Quail stopped laying one week

[Hils]

One of my four young girls also stopped laying after 3 weeks. It's now a week since she laid an egg. I had noticed that one of them ( probably her ) was spending a lot of time on her own in the dark room section. I brought her into the house in a cage for 3 days and 2 nights, and gave her 2 epsom salt baths and a gentle massage, though I could not feel anything remotely lumpy. She found this very stressful and she is a nervous bird, her name is "Shy Girl." She wasn't eating much . I put her back with the others and one of them was immediately running and jabbing at her. I then put her with a fairly established pair, male and female, who have both been injured, and she came to life, and seemed happy all day, scratching the ground etc. However in the night she attacked the male, he's quite shy too and I've never seen him mating with any of the females he's been with. So now I've had to put her back in her original flock. I think she may just be getting bullied but if I take her out again she'll just be on her own all the time...Oh dear...what to do ! ?

 

[Nabiki]

Do your birds have places to hide? How much space do they have and how many birds are in her established covey?

 

[ChickNanny13]

Are you sure she doesn't have a hidden nest in that "dark room section"? You're going to have to intergrate her back to her flock, she's been away so now she's a stranger.

 

[Hils]

Do your birds have places to hide? How much space do they have and how many birds are in her established covey?

There are four young girls almost 16 weeks old, estimated. They have the upper floor in this hutch pictured. I created a floor to make 2 levels and they step down a couple of inches from the "bedroom" to give them more height at the sloped end. They also have a sand bath in there and conifer branch. Until today there has been a cardboard box with 2 openings in the bedroom to give an extra interest but I just took it out thinking it would give more space and light as I wondered if she wasn't laying because she was spending time in the dark. The bottom level has the 2 birds I put her with the other night. I have considered swapping the two families around...?

 

[Hils]

Are you sure she doesn't have a hidden nest in that "dark room section"? You're going to have to intergrate her back to her flock, she's been away so now she's a stranger.

No hidden nest, it's not really that big to be hiding anything.

 

[Nabiki]

Give her her hiding space back and add a few more. Quail like places to hide. As @ChickNanny13 said, you're going to have to reintroduce her back to her covey now that she's been away.

 

[Hils]

She never actually stayed in the box itself, just sat in the corner outside, or by the little window. I do think she's being bullied though it's hard know which came first. By that I mean is she not well and that is why she's being bullied; or is she being bullied and that is making her ill...?

 

[Nabiki]

She never actually stayed in the box itself, just sat in the corner outside, or by the little window. I do think she's being bullied though it's hard know which came first. By that I mean is she not well and that is why she's being bullied; or is she being bullied and that is making her ill...?

It's hard to say. Give her hiding places and keep an eye on her. I hope she calms down soon for you.

 

[Hils]

Give her her hiding space back and add a few more. Quail like places to hide. As @ChickNanny13 said, you're going to have to reintroduce her back to her covey now that she's been away.

She is already back in with them and tomorrow I am picking up another small "hospital cage" so I could take out the 2 bullying suspects for a couple of days and see if that calms them down? .I could also leave out that box and put 2 smaller ones for more choice of hiding in, I'm not sure if they like things changing around though? I was trying to give hiding space but make sure they don't get trapped in a corner, as happened the first night with my other flock when one got badly attacked.

 

[Nabiki]

She is already back in with them and tomorrow I am picking up another small "hospital cage" so I could take out the 2 bullying suspects for a couple of days and see if that calms them down? .I could also leave out that box and put 2 smaller ones for more choice of hiding in, I'm not sure if they like things changing around though? I was trying to give hiding space but make sure they don't get trapped in a corner, as happened the first night with my other flock when one got badly attacked.

Quail are always happier with more places to hide. Putting the bullies out and reintroducing them as the new birds can help. I had to do that when I was introducing new birds this month. Kept the new birds in a tote inside the pen, when I let them out, I watched and put the two bullies in the tote. When I let the bullies out, everything was fine.