Syringe Feeding Advice

[Crofters Quail]

Hi,

While I was in intensive care with my 2 year old son, hubby "looked after" the quail and I have arrived home to all sorts of problems! Had to euthanize one a few days ago

As a result of the quail all being thrown in the same set up...multiple males! and females...I now have a male with a broken top beak. Now the lower beak protrudes from under the top beak and the beak has been bleeding. I am treating it with betadine.

The problem is that he can't eat so I am syringe feeding him baby food...spinach sweet corn sweet potato and carrot...I would appreciate some advice on how much to give him and how often. How big is an adult male jap quail's crop?

He seems basically ok but a bit less active than usual and I think he is losing weight. He is not passing many droppings and the ones he is passing look a little loose and slightly yellowish...I think it's from him not being able to eat properly while I was in hospital. Any advice gratefully received.

 

[Crofters Quail]

Anyone? Please help! I'm a newbie. How many mLs / CCs should I give him at each feed and how often? What is the volume of an adult male jap quail crop? I'm not very experienced at feeling the crop to see how full....or empty! It is. Please help.

 

[Watermelon123]

I don't know much on this topic so I looked it up. I hope theese help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/805728/go-team-tube-feeding
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/385294/syringe-feeding-tips-needed

Hope the little guy gets better.

 

[dc3085]

Aside from what you are doing there isn't much you can do. None of us are going to be very useful on telling you how much to feed because most of us don't mess around with stuff like that. It's great that you are trying to save that bird but depending on how damaged his beak is it may never heal completely. I've been raising these things for years and you already have more experience syringe feeding coturnix than I do, because if they aren't thrifty or can't walk humanely (reach food and water easily and on their own) I euthanize them. If you can put up a picture of it's beak, maybe it's not as bad as it sounds.

 

[Crofters Quail]

Many thanks, Watermelon, for the helpful links.

 

[Crofters Quail]

Many thanks dc,

I'll try to put a picture of his beak up when the sun rises here in a couple of hours. I would be sorry to euthanize him as he is an otherwise healthy bird and a lovely little chap and only about 5 months old. I suspect that his beak may heal up ok though....he is missing about 2 or 3mm off the tip of the top beak. I think it's just a bit sore and I'm hoping he'll be able to 'self serve' again once things settle down. Thanks again for your response.

 

[TwoCrows]

Many thanks dc,

I'll try to put a picture of his beak up when the sun rises here in a couple of hours. I would be sorry to euthanize him as he is an otherwise healthy bird and a lovely little chap and only about 5 months old. I suspect that his beak may heal up ok though....he is missing about 2 or 3mm off the tip of the top beak. I think it's just a bit sore and I'm hoping he'll be able to 'self serve' again once things settle down. Thanks again for your response.

I had a chicken chick break off half of her top mandible so that the lower mandible was way longer than the top. She bled pretty good. First thing I did was get the bleeding stopped with some corn starch. Once the bleeding stopped, I used a Q-tip and dabbed on blu-kote. This stuff not only helps to dry the skin, but it helps to prevent infection. I kept her separate from the others for one full day. The next day I put her back in with the others and nobody bothered her beak.

But what I did was wet her feed down till it was very damp, almost like oatmeal. (put it in a low dish for a quail) This made it really easy for her to eat and was soft on the beak. I watched her beak and when ever the blu-kote wore off, I reapplied it. Kept her feed moist as well. Eventually about 2+ months later, the top mandible was even with the lower mandible. Eventually it grew out completely and you never knew this happened.

Good luck with your bird and I hope you can get her healed up soon!

 

[Crofters Quail]

Wow thanks TwoCrows,

your advice is really helpful. Yes my little quail bled a lot too. I managed to stop the bleeding and have been applying iodine to the affected area. I'm glad to know about the blu-Kote. Hope it's available in Australia, I'll be off to the produce store to get some.

I also tried the feed softening and tried giving him some homemade porridge but I think the beak is still too sore for him to attempt eating.

I plan to continue the syringe feed of baby purée until he can manage soft food and then I'll put him back outside and keep the feed and in a low dish as you suggested.

Very many thanks for sharing your experience and advice, it is much appreciated.

 

[Crofters Quail]

Yay! My little roo with the injured beak has just started feeding by himself again!! I will watch his intake carefully but this could be the beginning of the end of the syringe feeds and him on the way to recovery!

Very many thanks, once again, to all who took the time to read this thread and kindly offered their advice. It's so good to have this helpful and experienced forum to refer to.

 

[TwoCrows]

I would stop with the iodine now. Let it harden off as being wet will inhibit the healing. So use something that acts as an antiseptic but keeps it dry if you can.

Great to hear he is feeding himself! Keep the feed moist and wet. This will make it easier to pick up. With his beak like it is, he won't be picking up dry food for some time. Try to get him back out with the others as soon as possible but not until you can use something to cover the skin or he will get picked on at the beak. That is why I suggested blu-kote as it is dark and will cover skin. But you may not find this in Australia but maybe you can find something similar. Just watch carefully that the others don't start eating the skin on his beak as it can kill him. The others can eat his wet food too.

In a month or so he should be able to go back to dry food.

Keep us posted!