what did I do?!?! killed a quail :(

[possumhunter]

I went out to feed and water my quail and chicks today and was completely shocked and heartbroken to find one of my Coturnix males pecked to within and inch of his life. I know that the males can be aggressive, but words cannot describe how horrified I was to find a bird in that condition. I quickly put it out of its misery, but am still in shock to find such a badly injured bird in my care. I feed and water them daily and I really can't believe that I wouldn't have noticed it yesterday when I was out there. Unless it was hiding in the little box that I have in the pen. I'm panicked about this happening to another bird now, since I still have a few more than I am supposed to in the pen. I had 2 pens up until a week ago when I moved my chicks outside and decided to put all the quail in one pen, since I thought I had managed to cull most of the males. A couple of them are a darker shade (maybe Tibetans?) and I don't know how to tell the males from the females.

All this rambling to say how terrible I feel that a bird suffered while under my care and now wondering how quickly a bird can be picked on...I thought if I was checking daily for missing feathers and such, I could pull a bird out before it got hurt, but maybe not?

And how can I tell if the darker colored birds are male or female?

 

[Mahonri]

Wish I could help you with the sexing part, but once the pecking starts, it can happen fast.

 

[Cornychick]

Wow. I feel bad for you. A week ago, I hatched my first mail ordered quail eggs, so I just might end up in the same boat. I have heard that they can be quite mean to each other. One thing I have read is to put some cover for the lower rating critters to take refuge in like cedar branches. I will definately try that.

 

[Thingrizzly]

The females can also turn on a male and peck him down. If you want to save the bird, just isolate it, you'll be surprised how quickly they recover. I've had birds scalped so bad they sat in the corner of the cage and refused to go to water or feed if other birds were near. Within three days I'd be putting them in a different cage with different cage mates and they would do fine.

Kenneth

 

[crazy_4_chickens]

Quote:
Ya I had one bird i lost her in 30 min. they seemed to gang up on here when i left and i came back to find her lifeless... it was sad because she was more human than chicken.

 

[farrier!]

My daughter and I find vent sexing extremely easy on all Coturnix that are 5+ weeks old. We have never had a reason to try with younger ones.

 

[worldling]

Quote:
You have that right Kenneth!
A rowdy/sick hen can inflict more damage on a flock of coturnix than a pack of roos. I'm dealing with that now, and when I find her...off with her head!
Roos scalp roos and hens scalp anyone they don't like.
It has been my experience, that if you are getting scalped hens....look for the rowdy hen.

Yes, coturnix have some sort of magical healing powers.

 

[possumhunter]

Wow, I really had no idea that it could happen so fast... and so brutally in that short amount of time. I don't think this little guy could have pulled through. He wasn't moving much and I can't even believe the amount of blood coming from such a small little body. I have a few branches in there, but I think I will add a few more. And definitely going to throw some in another pen so they have some more room. Now I just need to get the other pen built....fast!

 

[fishman65]

tibetan males usually have a black or real dark top beak. Other than crowing it is the only way i know to sex tibetans. Hope this helps. In my experience an aggressive quail weather it is male or female will always be aggressive. I cull them when i see this happening. Not worth the trouble or heartache to have aggressive quail. Just my two cents.

 

[JJMR794]

VENT SEX THEM! Look in the sticky at the top of the page anything and everything about coturnix quail, even vent sexing is covered there!




When in doubt--- make them stick it out! No wives tales about color of this and shape of that,,,,, vent sex them and be done with it. got any small zip ties? if so mark 1 sex with a small zip tie around the ankle and from then on you can tell by looking.