Urgent!! Quail missing upper beak!

[Eggs on Toast]

Okay so I got a new female button quail from the pet shop today and It turns out she has no upper beak? I'm guessing she'll survive if she has survived in the pet shop al these years but I'm also not sure whether the two Coturnix quail have done this to her because they're quite aggresive to her but I'm just going to let them settle in and meanwhile the female has a little hide away where the Coturnix cannot get to. This is her:


She's a little cutie! Anyway, two questions: Has this been caused before I got her or after? Because wouldn't her beak be bleeding? Second questions is whether she'll be able to eat?

 

[sniper338]

um, its best not to mix button and coturnix... I'm supprised the bird is alive!

 

[Eggs on Toast]

um, its best not to mix button and coturnix... I'm supprised the bird is alive!

I have friends who mix Coturnix and buttons and I've seen posts of people mixing their Coturnix and buttons. Are you sure they cannot get along? They're quite calm together it's just that when the buttons get in the Coturnix quails way the Coturnix will peck at their toes to get them away. They live in a spacious pen together with a lot of small places for the buttons to hide into and where the Coturnix cannot get into what-so-ever.

 

[DK newbie]

As far as I know, beaks bleed quite a lot if you trim them just a little too far, so yes, I think this happened before you got her. And thus I assume she is able to eat, somehow. But not seeds lying on the ground or such, probably only feed from a bowl that is deep enough for her to reach it with the remaining part of her upper beak.
And yes, I'd be careful about having her with cots too..

 

[Eggs on Toast]

Okay thanks. If this is the case I shall feed a small bowl up with seed and put it right outside her hiding spot. I shall also have to keep an eye on her with the Coturnix about. I'm checking on her every half an hour currently to see if they just need to get use to her. If they don't then I have an aviary the buttons can go into.

 

[dc3085]

Its best not to mix any species of quail because of their aggression. Some people do it but some people do heroin too...ok thats a little serious for a comparison lol but you see what i mean.

 

[TheWeeBee]

Or you could take her regular feed and grind it up fine for her to scoop up with her lower beak. Oh the poor thing

 

[dc3085]

The size of the food is irrelevant if she can get it in her mouth. Its dissolves in water so griding it serves no real purpose (i dont even grind it for day old chicks). Treat it like beak trimming and leave a deep bowl of feed for it to scoop from. If it has the will itll make it.

 

[Majd]

Poor baby! Probably came that way... The best thing to do for her is provide a deep enough food dish so she can sort of shovel the food into her mouth! And same with water, just deep enough for dip all her beak in. I wouldn't keep her all alone with big coturnix...probably get her a female button friend, or tow new females and also a male... Up to you... Good luck and keep us posted on her! Bless you and her!

 

[Eggs on Toast]

Okay I've listened carefully to the feedback and I'm moving her to the aviary where she is more calm and away from Coturnix. I've also set up a deep bowl with seed and also a bowl of water and she seems to be eating and drinking just fine so hopefully she'll survive. Oh and she already has a male friend with her so she's all good for company.

Her little friend (haven't got a photo of them together):



Thanks guys for the help and advice!