some thing attacked my quails

[pigeons in ak]

I found two of my quail that had the skin on their necks torn. I have separated them from the other quail. I checked the bobwhite quail and the coturnix quail around their heads for blood splatters that could of got on them if they attacked the other quails




but did not find any. I'm thinking it could be mice that are getting their cage attacking them but the previous years we did not have any problems with the mice attacking the quail. If you have any clues what could be doing this to my quails please let me know.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

Ouch! I dont think that that type of injury is from your other quail, looks like it could be mice or rats or something small

 

[saz326]

It would be worth taking a good look around the cage/house incase there are any new sharp edges to anything that they could have managed to get hurt with. Sometimes the most innocent looking bit of wire mesh can have a nasty sharp edge to it.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

It would be worth taking a good look around the cage/house incase there are any new sharp edges to anything that they could have managed to get hurt with. Sometimes the most innocent looking bit of wire mesh can have a nasty sharp edge to it.

I would say that too but the fact that it happened to two of her birds makes me suspicious, those injuries only happen one bird at a time to me

 

[Ntsees]

That type of wound looks bad. I recommend you put them down.

 

[pigeons in ak]

I checked for sharp edges and did not find any.

 

[spikennipper]

Do you keep the Bobwhite and Coturnix together? I have read that Bobwhite are aggressive to Coturnix so they shouldn't be kept together though I have never kept Bobwhites before, it certainly doesn't look like a Coturnix attack as they commonly go for the head/eyes the neck does seem on odd area, are you aware you have a rodent problem? have you seen mice/rats around the pen? any gaps any predators could get through or were they attacked through the mesh?

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

That type of wound looks bad. I recommend you put them down.

I wouldnt put them down quite yet, they appear healthy and alert still, coturnix are fighters and can stand gaping wounds quite well. I have an english white coturnix that had a wound quite similar but on the back of the head and neck and it was in deep flesh, he is doing fine and is even back to breeding in under 3 weeks

 

[pigeons in ak]

Turns out that a pair of bobwhites had made a nest in the corner of the cage and attacking any one who come near. I separated the pair in their own private cage where they can nest without being bothered.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

I have bobs and coturnix as well, seems that if you only have bob hens in with them they do fine although I havent tried it with a pair yet,