Chlordiazepoxide and pentobarbital as tranquilizers for cowbirds and coturnix quail

The effects of ad libitum ingestion of chlordiazepoxide and sodium pentobarbital on penned cowbirds and coturnix quail were compared. The agents were incorporated into feed and offered to individually marked birds. Individual response to each agent appeared to relate more to the quantity of food ingested than to the percentage by weight of agent in the food. Response of both species to chlordiazepoxide was similar at the 15% dose despite weight differences of the birds. Responses were too variable to demonstrate significant differences when sodium pentobarbital at the 10% dose was given to both species. No deaths occurred among birds given chlordiazepoxide, whereas 4 quail and 1 cowbird died from sodium pentobarbital ingestion.