feed them organic game bird crumble and add in some Redmond's Conditioner to boost their immune systems and overall wellness. They have free choice oyster shell and get their own egg shells back mixed with some chicken egg shells also after washing, baking and crushing them. She has eaten a bit, although they're so messy it's hard to tell how much; and she has been drinking some. As far as I can tell, she has had one poop in the corner of the cardboard box. Hard to know what 'normal' means to you, but it appears normal looking to me.

Just a few minutes ago she did try to raise her body up a bit a couple of times, but tipped over immediately. She still has not tried to raise or flap her wings, and that activity seemed to exhaust her.

Thanks so much for the dialogue and any suggestions.

 

[Nabiki]

At this point, I'm guessing that she managed to hit her head. It's hard when the cage is only 12" high, but I have seen them flush into the side of a cage (I fed the birds, came back with water, and one was dead. That fast.)

I would give her a couple days, and if there has been no improvement, I would cull. If a vet is an option, that's a different story, but most people aren't able or willing to pay vet fees for a small, short-lived creature.

 

[K C]

At this point, I'm guessing that she managed to hit her head. It's hard when the cage is only 12" high, but I have seen them flush into the side of a cage (I fed the birds, came back with water, and one was dead. That fast.)

I would give her a couple days, and if there has been no improvement, I would cull. If a vet is an option, that's a different story, but most people aren't able or willing to pay vet fees for a small, short-lived creature.

So sorry to hear about the loss of your bird. I was told to keep the cage low in order to avoid them trying to fly up and hitting their heads. I've had quail since 2022 and none have ever been injured like this, so I thought things were working pretty well.

I had decided to give her up to 48 hours as long as I could see that she's not suffering and that she's making recovery progress, so you are confirming what I was thinking. There isn't a poultry vet within 300 miles of here so that isn't an option.

Thank you again for the responses. Much appreciated.

 

[Nabiki]

Thanks for the condolences. This was one of my very first quail a long time ago. I had read so much about how to keep them that I started with the low cage, but realized after less than a year how much I disliked it. I have moved to a completely different style of setup now.

 

[catesquire]

Lash eggs are usually the sign of an infection in the reproductive track, so definitely keep an eye on whether you see more of those, but I've heard at least in chickens that they can live long relatively healthy lives even with the occasional lash egg.

Otherwise, agreed with everyone else that you're in the "wait and see" phase right now.

It sounds like you're already seeing slight improvement, with her actively trying to stand--that's much better than the nearly complete laxness your first post described! With her willing to eat and drink, she has a decent chance of pulling through if the (potential) head injury wasn't too bad.

Good luck to you and to her!