twitch/spasm

[Eggcellentmama333]

Hi everyone
I moved some chicks outside this week. I had 3 adult females out there already, and both the adults and the chicks were a little shy and bewildered at first, but they've settled in wonderfully. They snuggle up several chicks to an adult at night.

There were 2 that I kept inside for a few extra days because they seemed scared, while the rest of them were eager to try their wings. They let themselves be put back in the brooder, so I brought them in for an extra couple of days. I think one of them is the one I had to do a hatch assist for?

The one I'm worried about seems to have a nervous tic or a spasm where it pecks, not aggressively, but...I'm not sure how to describe it. It looks uncontrolled like when a person has a tic. It closes its eyes too, like a long blink really frequently. The other chicks have accepted it and they don't move away when it does the pecking thing, which makes me think they can sense that it's unintentional. The "mama" birds have been kind to it. So it got ushered into the flock right away, which is the good news.

I am just wondering if anyone has any idea what might be causing the tic? If there is anything I can do for that? It's ok if it has special needs or is a little quirky. I would still keep it as a pet, but if there's something I can do to improve its quality of life, I will

 

[Kale the Quail]

do you have a video?

 

[Eggcellentmama333]

Not yet. I'll try and take one sometime today

 

[FloorCandy]

Does it peck other birds? Or the ground? How long does the pecking last? Is it pecking or stretching it’s neck and opening its mouth? It may have something in its crop.

 

[Eggcellentmama333]

Does it peck other birds? Or the ground? How long does the pecking last? Is it pecking or stretching it’s neck and opening its mouth? It may have something in its crop.

both, but it's a very gentle peck that doesn't hurt them. It is stretching its neck. I haven't seen it opening its mouth. Do you know a good way to check for that and help them out if that's the issue? I haven't had it come up yet.

 

[FloorCandy]

both, but it's a very gentle peck that doesn't hurt them. It is stretching its neck. I haven't seen it opening its mouth. Do you know a good way to check for that and help them out if that's the issue? I haven't had it come up yet.

I don’t know how to check, but I have seen parrots stretching and mouthing when I worked at a pet shop, the “bird person” said it had a crop obstruction, took it, and it was fine a few hours later, idk how it was done.

another thought, could it be blind?

 

[Eggcellentmama333]

I don’t know how to check, but I have seen parrots stretching and mouthing when I worked at a pet shop, the “bird person” said it had a crop obstruction, took it, and it was fine a few hours later, idk how it was done.

another thought, could it be blind?

I think it might be blind. I saw this yesterday, and I've been watching carefully, and that makes a lot of sense. It doesn't startle like the other birds, and it moves really slowly and carefully. I don't know how long it would have taken me to think of that if you hadn't said it Thanks!

The other birds are still being really nice to it so far, so that's good.

 

[FloorCandy]

They often peck red, so you can see if it follows and pecks a laser pointer if you have one.