Coturnix quail death - prolapsed vent? Parasites? (Graphic)

[Sill]

Thanks for the link. DC!

I don't know if this could be something with the diet/nutritional imbalance just yet. They are still on a lot of commercial chick feed — and it's only been two weeks since I started feeding more than just a handful of the duckweed (right now 4-5 birds share about 2 cups of compressed duckweed daily; those same birds share about 2 cups of chick feed daily, plus getting things like sprouts). The chick feed they get now represents about 75% of what they were getting before, so they haven't lost much in the way of calories or complete nutrition. My plan was to actually keep them at the same commercial feed rate and only add in the duckweed and then start changing the ratios, but I scaled the feed back a little bit because they seem pretty fat and I was worried about how fat they are.

I plan to keep them at this 50/50 ratio for a few more weeks before I start trying to wean them over (slowly of course; the idea is to do the 50/50 for a month, then go to a 60/40 for a few weeks ... once I get to an 80/20, I'll probably keep them there to monitor and make sure everything is looking good for a month or so before starting to eliminate the chick feed). Plus, I still have some experimenting left to do with sprouts (some sprouts they just won't eat — like wheat grass and chia, both of which were going to be nutritional heavyweights that I now need to find substitutes for) and my mealworm population isn't sufficient yet either.

Feces appeared unremarkable. I looked but never really saw anything that screamed "there's a problem here." Now, keep in mind, being new to quail means I could have definitely missed something because really, quail poop all looks alike to me. Now talk to me about horse poop, and I can spot an issue in a heartbeat.

Two cups of duck weed has little nutrition in it, it is mostly water. Try taking those two cups of compressed duck weed and dehydrating it. You will end up with maybe a tablespoon or so of dry material, split amongst your birds, which is replacing a much larger volume of dry game bird or turkey starter feed. There is no comparison between the two.

 

[streetmutt]

Two cups of duck weed has little nutrition in it, it is mostly water. Try taking those two cups of compressed duck weed and dehydrating it. You will end up with maybe a tablespoon or so of dry material, split amongst your birds, which is replacing a much larger volume of dry game bird or turkey starter feed. There is no comparison between the two.

Absolutely right. You have to compare calories to calories to get an accurate account of what you're feeding. I was trying to explain what I was feeding in terms of volume on the 50-50 thing, but I can see where that was misleading and made me sound like I don't understand calories. Duckweed right now is a supplement, a treat, being fed at the same volume rate as chickfeed.

I realize it will take likely 12 cups or more to equal 1 cup of chickfeed calorie-wise.

 

[streetmutt]

Just had another death of a hen in the same pen. She was a little sleepy today, but all of my hens have been very relaxed lately (I added simple dividers they have to walk around to break up their pens and it seems to make for more relaxed quail) so I didn't think much of it.

Same vent presentation as the other hen.

If anything, I've been more controlled about their diet. They're on nonGMO/organic chick starter and organic veggies from garden. I don't have any duckweed to feed them. No mealworms, no bugs unless they haplessly wander in.

Their water always has ACV.

They were dewormed and given antibiotic feed right after the first death.

RIP Quesadilla. I'm sorry I don't know how I killed you

Any advice on what steps I need to take? Or do I just need to give up?

ETA: not sure if this is relevant, but last night I saw a strange deposit in the pen, kind of foamy? Is that a clue?

There is a rooster in there (a very gentlemanly rooster who is kind to his hens) but I guess that could explain the foamy poo, but then I saw this last post here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/428257/foamy-in-poop#post_12262276 and that makes me wonder

I see that in other birds it can be a clostridium infection -- if that's it, what do I need to do?

 

[streetmutt]

OMG do I have quail disease??? http://www.thepoultrysite.com/diseaseinfo/162/ulcerative-enteritis-quail-disease

 

[cotquail]

The foamy poo is the spermatoza of a rooster , male quail,normal, the enteritis not.Solids brown stuff white chalky stuff and milky wet is natural, the intake of fluid and solid feed is crucial. Learn to read the stools.

 

[Quail Jailer]

The foamy poo is the spermatoza of a rooster , male quail,normal, the enteritis not.Solids brown stuff white chalky stuff and milky wet is natural, the intake of fluid and solid feed is crucial. Learn to read the stools.

Turning the page is frustrating...

 

[streetmutt]

Yes, thank you, cot I know what normal quail poop looks like, and I know the foam could have come from the rooster.

But couldn't it also be from the hen and a symptom of her problems? I've seen anecdotes and papers about foamy poo being related to infection (it's under symptoms of quail disease). Right now, other than lethargy and bloody vents, it's one of the few symptoms I have to go on.

I'll be picking up antibiotics in the morning from the vet down the street. If you have a good plan of action to share, that would be appreciated.

QJ, I appreciate the humor, even though I'm pretty sick over losing my bird and slightly panicked about saving my remaining 13 hens and 2 roosters.

 

[subhanalah]

Okay, is it hot where they are? You should remove the ACV from their water, it causes calcium uptake issues.

 

[subhanalah]

It's lack of calcium/eggbound/prolapse as a complication.

 

[streetmutt]

Sub, yes it's hot (Charleston SC), but this week is "cooler" than last. The pens are in dappled shade most of the day, but do get some sun in the afternoon. But half the pen provides shade.

I'll start adding crushed eggshells to their feed as an additional precaution. And remove the ACV for now. I didn't know that it could cause calcium issues. Though they weren't on it as regularly for the first quail death. Thanks!