Sick Quail

[davedavey]

Got up this morning and had a male Coturnix acting weird! He was walking backwards falling over, and slinging his head back and fourth. Not sure what it could be, he had no visible injuries. I had a bird do that a year ago, and I put it down. Nothing like that till today. Any ideas?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry to hear about your boy. Sounds like wry neck. Wry neck can sometimes be treated and sometimes not. Depends on how bad it is. Wry neck can be genetic, it can be a vitamin deficiency.

All you can do is try vitamins. Wry neck birds need Vitamins E, B and Selenium. You might start with an E gel cap and prick it open and dribble it slowly into the chicks mouth. Or it on some warmed chopped hard boiled eggs. Eggs contain all the building blocks of life and especially these E, B and Selenium. You need the selenium to help the E work.

See if you can't get some poultry vitamins with these vitamins and others in to your boy. Something water based you can put in the water. You may need to hand feed and water him.
Dehydration and malnutrition can be more of a threat than the disease itself as they become unable to eat and drink on their own.

Good luck with him. Im afraid some make it, some don't. I hope your boy pulls through.

 

[davedavey]

Thanks I'll give the vitamins a try!

 

[dc3085]

It's most likely he either hit his head or ran low on water.

 

[davedavey]

They have fresh water at all times so, that is another possibility that he smacked his head we have had a few cats around the pens lately.