FINCHforum

I have just aquired 2 button quails. One of each gender. The female is half plucked. When I asked about it the owner told me that it was because the male will hold onto the females feathers when breeding.
So far I haven't seen any fighting between the two. I've only had them for half a day. I'm just wondering how true the owners statement is. Does the male hold on that way to mate? I've never seen birds do that.

Bad news. I went to check on my birds and the male quail was dead. I guess he couldn't handle the change in ownership. Weird thing is..I heard him crowing a few times this morning. He was in one of the over turned pots I had for them to hide in. She doesn't seem to be too scared of me. She is out walking around and eating just fine.
Dang.

Where you able to quarentine them or were they in with other birds,I would watch the female The male must have been sick when you got him it seems to me. good luck with your female

Yes, shes by herself.

Btw...I guess females crow too. Maybe it was the female I was hearing all morning and not the male. It sounds like someone whistling.

Sorry to hear about you luck


Your male could have been sick or old age then add the stress with a move...

AS for holding the female by the feathers....No I have never seen a male hold down a female 2 mate ....

If the old owners had her in with allot males you could get feather plucking ...All the males horas the single female ....

when my quail mate the male holds the female by the feathers on the back of her head or at the base of the neck. sometimes she loses a feather or two sometimes not. a lot of it depends upon how determined the male is.

I've been giving her a lot of egg and other protine to get her to grow her feathers back. Its slow going so far. My Zebra seems to grow her feathers back pretty fast. I guess its the difference in species.

My two females who are alone with mates are plucked - the males do grab them in order to hold them.

OK. Just want to make sure she isn't harboring something I don't know about.

Yup, mine does too. In the more intense periods of mating the female is a bit bald! I tried to separate mine because I thought it was kind of abusing, but they both kept SCREAMING until I let them be together...
However, I am quite happy now because after having them for 2 years the female is starting to actually lay on the eggs, and right now they are having the 2:nd clutch of 2 chicks. They are together with the parents who are BOTH taking care of the chicks really well!

Thats good to hear...except for the screaming. lol
I never heard a bird do that till my zebras had their first clutch. I don't think my own children screamed for attention as much as that one serviving chick did. lol I could be on the other side of the house and hear it yelling for more food.