Rough Day as a quail owner. 😥

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

I've had many a scalped bird, by other birds or raccoons, or feral cats. I didn't try to treat any of them...they recovered fairly quickly without intervention, other than separating them from the rest of the flock. I don't recommend my method but that's just the way I handle scalped birds.

His scalp is flopping around... and barely hanging on. I hope it heals OK. It's crazy what these birds are capable of. I'm glad they are good healers.

 

[007Sean]

His scalp is flopping around... and barely hanging on. I hope it heals OK. It's crazy what these birds are capable of. I'm glad they are good healers.

I've had them completely scalped, you could see the skull...it took several months for the skin and a few feathers to grow back, and you can still tell that they were scalped (bare skin).
I have been afraid to try and catch them to treat them for fear of them injuring themselves even worse.

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

I've had them completely scalped, you could see the skull...it took several months for the skin and a few feathers to grow back, and you can still tell that they were scalped (bare skin).
I have been afraid to try and catch them to treat them for fear of them injuring themselves even worse.

Did the other birds pick at their head while it was not scabbed?

 

[007Sean]

Did the other birds pick at their head while it was not scabbed?

I put all the scalped birds together in one pen...no, they didn't peck at each others injuries....idk, maybe they were too concerned with healing instead of establishing a pecking order or not intent on being cannibalistic!

 

[shrimpsilkies]

I find that my Coturnix are not as attracted to blood as chickens are. Poor old silkie roo had all his foot feathers plucked out by his hens because he broke a single pinfeather, but I’ve had quail with blood all over them and they don’t seem to be specifically targeted by the others... when one hen got badly scalped I brought her indoors with two friendly sisters and they all left her alone. Depends on your birds though.

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

I brought the scalped make inside last night but he's alone and won't stop crowing. Is he lonely? Is being alone just going to stress him out?

 

[Nabiki]

I brought the scalped make inside last night but he's alone and won't stop crowing. Is he lonely? Is being alone just going to stress him out?

He's lonely, but you're just giving him enough time to scab over and get some strength back. He'll be back in with the other birds in a day or two.

 

[007Sean]

I brought the scalped make inside last night but he's alone and won't stop crowing. Is he lonely? Is being alone just going to stress him out?

Gamebirds are gregarious animals, they need others of their kind around to feel safe and not be in a panic mode.
A few days by himself won't hurt him. He may be accepted back into the flock or he may not... just be ready to seperate him again, into his own pen, if aggression towards him occur when you return him to the flock.

 

[FloorCandy]

I’ve had a couple badly scalped, one with the flesh chunk kind of flopping off. The chunk hardened to a bulbous knob on top of the head, and with the new feather growth it looked like a crazy crest. I have a hen that got scalped by another hen and I could see the top of her scalp, the bare bone, in about a quarter sized circle on the top of the head, after several weeks she was good as new with a scar line across her dome.

 

[Urbanhomestead_ut]

That's what's happening to my boy. It's stabbing into a bump and with the blu-kote on it looks like he's wearing a beret he seems to be doing OK. I put him with 2 females today and no one has bothered it. He seems to be happier now that he's back with others.