Only 2 Wks Old and Chasing Other Quail/Bully

[gummylick]

I've seperated them for now, but my quail turned 2 weeks yesterday and there is one that has been chasing the others all day, keeping them away from the water bowl and just generally chasing. I put him in a box with pine chips, food and water for a couple hours, returned him and he went back to bullying.

A couple questions:

usually, would this be a chick you cull and how young can you tell?

Two, these chicks are going to a friend and it's pretty warm here (85f during day and they are in garage) and they spend most their time outside the brooder heat plate. If i keep him seperated until its time to go with friend, is he fine without the brooding plate?

Thanks!

 

[Nabiki]

If it's going to be isolated, it's less likely to be okay without heat. Normally if you put them out a bit early, they will huddle together for warmth.

I would try separating this one for a full day before putting it back with the others. Put it back in after dark so it wakes up with the rest. If that doesn't cure the bullying, I would cull, but that's because I don't keep aggressive birds.

 

[Susan Skylark]

I just went through this, didn’t have the heart to kill the little jerk so tossed him in the empty brooder while his brothers had the heat lamp in my teenager pen. He wasn’t happy but he did fine even alone and without a heat lamp, 2 weeks old in a 68F basement. I tried reintroducing him several times but never improved. I moved the whole bunch outside to the garage at 4 weeks, tossed him in with the others. I’ve never had such a mean bunch of birds! Not sure if it was learned from the mean one or the breeding (shipped eggs). Two bonked their heads and died within the first 24 hours (never had an issue before but this batch was nuts and mean!). I tried introducing one into the main group pen and he went after everybody, so had to go back in with the chicks. I ended up getting rid of all but 2, doesn’t matter what I paid for eggs, I don’t have room in my flock for jerks! I just wish I knew if this was a learned behavior or a quirk of the birds themselves. If learned, the jerks need to go ASAP before other birds get ideas, if genetic, obviously don’t breed.

 

[gummylick]

Separated him rest of yesterday, put him back in just before I turned off the lights. and... he's back at it again this morning. I've separated him again.

With a chick this young, do I cull him the same way I would an adult (I've never culled but have seen how-to's).

At 2 weeks, 2 days, he's too small to eat, so just dispose of? Thanks for your help!

 

[Nabiki]

Separated him rest of yesterday, put him back in just before I turned off the lights. and... he's back at it again this morning. I've separated him again.

With a chick this young, do I cull him the same way I would an adult (I've never culled but have seen how-to's).

At 2 weeks, 2 days, he's too small to eat, so just dispose of? Thanks for your help!

Yeah, you cull the same way as you would an adult. If you don't want him to "go to waste" you could put an ad out on craigslist to see if anyone with a reptile wants him before you cull. I have actually gotten some egg/chick customers that way.

 

[FatherFalcon]

Separated him rest of yesterday, put him back in just before I turned off the lights. and... he's back at it again this morning. I've separated him again.

With a chick this young, do I cull him the same way I would an adult (I've never culled but have seen how-to's).

At 2 weeks, 2 days, he's too small to eat, so just dispose of? Thanks for your help!

Breakfast soup…