Sick Quail ??

[Cathy]

   I have a female quail--Coturnex, I think. She was "free to a good home" because her mate nearly killed her. Have had her for 2 months. She seemed very content and happy, and laid about 4-6 eggs each week. Last week when I went out to feed her, I noticed that her beak was bloody on top. She laid one egg since then, and it was completely off-white colour---no speckles. Two days later it looked like part of the top of her beak was actually missing, and it is a bit jagged looking. She has not laid an egg since, and she seems a bit sad to me. She also has a slight bald patch on the top of her head. She is eating, and drinking, and chirping, but otherwise doesn't seem herself. Should I be worried? Is there a tonic that you can give quail when they are not looking healthy? Is it possible she is missing something in her diet that may have made her beak brittle? She is currently eating chick crumbs and some wild bird seeds. Also, do quail stop laying in the winter? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[smallfarmTN.]

Hi Cathy,
I'm not knowledgeable enough to answer your other questions but, as far as the bald spot on her head and the broken beak, sounds like she is panicking and flying in fear of something.
When Quail take off they fly straight up, so, she sounds like she damaged herself by slamming into the top of her cage. She could very easily break her neck doing this.

Is there anything near her  to make her panic? Dogs, cats, critters in the wild? Is her enclosure on the ground, or, off the ground, away from predators?
If on the ground, you will need something about 2-3 feet tall to block her view of any predators. You might want to get a few more Quail to be with her, maybe a couple more females. Quail are very gregarious birds, it isn't natural  for them to be alone. Hope this helps you out a little. Sorry I couldn't help you with the other questions.   Steve

[Cathy]

Thanks, Steve. It is possible she got a fright from a cat or something during the night. She is in a rabbit hutch that sits on the ground. I have seen the raised hutches, and have considered getting one, but I thought she might be better off being able to be in the grass. Aren't quail usually ground-dwellers in the wild? We have a cat also, which has made her nervous at times, but she (the quail) just paces back and forth in the cage or goes into the enclosed nesting area. I have not seen her panic and fly since she did it the first day we got her, but that was my first thought also.

We have two hens and a rooster in a run beside her, but also thought about getting another quail. Just don't know much about them 'cause I didn't expect to be getting her, and I was concerned about overcrowding her. Thanks for taking the time to reply.         Cathy