Spooked hen???

[ashlierami]

I have a 3 year old hen. She hasn't laid eggs in about 5 months or more. I'm fine with that. She has a mate that she's been with since she was a few months old. Recently she wants nothing to do with him. She runs,fly away, hides from him. He's not caused any visible injuries that I can see. He does pull her head feathers during mating but that is all. They were always together and got along well. Currently I have her in a cage that is inside their area so he can see her. If he approaches the cage she runs around crazy trying to get away. I blocked her view of him somewhat so she will calm down. She doesn't even allow him to sit next to her or she will bunch down and run or fly away. When she's alone she dusts and acts happier but I'm confused why she would be when before she never left his side. Is this quail "menopause"? My mom joked saying she's going through the change due to her age and she doesn't want to entertain her mates advances. Help! They are the only 2 quail I have I don't want to have to keep them separate from here on out.

 

[el dorado quail]

What kind of quail? How big is the cage?

 

[ashlierami]

What kind of quail? How big is the cage?

This is her. Second image is her and her mate. It is very large they have plenty of space. It is a 6 ft area give or take.

 

[Fishkeeper]

It's not menopause, no, birds don't have menopause.

Those are coturnix. They should be kept in groups, with at least 3 females per male.

Do they have plenty of places to hide and things to play with?

 

[ashlierami]

It's not menopause, no, birds don't have menopause.

Those are coturnix. They should be kept in groups, with at least 3 females per male.

Do they have plenty of places to hide and things to play with?

They have a dust bath and a box they can go in. There's several places for them to lounge and hide that's beyond their common area. They eat gamebird food. I had 5 but due to age I am left with these 2 and have no plans to get more. They have been alone since February or so and this is the first time I'm having an issue with her being spooked and running from her mate. It happened suddenly one day she was fine and the next she couldn't stand her mate.

 

[Rhiannon_In_Nature]

Does she act the same way when you pick her up as when the roo approaches, and is that also unusual for her? May be a bit of a reach, but I wonder if her eyesight is failing? If so, that could make any movement around her very scary for her, and explain why she acts more normal on her own.

 

[ashlierami]

Does she act the same way when you pick her up as when the roo approaches, and is that also unusual for her? May be a bit of a reach, but I wonder if her eyesight is failing? If so, that could make any movement around her very scary for her, and explain why she acts more normal on her own.

She's never liked to be held very much but now when I pick her up she stays put. Usually she's a runner and I have to chase her. I held her for about 20 minutes in a blanket and she was calm and quiet. Usually she's kicking to be free. She did want down but that was after 20 min. I put her back with her mate and she's dusting and letting him inch closer but not be to close. She makes a squeak when he gets to close and she runs. I was wondering about her eyesight now that you mention it. They live inside the house in a spare room. When I turn the room light on she looks up at the light with one eye and seems spooky. When I turn the light off and just have the light from the window she's more calm. I noticed she's calmer when it's darker and her mate approaches her. Maybe because she can't see him? If her eyesight is getting bad is there anything I can do to help it? Is her age the cause? I feed her gamebird feed with a feed supplement drizzled on top. I've done that since I got her 3 years ago. I change the water every day. She has oyster shells and mealworms freely. When I bring her a treat she doesn't run to me like before I have to take it to her for her to eat it.

 

[Rhiannon_In_Nature]

I don't know enough bird-specific physiology to say whether anything can be done to help her if it is vision related. My guess would be it's related to age. As with any senior pet, the best thing is to keep them as comfortable and happy as possible. It sounds like you are making good observations regarding her behavior.

If the muted lighting seems to keep her calmer, but it is still enough for the pair to get a good day/night cycle, I would keep with that. If you are handy you could install a dimmer switch for the overhead light, and experiment to see how much light you can give them before she gets flighty again.

 

[ashlierami]

I don't know enough bird-specific physiology to say whether anything can be done to help her if it is vision related. My guess would be it's related to age. As with any senior pet, the best thing is to keep them as comfortable and happy as possible. It sounds like you are making good observations regarding her behavior.

If the muted lighting seems to keep her calmer, but it is still enough for the pair to get a good day/night cycle, I would keep with that. If you are handy you could install a dimmer switch for the overhead light, and experiment to see how much light you can give them before she gets flighty again.

Thank you so much for your advice and help. I'm very observant with all my pets. I usually notice a change right off. I made her an extra hide box that she can go in. Her mate seems confused by her behavior he's been getting spooked when she acts up. I'm hoping things will get better for her but for now I'll continue giving her the best life possible.