Please help - battered male

[Claire A]

Background - I hatched a beautiful male recently and had no females for him. So I sold one of my other males and gave him the girls. I moved them all a different pen. This was yesterday - today I found him badly beaten up. His eyes are also swollen shut and weeping slightly - not sure if they are actually infected or not - or weeping - looks like little clear tears.

He cannot see so have given him some food and water - which he took happily.

Do I bathe in cold tea? - or warm salt water in case of infection? How would you suggest I treat? I have had quail beaten up before but never with the eyes targeted like this.

On another note - will the girls accept another male? Did I make a mistake trying to put them with another male so soon?

 

[Claire A]

Forget the side note - I know I can put a six-week-old male in with them without issue. Quail will usually happily accept one who is not sexually mature yet. I will just have to find space if I want to keep this male.

Thinking about it there is no blood - so I just think he has been battered around the face and neck a bit and has two very bad black eyes (human terminology).

Poor little thing - he was so happy when he finally got some females too

I went to bed but couldn't stop thinking about it - I guess I panicked a bit when I saw what they had done to him.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

Re-grouping is always unpredictable, don't be to hard to youself.
He will recover.

 

[Quailobsessed]

I have a rescue male that I put with a group of four females (Mother and adult daughters). They were fine for a while, but One day I noticed the had a swollen eye and plucked feathers. I knew the girls weren't super fond of him, but I didn't know they were that vicious I immediately removed him and put him in a recovery box. He ended up recovering fine.

I have since put a different male (one who can hold his own better) with those girls and I've put the rescue male with a rescue female I was given. Those two are a much better match.

I'm sorry about your little guy. Quails can be unpredictable. The girls probably saw weakness in him and decided to attack. He should hopefully recover soon.

 

[Chip76]

He is a very beautiful quail! I'm so sorry they did that to him.

 

[Claire A]

I have a rescue male that I put with a group of four females (Mother and adult daughters). They were fine for a while, but One day I noticed the had a swollen eye and plucked feathers. I knew the girls weren't super fond of him, but I didn't know they were that vicious I immediately removed him and put him in a recovery box. He ended up recovering fine.

I have since put a different male (one who can hold his own better) with those girls and I've put the rescue male with a rescue female I was given. Those two are a much better match.

I'm sorry about your little guy. Quails can be unpredictable. The girls probably saw weakness in him and decided to attack. He should hopefully recover soon.

Thanks Quailoblessed

Yes, their male was a handful and very protective of them. This little rosetta (my first and one and only Rosetta) is only 9 weeks old and on the small side.

I will take your advice and match him up with some of the girl chicks I have left from this more recent hatch

I have to admit this is the first time I have had hens turn on a male like this.

He came from a batch of mail-order eggs. The 3 I wanted to keep - the Panda - Tibetan and Rosetta have all had a problem to some degree with bullying - whilst I was waiting for them to mature so I could sex them. The other two (fingers crossed) have settled into their little groups - so just this boy to go.

 

[Claire A]

He is a very beautiful quail! I'm so sorry they did that to him.

Thanks Chip
He is beautiful

 

[Claire A]

Re-grouping is always unpredictable, don't be to hard to youself.
He will recover.

Hi Fenrisulfr. Yes and this morning one of his eyes is already starting to open.

I do kinda feel bad for him, but they seemed fine when I left him with the girls.

You live and learn I guess

 

[Quailobsessed]

Thanks Quailoblessed

Yes, their male was a handful and very protective of them. This little rosetta (my first and one and only Rosetta) is only 9 weeks old and on the small side.

I will take your advice and match him up with some of the girl chicks I have left from this more recent hatch

I have to admit this is the first time I have had hens turn on a male like this.

He came from a batch of mail-order eggs. The 3 I wanted to keep - the Panda - Tibetan and Rosetta have all had a problem to some degree with bullying - whilst I was waiting for them to mature so I could sex them. The other two (fingers crossed) have settled into their little groups - so just this boy to go.

My male that got attacked was a pretty small rosetta too. Interesting coincidence.

 

[Claire A]

My male that got attacked was a pretty small rosetta too. Interesting coincidence.

That is a strange coincidence - poor little mites.