Quail obsessed with ripping and eating feathers

[JacksonP]

Maybe you could give them feather to eat with their food to stop them from eating other quails feathers?

 

[2 many chickens]

Maybe you could give them feather to eat with their food to stop them from eating other quails feathers?

Yeah but where am I suppose to find feathers? Pull them out of my other quails? lol
She's already plucked half of them bald anyway..

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Find an alternative other than culling
Would you be able to build a small wire cage just off the side the other enclosure that way she can see them but not get to them

 

[pareva]

Habría que probar suministrándole más calcio, tal vez.

 

[AniaOnion]

Habría que probar suministrándole más calcio, tal vez.

That would be my main suggestion too.

I supplement my quail with crushed oyster shell I get at the feed store. A big bag was like $2. I also give them a cuttlebone so they can scrape their beaks.

As for finding feathers, if you decide to try that, you could check at hunting supply or fish tackle stores. They sell assortments of feathers for making lures. Also if you know someone who does industrial quantities of meat, you could ask if they would spare some feathers from their pluckers.

I would mostly go with the oyster shell though. Also if that doesn't work, it might be a protein lack as well, at which point I would suggest mealworms.

 

[jak2002003]

What you are seeing is normal behaviour for this species once they reach breeding age.

The male and the feather eating hen have formed a pair bond.

The feather eater is bullying the other hens because she is territorial and trying to drive them away so she and her mate can nest in peace. You even saw the male helper her attack them.

These quail are best in pairs only (as this is how they live in the wild). Or you can keep a group of all males or all females together in a large enclosure (out of sight of each other) as they won't be triggered to try to pair up and breed.

You can also keep 50 / 50 male / females together if the enclosure is huge... like a planted up aviary for example, they will get their own territories and nesting areas.

In a indoor cage or small aviary they need to be kept in pairs only.

I have experience of over 20 years breeding these quails and other pet bird species. Please believe me, no matter what you might see on your tube etc.

 

[2 many chickens]

Thanks for the advice.
I put the feather eaters back with their former group. The male cried and cried for days, calling back and forth to the others. The hen, she just ran back and forth confused.
So far there hasn't been much feather eating. The male has stopped completely. The female still finds the occasional feather to steal... but not constant, just sometimes. They're all happy and doing well so I'll keep a watchful eye. I have also been giving them more treats.. meal worms, celery, cucumbers, etc and that has helped.

 

[Fishkeeper]

That is not what you need to do. You need to split them up properly, like Jak said. You cannot keep them in groups like this or you will have more problems in the future.

 

[2 many chickens]

That is not what you need to do. You need to split them up properly, like Jak said. You cannot keep them in groups like this or you will have more problems in the future.

Yeah well they were unhappy being apart and the feather eating has pretty much stopped. Soooo they're fine. If I see anymore problems in the future I will separate them again. There is no violence in their colony.. they all snuggle, preen each other and dust bathe like they're digging a grave together. 2 just were feather eaters and loved the taste of feathers. They loved one hens feathers more and wanted all her ugly spikey feathers to theirselves. now one isn't madly in love with her yummy delicous feathers at all and one not as badly. Ya dig?

 

[jak2002003]

Up to you. You asked for helps and advise, and people advised you how to sort out the problem with the quail. Why ask for advise if you don't want it?

I can tell you with certainty that what you have now done is just delayed the problem. In a few days the feather eating and bullying will start up again. I suspect they are young quail, and in a few more weeks the bullying will get much worse and you will end up with badly injured and bleeding quails, and they can even kill each other.

Keep the male and female pair together on their own. Rehome the other birds is you don't want the noise of them calling to each other. Its not that the male is missing them.. he is calling to mark his territory as he can hear them nearby.