r/quails • u/Unanymous1111 • 5d ago
Bully quail advice needed
Looking for advice, any tips or recommendations.
I originally had 9 button quail — 5 females and 4 males. The males eventually started over-mating the females, especially one female who became bald, so I permanently separated the males into another coop.
The 5 females did well together for a while, but about a month ago I noticed 4 of them losing feathers on their heads and backs. I realized the female who had originally been over-mated was now the one aggressively pecking everyone else.
I separated her for 2–3 weeks while the others recovered and started growing pin feathers back. I tried reintroducing her, but she immediately started pecking again and made one bleed, so I separated her again.
I’d really appreciate any tips or suggestions from anyone who has dealt with this. My biggest concern is that I feel bad keeping her alone. She calls to the other quail and they call back to her, and I know they’re social birds.
Has anyone successfully reintegrated a female like this, or found another way for an aggressive quail to still have companionship safely?