The Quail Necessities - Wound Care

The below suggestions DO NOT replace medical advice from skill Veterinarians, however it may be beneficial to have a few items on hand in the event of minor scuffles in the coop. Quail are notorious for little fights especially when there are multiple males in a coop. These events can lead to loss of feathers, scrapes, cuts and even open wounds.

It would be important to remove the injured bird to allow them to rest and heal, this could take anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks depending on the severity of the injury. Ensuring they are warm, comfortable and have food and water in their confined space during this time. Often having them isolated in a area that has controlled / lower lights (none in some cases) and that is quieter will also allow their systems to relax and focus on healing  and not on their surroundings.

We have put together a basic “Quail Aid“ kit with essentials to address minor wounds, abrasions  and injury. We have made them available for purchase through our webshop. Our kits are tailored to quail based on our own experiences and what we reach for along with research and discussions with other qual raisers. A standard first aid kit would also be ok to have on hand in the event you prefer to build out your own kit.

With a wound, it would be important to keep the area clean and dry. The area should be cleaned with saline solution or warm water before applying any wound slave or ointment so you don’t trap infection /dirt in. Injured skin can be sensitive so do so gently.

For larger wounds and cuts veterinary care may be required. It never hurts to have the number of a veterinarian on hand JUST IN CASE- either a farm vet or an avian specialist.