Bobwhite Quail with Japanese Quail - Bad idea?

[Manowar]

I recently acquired some Japanese Quail (JQ) and have put them in a small scale flight pen with my Bob Whites (BW)... The JQ's seem to be veracious eaters, like piranhas.. The BW, although much larger, stand back and wait till the JQ have first go at the food.. I have tried distributing in different areas in the cage, but the JQ just run from pile to pile.. All seem healthy, but i was curious if anyone has had experience mixing the two and the outcome.?

 

[TwoCrows]

You might be ok if it is not breeding season where you are located. During the off breeding season, Bobs are pretty laid back. But come mating season, they are going to turn into little monsters. They are paired off, male to female, unlike Japanese Quail that colony breed. The Bobs, being far more aggressive, will turn on the Japanese Quail and you will no doubt end up with a bloody war. So be prepared to separate these two species during breeding season.

 

[damionlake]

I agree with twocrowsranch. Bobwhites are aggressive birds and it is best not to mix quail species do to their natures but their are exceptions. For example I have a California Quail in my aviary with my Coturnix because his mate was eaten and I cant stand to have one of any kind of bird. But I have put a single Bobwhite female in with Coturnix and within moments she started killing birds.
It all depends on birds, space, lighting and many other things but its usually best to play it safe in the long run and keep species separated.

Damion

 

[sega]

Bobwhite will kill the JQ. I had a bunch of BobWhite that I had in one pen and a bunch of JQ in another. I dresses out all but three of the BW and decided to put them in with the JQ to see if they would breed. The next morning I had 15 JQ that were dead or either bleeding so bad I just went a head an killed. Maybe if they were raised together from the time they hatched this may have not happened. Took the 3 BobWhite in the woods and released them. One came back home and the other two I have not seen. Maybe they made it.