Why do quails peck each other: causes of cannibalism and treatment

Quail breeding requires a thorough approach from poultry farmers. Unfavorable conditions of keeping, insufficient provision of livestock with food, stress factors cause aggressive behavior of birds in relation to relatives. To avoid losses and unplanned expenses, the owner needs to find out why the quails in the house are pecking each other and take measures to correct the situation.

Reasons for pecking

The primary role in the behavior of domesticated quails is played by the maintenance and diet. Discomfort and the struggle for a priority place in the flock become the causes of behavioral deviations in birds.As a result, strong birds crowd out weaker ones in an attempt to get a better place and more food.

The following reasons for pecking among quails are distinguished:

• inconsistency of living conditions with the needs of birds;
• violation of the regime and poor quality of food;
• non-compliance with the drinking regimen;
• exposure to stress factors;
• attempts to defend leadership in the pack.

In most cases, quail peck relatives through the fault of the owner. The targets for pecking are the head, eyes, neck, cloaca, paws. With superficial damage, the plumage and upper layers of the skin of birds suffer, but often quails maim their neighbors in the house, peck to deep bloody wounds.

Noticing the signs of pecking, the breeder needs to analyze the degree of influence on the birds of various factors and eliminate them, identify aggressive individuals, and provide assistance to the affected quails.

Lighting

In the issue of maintaining a poultry yard, the duration and intensity of artificial lighting is of great importance. Under natural conditions, the change in the light period occurs gradually. Too long exposure to bright light, as well as insufficient illumination, provoke pecking in quails.

If the room has windows, the birds will have enough natural light. Keeping quail indoors requires lighting. It is recommended to use blue light lamps up to 40 watts without flickering effect. Lamps are placed evenly, away from the birds. Also, cages with quails are not placed near the window.

To ensure a gradual change in the illumination of the room, special regulators are installed. It is also necessary to control the length of daylight hours, which should be from 12 to 14 hours.

Stress

Quails are sensitive to everything that surrounds them. In addition to violations of the rules of care, maintenance and nutrition, the change in habitual residence becomes the cause of changes in behavior. Sometimes quails take a long time to get used to a new owner or flock.

Under the influence of a stress factor or their combination, quails begin to behave aggressively, they can attack and peck other birds to the point of blood.

Battle for the lead

Defending leadership positions in a flock is most typical for males, but in some cases it also occurs among females. Males usually conflict with each other and peck at rivals upon reaching sexual maturity due to females, the number of which should be 4-5 individuals per quail. In the natural habitat, the remoteness of families from neighbors smooths out the confrontation, and in artificial conditions it is more difficult to avoid division of the territory.

To reduce aggression, it is necessary to regulate the number of livestock and the ratio of individuals of different sexes, as well as provide families with enough space to live together. A special zeal for leadership distinguishes strong young males, so they try not to plant them in established quail families and keep them separately. Females have a more accommodating disposition and are more likely to show aggression in old age, when egg production is completed. Weak individuals usually become objects of pecking.

Tight content

In a cramped cage, with crowded birds, it is extremely difficult to avoid pecking. It is necessary to control the number of quails, to resettle the livestock in a timely manner. When separating, it should be borne in mind that the formed family does not always favorably accept youngsters and newcomers.

Quails are distributed into cages based on the recommended placement density, which is no more than 30 heads per standard cage measuring 1 × 0.5 meters.

Bad food

Quail livestock needs a regular balanced diet. The lack of nutrients causes aggression of birds, which will try to satisfy the need in any way.

Cannibalism in quails results in:

• inconsistencies in feed volumes per livestock;
• use of feeders that do not provide all birds with free access to food;
• inadequate diet.

The norm of feed per head is at least 30 grams. The menu should provide the birds' needs for proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and also contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. Quails need potassium, sodium, calcium ions.

Vitamin and mineral hunger leads to the fact that quails peck a feather, their own or relatives, peck eggs.

For the treatment and prevention of hypovitaminosis, birds are given:

• balanced feed; fortified complex mixtures;
• fresh grass;
• meat and bone meal;
• boiled fish and fish oil;
• crushed shells;
• lime;
• sprouted grain.

Birds should get enough food at the same time and have constant access to clean water.

Poor ventilation or drafts

Quails need fresh air, but cold air currents are detrimental to the he alth and behavior of birds.The stuffiness in the house, along with drafts, puts quails in a panic and encourages aggression. The room is carefully insulated, close the cracks and gaps. For the influx of fresh air and the removal of exhaust air, the house is equipped with a supply and exhaust ventilation system. Cages are placed at a distance from the floor and windows.

How to deal with violent and injured birds

When signs of aggressive behavior and cannibalism are detected, it is necessary to identify the attacking bird and isolate it from the flock. The injured quail is provided with medical assistance. If there are open wounds and serious injuries, the victim of the attacks will also be isolated until they recover.

First Aid

The pecking victim is carefully examined and moved to a separate clean cage. Wounds are treated with an antiseptic (hydrogen peroxide, an aqueous solution of chlorhexidine), bandages are applied with healing and antimicrobial agents (Levomekol, Levosin, Vishnevsky liniment).The bird is provided with enhanced fortified nutrition. If necessary, show the veterinarian.

Continuation of therapy

Poorly healing wounds with signs of inflammation and infection (swelling, suppuration, redness of the skin area) are treated with antibiotics. Dressings are applied with solutions of antimicrobial agents, as prescribed by the veterinarian, antibiotics are given in oral or injectable form. After a course of antibiotics, sea buckthorn oil or ointments with dexpanthenol are applied to wounds to speed up healing. It is not recommended to eat the meat of a bird killed after pecking.

What to do with the aggressor

Aggressive bird is placed in a separate cage and provided with good nutrition. Vitamin and mineral complexes are added to the feed. The menu is supplemented with boiled fish, hemp seeds.

Check the conditions in the poultry house, correct the shortcomings. Fighting males are kept separately, providing temporary access to females. Opaque partitions can be installed instead of a separate cage.

When corrective measures do not help, radical treatment of the aggressors is used. Violent quails cut off part of the beak. The operation is performed by a veterinarian. After a short recovery period, the bird returns to normal life.

Preventive measures

In order to prevent a violent manifestation of aggression among quails, birds should be provided with favorable conditions for keeping, full-fledged regular nutrition. It is necessary to control the number of heads in the cage and settle the quails in a timely manner, and keep the young separately from adult birds.

It is recommended to put a container with ash in a cage for quails. Ash baths are soothing to birds, as is subdued blue light. For the prevention of hypovitaminosis and lack of minerals, complex fortified mixtures are mixed into the feed or water.

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