Quail problems

[whatname]

Hi, i need some help, I recently bought three couturnix quail, the breeder said that they were all females.
I came back from holiday to find that my lighter one, floss had this on her head, if it is not clear, it is a bald patch. The others don't have this.

The other two, (Hercules and teapot, who are both brown) were chasing her around their pen, I have seporated floss from them.
I am not sure why this is happening, are the brown ones bullying floss because she is a different colour or are the brown ones males? Here are photos of them.
Floss:

Hercules:

Teapot:

I would appreciate it if you could tell me wether I have accidentally bought a rooster or two or wether it is just a functioning of the pecking order, and also what you would do to sort these problems.
Thank you so much.

 

[nchls school]

I believe that all three are hens. It has been quite a while since I had quail so I will let others with more recent knowledge answer your questions.

 

[dc3085]

Both your goldens have feather patterning around their face indicative of a hen but are missing any chest spotting which kinda throws a wrench in things. I would guess they are gold speckled hens that have been recrossed with manchurian lines (manchurian hens have barely visible spotting) which is why no spotting is showing.

That head wound doesnt look like feather picking, it looks like it banged its head. Could be a combo of both, it hit its head and the other picked at the blood and messy feathers.

Your location is helpful in answering questions like these, at least what country you are in. Australia has lines of golden birds that look totally different than the US, same goes for europe.

 

[whatname]

Thank you both, I am in England. If she had bumped her head, why would they be chasing her around?

 

[nchls school]

Is there a cut or mark where the bird may have been bleeding? If so that could have started the problem. Bullying does happen; it definitely could be where the quail banged its head, but it looks plucked to me. When you bought these birds were they in different cages? If so that would explain the why of bullying as bullying is common when birds are put together from different cages/locations.

 

[dc3085]

Quail will kill injured or sick birds to keep them from wasting their feed, so when I bird bleeds they will chase it around a lot of times. Usually when theyre feather picking you'll see it in more places than just the head. The main reason I think it boinked is the crease in the middle of the wound.

In England what I said about the coloring of golden birds doesn't always apply. You may well have two roosters.

 

[whatname]

Thanks, there is a little mark, I am not sure wether this is where the feather came out or not here is a close up of the wound

They were all in the same cage, along with other quail.

 

[whatname]

Can I just clarify, the White one you think Is definitely a female, but the other darker ones may be roosters, I am not sure if this will help?!

 

[nchls school]

Have you heard crowing?

 

[whatname]

Have you heard crowing?

No, they are only 6 weeks old, not sure if the age has an impact? They only chirp loudly when one is apart from the others, Floss hasn't done this whilst she has been in a separate cage.