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Author Topic: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others  (Read 2632 times)

Smiley

  • Joined Nov 2020
Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« on: November 12, 2020, 03:53:45 pm »
Hi there I need some advice in how to proceed.

I have 6 quail hens in a 3' by 4' cage off the ground and bellow them one male they are inside my garden shed with 3 windows. I have had them since the end of April and some End of May 2020 with now problems all hens together. There is a much bigger cage being built by my husband. At the same location. I use wood chips for bedding and recommended by the feed store layer feed for game birds. I haven't been able to see them on a consistent basis since the end of September due to nausea in pregnancy and also being sick. My teenagers were sent to check on them twice a day, change water and make sure they had food. With occasional visits from DH. Unfortunately no one cleaned the cage since September. I made sure extra lighting was installed due to the shortened daylight time but can't get a clear answer wether it was turned on consistently.

No to the issue, about a week and a half ago DH found one of the hens outside the cage on the shed floor ,assumed  that the kids left the cage open and put her back. This past Saturday one of the birds while running away from a bully flew into the feed container. And the kids reported bullying. I finally managed to get myself together and came out to clean the cages. It seems that since Sunday most of the hens were attacked, while the bigger Pharaohs just have some ruffled feathers there are 2 smaller brown have all their head feathers missing  with more feathers missing on their back. One of them has crusted blood on the top of her head and another has both eyes swollen shut. I removed the offender into a separate cage. How can I help my hurt hens survive? And any suggestions as to preventing this from happening again. The offender is attacking me as well. I did notice some weird coloured poop when I was cleaning. Does it mean they got sick?

I wish I felt well enough to be there earlier, but now I have to mitigate the damage and solve this.

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2020, 07:35:45 pm »
 :wave:


You have removed the bully and I think you just need to cull them. Check your surviving birds for parasites as that can make birds peck each other. If the cage hasn't been kept clean then there could be a build up. If they have lost feathers you may need a heat lamp. Antiseptic cream will help any sore patches.


Teach you teenagers to muck out.


Hope you are feeling better and can take back looking after them otherwise I would say unless your teenagers can be trained to do the full job you need to find them a new home. The birds ideally but teenagers if not  :innocent:

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
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Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2020, 08:48:25 pm »
Are you sure the bully isn't a cockerel?  My young lad used to do that to my hens and I did as you did and removed him for a while, and he grew out of it.  If it really is a hen then yes, I agree cull her.  You can check if there is foam from the vent - if so it's a cockerel. 

It is possible there are mites as Harmony says, but a couple of months not cleaning with only 6 hens is not going to cause that.

Can I ask why your cockerel is not in with the hens?  I have always kept mine together

All you can do after that is ensure your family do exactly as you ask them to until you are able to do it yourself,  and report back with any problems whatsoever - it is a matter of animal health.  Teenagers need to learn that lesson

I only have one hen and one cockerel now (the other hens died over a period of time from an illness - they were all bought in), but have the same set up as yours - in a guinea pig cage, in my shed, I have a cover to put over them in winter and a frost free radiator.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Smiley

  • Joined Nov 2020
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2020, 02:59:08 pm »
Thanks for the tip about antiseptic spray and heat lamp. They seem to be doing much better today. I saw both eating and drinking.

I have them separate for 2 reasons. 1. I had them all together originally. I got them as 4 day old chicks and it turned out in the end that I had 5 males. They got separated because the one hen was being bullied by all. That's  when I learned to sex them(the bully right now is definitely a hen)We used to leave the shed closed but unlocked and something got most of the cockrells at night, we think it was raccoons because they managed to open a closed door one was culled because of being a bully. So I bought more hens, they are only 3 weeks apart. Now I keep them separate because I don't want blood spots in my eggs. I will put them together in the spring when we want to breed. Also in hubby's new cage they should be side by side and visible.

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2020, 03:42:15 pm »
This is very common with female quails actually.
In fact in Afghanistan and Pakistan they actually have QUAIL FIGHTING COMPETITIONS, where they fight female quail instead of male chickens.
Really interesting but of course illegal even in those countries and against the religion of people over there (because it is cruel towards the animals).
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
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    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
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Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2020, 05:25:07 pm »
This is very common with female quails actually.
In fact in Afghanistan and Pakistan they actually have QUAIL FIGHTING COMPETITIONS, where they fight female quail instead of male chickens.
Really interesting but of course illegal even in those countries and against the religion of people over there (because it is cruel towards the animals).
It's so distressing for owners though.  That's why I've decided not to have any more - just my one male and one female.  If I get a few eggs from her in summer that's fine.  Oh and I've never had blood spots in quail eggs.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Smiley

  • Joined Nov 2020
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2020, 12:14:53 am »
When I had them together more than half the eggs had blood spots of some kind. Now I have none.
When I buy good quality chicken eggs from the farm they usually have them and I take the time to get them out with a fork. But quail eggs are too small so it's not worth it.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2020, 12:37:32 pm »
Why do you bother taking them out?  They don't do any harm
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Smiley

  • Joined Nov 2020
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2020, 03:11:02 pm »
For religious reasons, I  don't eat blood

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Quail hen attacking and seriously injuring others
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2020, 05:25:09 pm »
Is that because of Acts 15:29?
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

 

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