quail are dying!!!!

[Country Living Farm]

Ok one died yesterday and onther this morning. I am not sure what is going on. They are about 3 months old. I do not see any signs of sickness or anything. one minute fine then dead. I did change their food to a layer mash (corn) that I give my chickens. They seem to be doing well on it and still laying great. It is about 18%. Could that have something to do with it. Is the corn the issue?

Thanks for all our help....

 

[CoopCrazy]

If the only thing you have changed is the feed then that would be my first guess... I use a 24% feed and have great success with it .. Quail need a higher protien then chickens.. you can substitute with dry cat food to add more... Also do you think something may have gotten under/around their cage and scared them? Mine will flush ( shoot straight up ) if they are scared .. i ahd a few break their necks last year...

 

[jenjscott]

I don't know if you have them down there but right now we have buffalo gnats that have killed a couple of my birds.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Sorry to hear of your losses. I have lost four in the last week for different reasons- Some that are known - and some I have no idea what happened. I hope your others stay well.

 

[JJMR794]

Just a thought Eric, but have you checked to make sure they are not egg bound?(provided they are hens that is...)

 

[saddina]

Go check your feed bag. Sometimes a bag will get wet and the bottom will spoil, quail go down fast when exposed to spores. In Jan I had losses from spoiled feed.

If it's clumpy like it was wet, toss it out.

 

[norm0709]

If you are close to a university, you might check to see if anyone in the agriculture department can help you. I am fortunate to live by a university that has a research station funded by the state that will investigate mysterious deaths like you are describing. All I have to do is drop off a couple of specimins and they do the rest. Are your birds on the ground or exposed to their litter? If so it could be Ulcerative Enteritis. If you open the abdomen on one of your dead birds you would see ulcers on the intestines if this is the case. Hope this helps.