Incessant pecking (CPQ)

[Dean&Laura]

Our quails have suddenly decided that bald spots are in and have started pecking one another.

Male on female, female on male, and female on female.

Suddenly, all of our quail are wandering around looking like Harry Hill! Is there anything we can do?

Anti-peck is only as useful as long as it is wet on their feathers and apart from that we're having trouble. We can't even isolate the ring leaders as everyone is guilty!

We were wondering if we could provide something for them to peck at. Perhaps a potted fern or something but were wondering if it could hurt them at all.

Can anyone offer any advice?

 

[Tim]

Hmm I don't keep quail and when I did I didn't have this problem but based on what I would do for chickens, I would ask whether they are bored and secondly whether they have sufficient protein in their diet (feathers are mainly protein). Quail need quite a high level of protein.

Quail being kept for their eggs and breeding will require 18-20% protein, which should be gradually introduced before the birds are expected to come into lay. As a guide adult quail will require approximately 15g of food per day and it is recommended that quail of all ages should have access to ad lib food. You can often find this level of protein in Turkey feed.

 

[Dean&Laura]

They've got meal worm as protein, and chick crumb. Its kind of turned habitual, but i'm not sure what i can do to keep them occupied for fun. We have four girls to one male and one of our girls has turned into a 'watchbird' instead of normal female behaviour.

Thanks for replying though.

 

[Marigold]

Are they still feather pecking?
I wondered whether a change of scenery for at least part of the day would help. Ive got my coturnix out on the lawn in a rabbit run ATM which i move on to fresh grass every day or so. I have all 6 in together instead of having 2 cages of 3, with no problems. The grass is good for them to nibble and they have lots of room to move around. Also it's easier to keep clean, coturnix are really messy little birds, I just rake over and hose down the grass when they've been moved on. I had to provide a clear plastic cover, held down by elastic ropes, in this awful weather, and when it was so stormy over the weekend i put them back in their cages, but they all kept laying despite the changes so I suppose they didn't mind. I dont know if you have access to any grass but it might be worth a try.

By the way, what's a 'watch bird?'

 

[Dean&Laura]

We don't really have a lawn we can take them on (its not really very safe as its quite open). We have changed them from cage to cage, rearranged their cage several times, introduced another female to keep the boy happy, but they are still quite pecky with one another. We're trying to get as much greens in them as we can but they are fussy little buggers.

A watchbird is a female who takes on the role of male when she deems the male to be immature or too young. She gives up laying, refuses mating and spends her time 'patrolling'.

We're quite proud actually because the girl who has taken on this role is a girl who has a curled toe. She's not letting it get in her way.

 

[Marigold]

Well, that's interesting about the watch bird. I've got a hen who laid well in her first summer, 2011, but who gave up last autumn, (as is normal, the others slowed down or stopped for a few weeks as well.) She hasn't laid an egg since, but has always been top hen, and this summer has definitely developed into a watchbird. Patrols around with quite an upright stance, is not aggressive, but clearly in charge. No spurs have developed but I'm sure it's hormonal, too much testosterone giving her male characteristics I expect. Shes not economic to keep, good thing for her she's a pet with a nice nature and were getting too many eggs anyway with the quails giving 6 per day as well as 3 from the hens! When I call them in the run at the end of a session outside she's always the last in, and the one with the independence to wander off sometimes.

 

[Dean&Laura]

Definitly a watch bird then.

We're having issues with our pecking order. Dean gave me a multicoloured CPQ for my birthday, a female called Cookie. He bought her because she was sick and the shop hadn't bothered to check her out. We nursed her back to health and she's a bossy little madam.

The boy is currently in seclusion after being a grumpy little bugger with his ladies. I think our problem is our new female is too immature to show female signs yet (she is physically female both in size, breast area, vent and physical features) so that the male is unsure of what she is so he is attacking her. But, being a brave little thing, she is attacking back! Best to seperate them for a while i think in case blood gets drawn

 

[Marigold]

When you say attacking her, do you mean pecking in an agressive but non- sexual way, ie face to face, or is he trying to mate? It's possible he's excited by having a new bird in the cage irrespective of gender, at least coturnix will try to mate anything that can stand up. Or of course it's the old problem of introducing one bird to an established group, be they chickens or quail. I had this problem when I tried to introduce the one female I'd bred from my second hatch to a group of older females. All looked fine at first but they went for her overnight. I put her in a hamster cage to recover and put this cage in their big cage. Consternation at first, through the wire, but after a couple of weeks they got used to each other and when she had recovered and I tried again she was accepted. Think you're rightbo separate the, so long as they can see each other - she won't be happy in isolation and the situation won't get any better if you keep on putting her in for a bit and then removing her again. Have concluded quails aren't all that easy, at least if there's a male in the group!

 

[Dean&Laura]

It seems to be at present that the eldest female is concentrating on non-aggresive pecks. Almost like habitual, boredom pecking. Izzy is favoured female (for the boy) but at the bottom of the pecking order. she doesn't show concern at being pecked. They don't draw blood when pecking and it's not violent--it's just annoying to see all of Izzy's new feathers gone and Molly (our eldest) happily chomping on them.

Other than that, they all get on really well now, cuddling together at night, grooming each other, not fighting, not chasing. All 5 of them are now relaxed with each other, apart from this pecking.

We have anti-peck but it only works when the feathers are wet with it. When they are dry they ignore it.

 

[Marigold]

An idea has just popped into my mind, and it's probably quite the wrong thing to do, but if the anti peck spray doesn't work, maybe try that stuff you put on kids fingernails to stop them biting their nails? Presumably it's not toxic, at least for humans, and it's very effective on kids.

 

[Dean&Laura]

I was considering that but i think its made of the same stuff! I remember my mum buying it for me when i was a kid and when i sprayed the quails for the first time i got a nice blast in the mouth with it--the memories came flooding back.

At the moment it seems to be all nice and quiet as long as we keep them occupied. Being as its summer, we play water games with them. They like to chase water drops down the side of their cage wall and they enjoy being misted while eating a nice wet lettuce leaf.