What Is The Cause of Sudden Death in Gambels Quail?

[BaJa]

Just found a male dead. Just like a female yesterday, always healthy and nothing wrong, suddenly dead, with not a feather missing or any peck marks. They are all good with each other (Valley Quail, Gambel Quail, Hungarian Partridge, Lady Amherst pheasants), never any fighting going on, Lady Amherst pheasants are known to be very nice, and can be put with almost all birds except other male pheasants. Also, the quail are almost always outside, and the pheasants inside of the coop. Like i said, the dead ones are in perfect condition, I feed them good food and clean water. What is this? I think breaking their necks, as they are quite flighty. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.




D

 

[Fishkeeper]

Breaking the necks is a decent bet. Pick them up and see if you can feel that something is wrong.
How high is the ceiling? Do they have a lot of cover?

 

[BaJa]

It doesn't feel like they have broken necks though. Inside the coop the ceiling is about ten feet, and outside in the run it is 6 to 8 feet. They do have a lot of natural cover (long grass, big branches, little shelters, rocks)

 

[Fishkeeper]

They shouldn't be breaking their necks on a ceiling that high. They flush upward, sure, but lose speed by the time they reach the top.
What do you feed?
Keep in mind that every species has exceptions. You may have an unusually aggressive pheasant. Watch them closely, preferably from a spot they can't see. Consider a camera.
Do you still have them, and are you willing to try and do a necropsy/dissection to check for anything weird?

 

[007Sean]

Just found a male dead. Just like a female yesterday, always healthy and nothing wrong, suddenly dead, with not a feather missing or any peck marks. They are all good with each other (Valley Quail, Gambel Quail, Hungarian Partridge, Lady Amherst pheasants), never any fighting going on, Lady Amherst pheasants are known to be very nice, and can be put with almost all birds except other male pheasants. Also, the quail are almost always outside, and the pheasants inside of the coop. Like i said, the dead ones are in perfect condition, I feed them good food and clean water. What is this? I think breaking their necks, as they are quite flighty. Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.




D

Have they showed any signs of an illness? Fluffed up look, droopy wings or head?

 

[BaJa]

Have they showed any signs of an illness? Fluffed up look, droopy wings or head?

Nothing at all. They run around the aviary pecking at seed and making funny noises, d peck at everything, they are as energetic as could be, and boom, at night one is dead. Today was the only day since friday that none died. I am down to one male Gambel and one female Valley.

 

[BaJa]

What do you feed?
Keep in mind that every species has exceptions. You may have an unusually aggressive pheasant. Watch them closely, preferably from a spot they can't see. Consider a camera.
Do you still have them, and are you willing to try and do a necropsy/dissection to check for anything weird?

I feed them different seed mixes with cracked corn, millet, milo, sunflowers etc. I've fed all my quail, chickens, doves and pigeons this for years. They also ate it all fine the first weeks I had them. Also, the pheasants are real kind, I watched them alot, and don't do anything bad. I've even moved the last pair of Valleys to a different coop. The male died there.

 

[007Sean]

Nothing at all. They run around the aviary pecking at seed and making funny noises, d peck at everything, they are as energetic as could be, and boom, at night one is dead. Today was the only day since friday that none died. I am down to one male Gambel and one female Valley.

Ok, I was thinking maybe UE. Ulcerative Enteritis. Those are some of the symptoms. Usually by the time you notice the symptoms, some will have already died. It spreads very rapidly, and in quail has almost a 100% morality rate.
The one time I had it occur in my flocks, it nearly wiped out my entire operation.

 

[BaJa]

But there is absolutely no symptoms. I've watched them closely. The two surviving survived another night. Do you know any one that sells them to canada or in canada?
Thanks

 

[casportpony]

Ok, I was thinking maybe UE. Ulcerative Enteritis.

That's what I was thinking, and it would be easy enough to check for by doing a necropsy.