Were they permanently wing-clipped?

[Kathrinix]

Hello everyone!

I own 12 quails. 3 of them I bought half a year ago from a breeder, and the rest are home hatched and grown. They are prospering and live together now

I noticed that my new quails are very flighty, but the old ones can only fly half a meter up at best, as if they are permanently wing-clipped. One "new" rooster flew three stories high and was never seen again... I realised my original covey has given me a very wrong impression of how well they can fly.

Question is, could the previous owner have done something to the three "old" quails? I think their primary feathers are shorter / missing? (See pictures.) Is there any way I can help them recover? Unfortunately, I cannot examine the old covey closer because they are very skittish, unlike the babies.

I attach two pictures: one of the "old", near-flightless quail, and a rooster from the new quail.

 

[Nabiki]

They fly less as they get older and heavier. Clipping the wings only lasts until their next moult.

I have some birds that often try to fly and they rub their wing feathers against the wires of their pens, which give them a clipped look sometimes.

 

[MysteryChicken]

They fly less as they get older and heavier. Clipping the wings only lasts until their next moult.

I have some birds that often try to fly and they rub their wing feathers against the wires of their pens, which give them a clipped look sometimes.

I think they're talking about Pinioning them, like ducks.

 

[007Sean]

I would say they were pinnioned at hatch or very soon after hatching. Just the tip of the wing will be cut off, just the primaries. Usually, this isn't done on quail but it wouldn't surprise me at all someone would do that to their quail.

 

[Kathrinix]

Thanks for the replies everyone!