What is wrong with my quail?!! Help?!!

[Majak5]

One of my young female quail that I hatched is now 6 and a half weeks and has laid her first egg 2 days ago and none since then and I’ve noticed that her belly/chest is really fat and the other girl and boy with her are completely fine with no fat belly, also the last time I went and checked on her I picked her up to do a check over and she vometed up water/clear stuff but no food even though her belly has been full for days. I know that it isn’t just fluffed up feathers as I lifted the feather and saw her fat belly and it seems to be weighing her front half down and she seems to be laying down and trying to sleep a lot . I’m just not sure what is happening or what to do. I have felt an egg in her since yesterday but she hasn’t layer it yet. I’m so confused. She had also had this weird bump on her nose since she hatched but it doesn’t seem to be causing her any trouble. Sorry for the long post but I’m just worried

 

[casportpony]

I don't know anything about quail, but @TwoCrows and @JaeG do, so hopefully they will be able to help you.

 

[TwoCrows]

I'm not sure on that bump on the beak, I've seen it on a few quail here on BYC. I've never had a quail with this issue however. As long as it's not bothering her she should be ok.

Sounds like her crop is full. Is she pooping ok? How about egg laying, did she lay today at all? Quail hens are very susceptible to becoming egg bound and this would slow the crop down if the egg is near the vent. If she is struggling with an egg, you will need to soak her in warm water for 10 to 15 mins to help her pass the egg. With your thumb, press at her vent gently and many times you can feel a stuck egg right there.

If she is pooping and clearly not egg bound she could have a bit of sour or slow crop. If in the morning her crop is still full, you might put some apple cider vinegar in her water, about 3/4 teaspoon acv to a quart of water. Use this for about 1 week, change and make a new batch daily. Offer up some plain yogurt, soft foods like scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and the like for a few days. No hard foods. Quail food is fine. If its cold where you are, get her under a heat lamp. Cold birds lose weight fast and heal slower.

Hopefully her crop is empty in the morning, if not, do the above things for several days and see if she improves.

Keep us posted!

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh and what percent of protein food is she on? At her age, I wouldn't use feed over 24 to 26%. High protein foods make young birds lay fast and furious leading to more egg bound hens. You want young birds to slowly get into the groove of laying until they mature.

 

[Majak5]

Oh and what percent of protein food is she on? At her age, I wouldn't use feed over 24 to 26%. High protein foods make young birds lay fast and furious leading to more egg bound hens. You want young birds to slowly get into the groove of laying until they mature.

I’ve got her on 24% protein food as it is what I have all my quail on

 

[Majak5]

She just payed her second egg, so that is felt with but I’m still worried about her constant overly full belly. Here is a pic on her first egg(small) and her second egg(large)

 

[Majak5]

Just a few minutes ago she started doing that thing how birds try bring up food from there belly to feed their babies but she didn’t vomit and she keeps doing it every now and then. I have put her in my sick bay cage but the male that I usually have with her keeps freaking out and crowing and now all of a sudden keeps constantly trying to mount my other female

 

[TwoCrows]

I would start her on the apple cider vinegar and yogurt for a week. Soft easy to digest foods too. She may just be a bit low on good bacteria and digestive yeasts in her crop and intestines. Keep us posted!

 

[Majak5]

I would start her on the apple cider vinegar and yogurt for a week. Soft easy to digest foods too. She may just be a bit low on good bacteria and digestive yeasts in her crop and intestines. Keep us posted!

So how much apple cider vinegar do I put in her water also do I give her plain yogurt and her bird food or just the yogurt

 

[TwoCrows]

3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar per quart of water. Change and make a new batch daily. Use plain unflavored yogurt, nothing with a lot of sugars. The plain Greek yogurt is the best. A teaspoon a day should help with adding good bacteria to her digestive tract. I would glob it onto a plate, on eggs or spoon feed her the yogurt.