Very sleepy quail hen

[Celeste Cannon]

Hello, I’m making this post to ask if I should be concerned that my hen is acting very sleepy lately. No other symptoms, she’s eating, drinking, has a good weight and color. when I pick her up she wakes up and becomes aware, as she normally would. She’s very docile. she may have just gotten comfortable around me. She’s temporarily living indoors with me and her best friend in a 60 gallon aquarium, she can’t live outside because I have other quail there that don’t get along with her. I’m trying to find those two at home so my girls can move back outside.

 

[Nabiki]

It's hard to say without more information. From the pictures, she doesn't look like she's feeling well.

How old is she?
What are you feeding her?
What does her poop look like?
Is she alone?
Does she have places to hide?
How is her weight? (Is her keel prominent or hard to feel due to fat?)
Is she laying?

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Quail shouldn’t sleep or stand with their head drooped. If they doze off their heads are still generally kept erect. I don’t really know enough about illness to say anything definite, but something isn’t right with her. Is her breathing normal? Any sign of injury?

 

[Celeste Cannon]

It's hard to say without more information. From the pictures, she doesn't look like she's feeling well.

How old is she?
What are you feeding her?
What does her poop look like?
Is she alone?
Does she have places to hide?
How is her weight? (Is her keel prominent or hard to feel due to fat?)
Is she laying?

She is around 5 months old
Feeding her game bird crumble, one from nutrigina
She’s living with another hen, I can’t tell who’s poo is who’s but from what I can see it’s fine
Her friend and her get along very well
No, she hasn’t shown any fear with me though, never even running when I go to change her food
Her weight is fine
And no, she hasn’t laid in the past 5 days, strange cuz she was a daily layer

no injuries, breathing isnt noticible unless she’s stressed and breathing hard right next to me

you know I actually just remembered that she escaped the other day and ate all of my lizards bugs, they were all super worms and I don’t know how many she got, but there were probably around 20-60. Could this be causing it? She loves them for treats but maybe there were too many and it’s making her sick.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

She is around 5 months old
Feeding her game bird crumble, one from nutrigina
She’s living with another hen, I can’t tell who’s poo is who’s but from what I can see it’s fine
Her friend and her get along very well
No, she hasn’t shown any fear with me though, never even running when I go to change her food
Her weight is fine
And no, she hasn’t laid in the past 5 days, strange cuz she was a daily layer

no injuries, breathing isnt noticible unless she’s stressed and breathing hard right next to me

you know I actually just remembered that she escaped the other day and ate all of my lizards bugs, they were all super worms and I don’t know how many she got, but there were probably around 20-60. Could this be causing it? She loves them for treats but maybe there were too many and it’s making her sick.

Superworms can bite through the crop of a bird if not pecked to death beforehand. The excess fat from the worms can also make her sick.
She could have sour crop, from an infected bite or too much fat, or an impaction from too much indigestible chitin in the shells.
Alternatively she may be egg bound if she hasn’t laid in that long. Check the area between her vent and belly (“butt fluff”) and see if you can feel an egg lodged in her hips.

 

[Nabiki]

Can you check her vent to make sure there isn't an egg stuck in there? Her symptoms are possible for an egg bound hen. If she's egg bound, it need to be taken care of as soon as possible if you're going to save her.

If there is an egg stuck there, start with a warm (a couple of degrees above quail body temperature) epsom salt bath, and then maybe some vaseline or something to help her get the egg out.

If she doesn't have an egg stuck there, is a vet an option?

Are they getting enough calcium? With what you're feeding them, they should have oyster shell or egg shell on the side.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

Can you check her vent to make sure there isn't an egg stuck in there? Her symptoms are possible for an egg bound hen. If she's egg bound, it need to be taken care of as soon as possible if you're going to save her.

If there is an egg stuck there, start with a warm (a couple of degrees above quail body temperature) epsom salt bath, and then maybe some vaseline or something to help her get the egg out.

If she doesn't have an egg stuck there, is a vet an option?

Are they getting enough calcium? With what you're feeding them, they should have oyster shell or egg shell on the side.

I felt around and found nothing, I should probably add some extra calcium in there though, it was in their old coop but I forgot to move it over. Are you sure I should call the vet? She seems totally fine besides her drooping her head occasionally.

 

[Nabiki]

Quail are prey animals, and, like most prey animals will only show symptoms when they're really feeling bad.

@007Sean has a lot more experience will illness than I do, though. Let's see what he has to say.

 

[Celeste Cannon]

Hello again! She seems to be doing fine now, and I found 2 eggs tonight so I’m guessing she’s not egg bound. Thank you all for your help! Her friend payed this beautiful dark egg, I’ve never seen a quail egg like it

 

[Nabiki]

I'm glad to hear that she's doing better. FYI, if a quail is pooping, she's not egg bound.