What is on my quails leg?

[zoeechewz]

I agree, it does look more like infection due to being on wet litter/poor living conditions than from disease that affects the joints like Mycoplasma S.

I also agree, this isn't a very good way to start out with a first flock, but I also see that you have a soft heart and don't want to send them back to suffer in the conditions from which they came.
Prepare that you may lose them, or they may not get better, but if you are determined to try to help them heal, then I'll tell you what I would do.

If you are not planning on eating them, then I would use Baytril to treat the infection. It may not help, the infection may be too advanced in the joint, but you just don't know. If you are going to eat them, speak up, we'll figure out another medication to use.

The lesion on the non-swollen leg looks like contact dermatitis, I would swab it with Chlorhexidine. Apply a light coating of triple antibiotic ointment to a small piece of non stick gauze pad, put that on the lesion, then lightly wrap with sports wrap/vet wrap. I buy sports wrap in bulk off amazon, it can be cut into thin strips as you wish.

For the severely swollen joint, do the same, but wrap very lightly.
It's extremely important that wrapping is not tight, especially due to swelling. Change out the wrappings daily!! If the lesions or swollen tissue become mushy, then omit the ointment - the goal here is to heal up, but also for the lesion to dry up - being wet/damp has contributed to the lesion (see her feet too), so you're drying this up.
The joint - could be from this, but no way to know.

Anyway. I get long winded at times. I'd keep them off wire. If possible, place them on puppy pads and change those daily. Pine shavings will work too if that's what you have. Stir them up or freshen them. Quail poop a LOT.

Do you have photos of them - what they look like, you mention one as a cross beak? I'd also give them some vitamins. You can use something like Poultry Cell if you can find it. It's gotten pricey, so if you can't get that, then I'd at least get them on B vitamins. Pick up a bottle of B-Complex at the Dollar Store, Walmart, etc. and give each girl 1/4 tablet Daily for a couple of weeks.

What are you planning on feeding them?

Ah, all of this information is greatly appreciated!

I wasn’t planning on eating them but they are both a bit smaller than the rest of the girls. Not so small that it’s concerning, but they definitely haven’t plumped up like the other hens. I’m not opposed to butchering them if they won’t make it anyway, but I am concerned about eating a hen that has an infection.

The non-swollen leg looks much better as I was doing ointment and wraps for the first few days, and I will start doing the same to the severely swollen joint. They’re both in the big pen with the rest of the hens, which has a buried bottom. I will most likely separate them so I can start tending to the swollen joint better.

They are eating 30% protein game feed along with fresh veggies (carrots are their favorite).

Unfortunately I had to put down my girl with cross beak. She was having trouble eating the “mush” I was making her and ended up breaking her top beak almost in half.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Ah, all of this information is greatly appreciated!

I wasn’t planning on eating them but they are both a bit smaller than the rest of the girls. Not so small that it’s concerning, but they definitely haven’t plumped up like the other hens. I’m not opposed to butchering them if they won’t make it anyway, but I am concerned about eating a hen that has an infection.

The non-swollen leg looks much better as I was doing ointment and wraps for the first few days, and I will start doing the same to the severely swollen joint. They’re both in the big pen with the rest of the hens, which has a buried bottom. I will most likely separate them so I can start tending to the swollen joint better.

They are eating 30% protein game feed along with fresh veggies (carrots are their favorite).

Unfortunately I had to put down my girl with cross beak. She was having trouble eating the “mush” I was making her and ended up breaking her top beak almost in half.

I'd try an antibiotic to see if that helps with the swollen joint. If you use Baytril, just toss her eggs for a few weeks which will be easy to do if you have her separated.

Ointment and wraps on the non swollen leg are fine, if you are seeing improvement, just keep doing what you are doing.

I'm sorry that the cross beak was failing and had to be put down.