Quail Died Suddenly!

[Jalascreamo]

This morning I woke up and Bean and Pinecone were strutting around their cage happily, at about 12 o clock I go to check on them again and Pinecone is lying dead on the floor! And bean is walking over her dead body and eating her! I was horrified, her head was cut open and lots of her insides are oozing out, her feathers were all ruffled, I took her out immidantly and began to wonder why she died, disease? She looked in a horrible state! She only has Bean as a cagemate, they are king quails. If Bean killed Pinecone, why would he do it?

 

[dollfish]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Is Bean a he? Male quails need at least 4 females to mate with, otherwise they mate them to death. Mine are 1 to 5 and my male is still rough on them. I know it looks horrendous but it kind of is their nature to pick on the injured if Pinecone had been previously injured. Make sure it wasn't something contagious that killed Pinecone.

 

[fashionfobie]

I agree with dollfish that you may need a larger hen group if he was over mounting. Sudden death is startling so I understand your distress. It is possible he didn't kill her. She may have perished from something else and he would pick on the body. Tragically chickens can do this too when they find a perished companion. Don't hold that against Bean.

Age? Diet? Enclosure? Ground cover material? are all questions that can help us understand what may have happened. However if you want a solid explanation you could take Pinecone in for a necropsy to get a firm understanding of any illness. I suggest doing this, because if it is an illness it could spread to Bean. Also you wouldn't want to bring some new hens into the flock only for them to get sick from something Bean is still caring. Remember birds hide illness very well.

Also if it is any comfort I have had a chicken die from a heart attack suddenly. It was similar to what you said. She was happy and normal in the morning and in the evening she was gone. Necropsy really helps with this because I know it was a heart attack and I am not left to guessing.

 

[Zara]

I am sorry for your loss

 

[Jalascreamo]

I agree with dollfish that you may need a larger hen group if he was over mounting. Sudden death is startling so I understand your distress. It is possible he didn't kill her. She may have perished from something else and he would pick on the body. Tragically chickens can do this too when they find a perished companion. Don't hold that against Bean.

Age? Diet? Enclosure? Ground cover material? are all questions that can help us understand what may have happened. However if you want a solid explanation you could take Pinecone in for a necropsy to get a firm understanding of any illness. I suggest doing this, because if it is an illness it could spread to Bean. Also you wouldn't want to bring some new hens into the flock only for them to get sick from something Bean is still caring. Remember birds hide illness very well.

Also if it is any comfort I have had a chicken die from a heart attack suddenly. It was similar to what you said. She was happy and normal in the morning and in the evening she was gone. Necropsy really helps with this because I know it was a heart attack and I am not left to guessing.

Bean and Pinecone were about 4 months old, they lived with a ground cover of coconut husk and grass And ate millet, worms and baby corn and spinach and other little treats.

 

[Jalascreamo]

I'm so sorry to hear that. Is Bean a he? Male quails need at least 4 females to mate with, otherwise they mate them to death. Mine are 1 to 5 and my male is still rough on them. I know it looks horrendous but it kind of is their nature to pick on the injured if Pinecone had been previously injured. Make sure it wasn't something contagious that killed Pinecone.

The only way I know of Pinecone getting injured isn't ramming herself into the cage walls. Pinecone has rammed her head into the cage walls at times, but has lived all those times. I've tried preventing this but it has never worked, the only time this left her weak was when she did it a few times in a row causing her head to bleed, which was 1 week ago.

 

[expressmailtome]

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[TikkiTembo]

Are they outside? Is there a way a predator could have got him? They can be killed even through the bars of a cage by things like raccoons or weasels. Sorry for your loss, we've had too many of chicken losses ourselves this year!

 

[Love My Zons]

I am sorry for your loss

 

[sunnysmom]

I am sorry for your loss.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

I'm so sorry. Must have been horrible to find your quail like this I do know that button quail/king quail can be very vicious at times, specifically the males and without a lot of space to roam it's possible that he got too aggressive with her. The head wounds would indicate that he was trying to mate. But it could well have been something else too.