Quail Saddle?

[Aozora]

My pet coturnix rooster is over-fond of one of his hens, to the point where her back is bald from repeated mating attempts. I've watched him, and he will try to breed her 5 times in 10 minutes. We can't really separate them, because when the rooster is alone he will crow incessantly (I time him, a crow every 4 seconds all. day. long.). If we were to separate her, she would break psychologically because quail are flocking animals. I think that's how she became his favorite hen in the first place--she was broken and wouldn't resist him when he'd try to mate her.

So, my question is--can you make a saddle for a quail like you would for a chicken? Like, cut up a sock to cover her back?

 

[dc3085]

This is the reason why we say coturnix roosters cant be kept with less than 3-4 hens. He will literally breed her to death if you let it persist. I know you think it will be hard on her to separate them but the alternative is her being physically damaged or stressing to the point she dies.

My suggestion would be to find more hens and try to integrate them so he will stop breeding her so aggressively. Coturnix roosters are able to keep 7 hens fully fertilized they breed so frequently.

 

[Aozora]

Well, my hen took matters into her own....wings?... shortly after I posted this. She snapped, started cackling, and maimed the rooster. His beak is split and he has ragged bare patches around his head. She was picking him up by the neck and literally throwing him around when I grabbed him. She then attacked the other hens while I was setting up a hospital cage for the rooster. Both are now separated from the remaining hens.

So for now the issue is solved, but it's going to take long enough for the rooster to heal and the psycho hen to regrow her feathers that I think they'll both break psychologically again. So how do I prevent this cycle from just starting over as soon as I reintroduce them?

 

[Del1977]

I had a similar problem where my coturnix rooster picked out a favourite and almost mated her to death. Got to the point where she just crouched down in a corner and let him repeatedly mate her. She even stopped eating and drinking and looked like she was going to die. I put her in 'hospital' and she almost smiled at being separated from him and immediately ate and drank. They both called to each other night and day, but I kept her there for a month as it took that long for her to recover as the repeated mating had made her lame. When I reintroduced her to the male and other two females her was much kinder to her and never over mated her again.

So my advice, definitely separate if this happens.

 

[dc3085]

Coturnix dont have that flock mentallity that youre afraid of. These birds bave been captive bred so long they barely have any natural instincts left. I separate and reintroduce birds all the time. Theyll both be fine.