Quail with sagging wing- Sprained? Broken?

[WildWyandott110]

It's been a few years since I posted on BYC so bear with me if I should be posting this in the quail category rather than this one.

I got a flock of 8 Coturnix quail from a fella 10 days ago. They've been in quarantine away from our chickens since they got to our home, and in a secure, unlit hutch. He said that there were hatched in the summer, and that there were up to 3 roos and 5 hens. Chickens and Turkeys are my forte, so I'm taking his word for it.

When I went out to feed them this morning, I noticed one of them seemed droopy and was holding their wing oddly. I felt it briefly, and didn't notice anything off about it. Applying my knowledge of other poultry, they absolutely seem like they're in pain, and it doesn't look like a few hours has changed their conditions.

These birds are still very skittish and getting used to their new home, so I wouldn't be surprised if they got spooked by something and smacked it on their hutch or feeder/waterer.

Any advice? I'm completely out of my depth here. Is there anything I can give them for the pain? I have them quarantined with another quail low on the pecking order at the moment. Thank you in advance!

 

[azygous]

Shock, stress, pain, dehydration, starvation and hypothermia all can cause weakness that can manifest in a droopy wing.

I suggest treating for all of those with some simple sugar water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Give it to all the quail. See if that improves the one bird.

Continue the sugar water for 49 hours.

What temperature is it locally? Any chance of them getting chilled? Watch the weak bird to see if it's eating or being shoved away from the food.

 

[WildWyandott110]

Shock, stress, pain, dehydration, starvation and hypothermia all can cause weakness that can manifest in a droopy wing.

I suggest treating for all of those with some simple sugar water with a pinch of salt and baking soda. Give it to all the quail. See if that improves the one bird.

Continue the sugar water for 49 hours.

What temperature is it locally? Any chance of them getting chilled? Watch the weak bird to see if it's eating or being shoved away from the food.

The coldest it gets as of late is -3 Celsius/26 Fahrenheit. The person who sold me them said they didn't need additional heating and were fine outside, and he didn't have them under any kind of heat.

 

[azygous]

You mentioned they were in a hutch. Is it open or is it protected from cold drafts? Understand that 25F with wind chill can be as low as -24F and can freeze exposed tissue.

As all humans do not tolerate cold and heat equally, so it is with animals. It's possible for one bird to suffer hypothermia while all the rest did just fine. I had such an incident this fall as a sudden heat spell hit directly on the heels of a cold stretch. One hen was overcome by the heat and just about died of hyperthermia right in front of me. I treated immeditely with sugar water and electrolytes and she recovered in a few hours and was back to normal.

 

[WildWyandott110]

You mentioned they were in a hutch. Is it open or is it protected from cold drafts? Understand that 25F with wind chill can be as low as -24F and can freeze exposed tissue.

As all humans do not tolerate cold and heat equally, so it is with animals. It's possible for one bird to suffer hypothermia while all the rest did just fine. I had such an incident this fall as a sudden heat spell hit directly on the heels of a cold stretch. One hen was overcome by the heat and just about died of hyperthermia right in front of me. I treated immeditely with sugar water and electrolytes and she recovered in a few hours and was back to normal.

It's protected well. Solid wood. The only way a draft could get in is through ~12"x16" mesh floor panels, but even then they have an enclosed space to escape it. The flock doesn't seem to be bothered by the current temperature, they're spread out nicely even at night.

I've had the droopy bird inside over the weekend with the sugar water you've suggested, and despite perking up a little bit, their wing droopiness still hasn't seemed to improve. It looks like they're doing it on both sides now. Less puffed up than before though, so that's good. Their eyes and nose still seem clear, and no signs of anything beyond lethargy and droopiness. They're eating and drinking too.

Could it be a vitamin deficiency or something neurological?

 

[azygous]

Yes, it could be a vitamin E or B deficiency or both. Both those vites treat neurological systems. Continue the sugar water, though. It could take longer than one drink to raise the glucose.