Quail feathers looking pretty rough...

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

My quail moved outside (from the garage) about a month ago and in the last 2 weeks their feathers started looking kind of rough. Anything I can do to help them look smooth and healthy again? What could be going on?

 

[Nabiki]

What are you feeding them? What has the weather been like? Are there feathers everywhere? Do you have a picture? How much space do they have?

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

What are you feeding them? What has the weather been like? Are there feathers everywhere? Do you have a picture? How much space do they have?

It's been HOT and dry! 95-100 degrees daily. I put frozen water bottles in their cages to cool them down during the day.

They eat game bird feed with 26% protein and fresh greens, veggies and apples. Boon worms too.

There are 6 birds in a 4x2.5 cage, one cage has 5 birds in the cage.

 

[Nabiki]

It sounds like they're getting plenty of protein. They're a little crowded, especially with the heat. They need at least one square foot per bird, and feeders, waterers, and hiding places subtract from the area that they're in. They might be picking each other's feathers.