Quail get bloody leg then die help!

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. My gut says that something is reaching through the wire and injuring your birds.

 

[Chewntoys]

Maybe something is getting them through the chicken wire?

Pics of the cage?

They are in a cage of chx wire, surrounded with chainlink fencing all around that plus other wire . Triple fenced. I raise Brittanys. The birds were for training, for a dog to point, not grab. I don't allow my birds to be molested.

 

[Kiki]

They are in a cage of chx wire, surrounded with chainlink fencing all around that plus other wire . Triple fenced. I raise Brittanys. The birds were for training, for a dog to point, not grab. I don't allow my birds to be molested.

I'm going to have to say chicken wire isn't good enough. Rats can easily fit through those holes. Could you add some 1/2 inch hardware cloth all around to prevent any thing getting in or any hands from reaching in? I too am thinking something might be getting in and hurting them.

 

[Chewntoys]

Welcome to BYC - sorry for the circumstances. My gut says that something is reaching through the wire and injuring your birds.

i considered that. There are no other injuries on the body. Nothing can get back there. I have to go through two gates to get in.

 

[sourland]

I have had Coopers hawks reach through chicken wire and injure birds. Coons, cats, rats are also able to injure birds through wire. Unless they are fenced in with hardware cloth and the entire area is covered, predators can get in.

 

[True Patriot]

The wound in your picture looks ulcerative not cut or chewed. Can you get a vet to run a culture on it? To me it looks more like a bacterial infection than an injury.

 

[Chewntoys]

I'm going to have to say chicken wire isn't good enough. Rats can easily fit through those holes. Could you add some 1/2 inch hardware cloth all around to prevent any thing getting in or any hands from reaching in? I too am thinking something might be getting in and hurting them.

Will do the extra fencing. One left and no marks on him. I'm wondering if it wasn't this rooster doing it. Will reinforce asap. Thank you everybody for your help! I appreciate it. I will get more birds later, but need to fix this problem first. Thanks!

 

[Kiki]

Will do the extra fencing. One left and no marks on him. I'm wondering if it wasn't this rooster doing it. Will reinforce asap. Thank you everybody for your help! I appreciate it. I will get more birds later, but need to fix this problem first. Thanks!

It's possible that the male was beating the others up...but I still worry about something getting in that chicken wire.

 

[Chewntoys]

The wound in your picture looks ulcerative not cut or chewed. Can you get a vet to run a culture on it? To me it looks more like a bacterial infection than an injury.

it did get ulcerative. It happened so fast with each one. Maybe I could have put Neosporin on it before but only read about that today elsewhere. At that point the bird would have died, like the others. My vet doesn't treat birds.

 

[Chewntoys]

It's possible that the male was beating the others up...but I still worry about something getting in that chicken wire.

The wire is 1/2" chicken wire. Coated.