they wont stop killing each other!

[FenDruadin]

Quote:
So true!

 

[Fraoch21]

thank you everyone, lot of useful information there

ill try and answer the questions that came up

im planning on splitting the pen into 3 different pens so i can keep my adult pair and have some jumbos and tuxedos so hopefully i wont have territorial aggressions. The wire on the pen is just average chicken mesh that goes under the ground to stop anything digging in and black mesh over the top. From what everyones suggested its probably either our cat or rats, although the cat would have a hard time making that much damage on them through the mesh. I could put a wood skirting around the pen if that would help?

Injuries; the young ones had loads of damage, i had to put them down. examples would be huge bits of skin and feathers ripped off, wings attacked, there were bones sticking out of the bird and broken in various places, one had its whole beak taken off and some had bad head wounds on the back of their necks and even bits of the skull broken....really horrible stuff...

the 2 i have right now the male has all the skin and feathers taken off his back and bits off his wings and a cut on his chest. The female either has a broken wing or the blood on its hardened and its stuck her wing in a half out position but she isnt as bad as the male. I put teramycin spray on them but their wounds have starting healing now. Ive left the female outside, should i put her inside the hut with the male to protect her from something outside?

 

[kahlertm]

By all means keep her in a "Quail Hospital" setting. I have had a multitude of aggression issues with my Coturnix. After consulting with quaillady, jjmr, fat daddy,and various others I have found that:

1. Repairing any quail that are not hatch mates can result in aggression.
2. Feather picking and outright cannibal or blood caused repetative attacks once done is a learned behavior and said quail must be separated and or the use of a bit is necessary as it is a learned behavior now. (personal phone call with Phd Animal Nutritionist)
3. Lack of protein in the diet can lead to feather picking in the first place if it started with feather picking.

Many including Joe125 do feed GBS of 30% from hatch to dispatch (the entire life of the quail). I deviated from that and went to an organic turkey starter feed ration after 6 weeks (maturity so to speak). I have since had to endure the results of the above said mistakes in raising quail.

Switching up hatch mates into color cages with other hatches of older age, a lower protein feed and not immediately removing the "pickers" or using a bit on the quail.


Bits are looked at by some such as PETA as in humane. In this case and as a former Cruelty Investigator myself for the Dept. of Ag, the bit is a life saving device for a bird you do not wish to cull who has learned the behavior of pecking toes, backs, vents, eye/head. I thought leaving them together and offering environmental enrichment would work. I thought rehoming with another quail would work....NO.

Total separation, with extremely careful reintroduction (if that at all). The PhD I spoke with today at Ranchway feeds, was called due to some feather pecking I had going on that had gone to the extreme as you describe. I was intensely worried that it was protein deficient feed...the PhD did agree with this theory. But this is my case.... with an organic feed program that was experimental for good intentions (a healthy bird and egg for consumers. Your case does sound more to me as mixing quail who are not familiar with one another and aggression continuing up the gradient (increasing without intervention in time).

You may very well have a predator. It is highly likely as my quail were aiming for back, head, vent, feet and area around pinneal(sp) gland (oil gland nub above the tail). I have not encountered any chest wounds or wing wounds. But I want everyone to be aware of my mistakes and learn with me. The good Dr. did say that once feather pecking commences it is a learned behavior and will continue many times to extreme.

I leave it to the more experienced to comment further.

I am currently on a program to re populate my pens with quail hatched in large or small enough batches to fit pen sizes with their known hatch mates. Also I am custom mixing an organic feed GMO free, that adds more protein.

Joe125, Fat Daddy, Jjmr, Quaillady, Shelly, and other quail jedi, it's all yours. I just wanted to give an update from my farm so others can learn.

Best wishes to you.