Yes, it can be stressful to watch them sick. But these things do happen in our flocks. All we can do is keep them as best as possible, giving them the best life possible so that when the inevitable happens, we know they had a good life.
How do you keep your bobwhites? If these are in a cage or pen, you might put in some fake foliage or even a cut branch from a tree out back in the pen with the birds. Bobs flush up easily but if they have some hidey places, they would prefer to run for cover instead of flush. Make a corner a real jungle in there so they can sneak around and hide. Quail are ground dwellers and would be hanging out under brush piles in the wild. So give them some places of security in your quail area and head boinking is far less likely. And make sure they are not being harassed at night either by critters of the night. Use some solar lighting or such things to keep your birds safe and secure.
I hope the bird makes a full recovery!
