Sick Quail Emergency!!!! Lying on side, cant stand

[Lemon88]

This is a 1 year old male coturnix quail! He is somewhat active (tries to eat and drink, fights back when i pick him up etc) but he is unable to stand and just flopping around on his side. He started this a day ago i believe. The other birds seem fine but i am going to thoroughly check them over right after this. There is no apparent sign of trauma, but i am worried it is a nerve/head injury. They *might* have been out of water for a day, which i feel HORRIBLE about. I had not been able to check on them yesterday as it was a VERY busy day but their water was full and clean previously. Maybe i didnt screw the bottom on the waterer right? I feel awful just thinking that they might have been without water for that time, but maybe it had run out sooner. He is actively trying to eat and drink, though he is having issues with movement. Drinking plain water and normal quail gamebird food. Normal poop, not runny or bloody or anything. So far i have just brought him inside and made sure he was eating and drinking. Im worried about dehydration. Would pedialyte be ok to give him for electrolytes? Maybe the others bullied him away from the water or something? I would like to treat myself if possible but will take to the vet if needed. He lives with 3 other male quail who get along great, not fighting. They live in a rabbit hutch with aspen shavings. I will post a picture in just a second!!!

 

[Lemon88]

He has also not been exposed to any birds other than his brothers who i all hatched out from eggs. i have never had any disease issues.

 

[Eggcessive]

Pedialyte or gatorade would be good to use for electrolytes. Offer sips up to his beak often to get him hydrated. Tube feeding may be necessary if you cannot get him to drink. It is always a danger when they cannot get to water or food, and I always make sure there are 2 sources of water. I don’t have experience with quail, but have seen my chickens turn over waterers, and have had poorly designed waterers that have leaked. Those have been tossed, and I would use gallon or larger waterers filled to the top, and refilled before they get halfway empty. Those are less like to get knocked over.

 

[Lemon88]

Definitely going to set up a second waterer. All other 3 quails are doing great so I'm not sure if it's the water now. Might just be that he injured himself. Just trying to get him to rest. I've put him in a butter container to keep him upright but hes not happy with it and keeps flopping out and then madly kicking on the floor. I've just been holding him because that's the only time he relaxes.

 

[Eggcessive]

You might check out the chick chairs and slings here, but somethimes they can get tangled:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/versions-of-chick-chairs-please.1166308/

 

[Lemon88]

I scheduled a vet appointment and then he tragically passed away that day. It's so sad when you try so hard and still lose them

 

[MGG]

That same thing happened to my male bobwhite last week. He was my favorite. I never figured out what happened. So sorry. You should see about doing a necropsy to find out what happened to your poor little guy.

 

[Momma hen quack]

So so sorry for your loss. So hard to loose our bird babies! Sounds like something neurological.

 

[MGG]

I think it must have been. He was the sweetest boy. I came to check on him one day and he was laying on his back with his feet sticking straight up in the air. I reached in to grab him quick thinking he was dead but he opened his eyes jumped up span around in a circle twice and then came to see me. He always twitched his head too. A week later he passed away. It is hard

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry for your loss.