Looking to start raising quail

[russiansage2007]

Any and all information is greatly appreciated. I know a lot of questions on here have been posted and answered more than once and I have been doing my own research through the posts here and on other websites. I figured for participation sake and to try to become more active on this site (I'm one month new to BYC) I would post my questions here and hopefully get all the info I need.

I have a rabbit hutch that doesn't house rabbits anymore. The size of the wire holes that the cage are made out of are 1/2 inch. I was wondering if this is too big for quail. I also want to ask about quail living near chickens. I have been reading that it's probably not safe to let quail live WITH chickens because of the huge size difference. I was reading something about not letting chickens forage under quail cages. My chickens would be doing this. Is there something in the quail feed or quail poop that could harm the chickens? These are the biggest questions I have. I know about having hiding places for them and 1 ft of space per quail. I know about having dirt for them to take dust baths and I've been reading about their diets. Anything else of importance would be great. I'm looking to buy bobwhite quail, regular coturnix quail and I would like to have California Quail as well if they will tolerate Wyoming weather. I would eventually like to build and put them (all together?) in an outside aviary. Can they all get along together with sufficient places to hide? I don't want to have a ton of quail. 10 to 20 max should be good I think. I really don't want too many.

Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

[feedman77]

The 1/2 inch hardware cloth is what i use. It's big enough to let poop through and small enough a predator can't pull quail parts through to try and eat them.

My chicken are under my quail pen all the time no issues so far.

I have not tried to integrate bobs with my cotournix. Bobs are some mean little things. I think their would be issues.

 

[rjrinehart]

I have also read there are a lot of diseases that chickens can give quails.

 

[TwoCrows]

X2 on the above post, chickens carry a host of issues that can kill quail. And of course size and food requirements are much different with quail. So it is best to keep them separate from the chickens.

1/2 spacing is not too big for quail and works out well. Rabbit hutches work very nicely for quail, I use them all the time. You can use grass hay for bedding, even straw works well too.

1 square foot per bird is a bit tight, at least in my flocks it is. Coturnix quail do much better with 2 or more square foot per bird.

California quail and Bobwhites require at LEAST 4 square foot per bird and are kept in pairs only. They are not easy birds to keep. I keep Bobs and I really recommend Coturnix as your first quail keeping experience. Bobs and California's can be quite challenging at first.

Good luck and welcome to BYC!

 

[russiansage2007]

X2 on the above post, chickens carry a host of issues that can kill quail. And of course size and food requirements are much different with quail. So it is best to keep them separate from the chickens.

1/2 spacing is not too big for quail and works out well. Rabbit hutches work very nicely for quail, I use them all the time. You can use grass hay for bedding, even straw works well too.

1 square foot per bird is a bit tight, at least in my flocks it is. Coturnix quail do much better with 2 or more square foot per bird.

California quail and Bobwhites require at LEAST 4 square foot per bird and are kept in pairs only. They are not easy birds to keep. I keep Bobs and I really recommend Coturnix as your first quail keeping experience. Bobs and California's can be quite challenging at first.

Good luck and welcome to BYC!

Can you please go into more detail as to why the California Quail and the Bobwhites are more challenging? I realize I may not be able to start with either of these birds, but I really like the looks of the California Quail and I know the Bobwhites are a very popular quail. Anything else you can tell me about their specific needs?

 

[russiansage2007]

Thank you feedman77 and rjrinehart. You have given me some helpful advice and good bits of wisdom.

 

[Julbrod]

Speaking from experience, the Bobwhites are more wild. The Coturnix can be quite tame and generally lay eggs more consistently.
I've never raised cali's but I've read they need lots of space.

 

[TwoCrows]

 
X2 on the above post, chickens carry a host of issues that can kill quail. And of course size and food requirements are much different with quail. So it is best to keep them separate from the chickens.

1/2 spacing is not too big for quail and works out well. Rabbit hutches work very nicely for quail, I use them all the time. You can use grass hay for bedding, even straw works well too. 

1 square foot per bird is a bit tight, at least in my flocks it is. Coturnix quail do much better with 2 or more square foot per bird. 

California quail and Bobwhites require at LEAST 4 square foot per bird and are kept in pairs only. They are not easy birds to keep. I keep Bobs and I really recommend Coturnix as your first quail keeping experience. Bobs and California's can be quite challenging at first.

Good luck and welcome to BYC! 

Can you please go into more detail as to why the California Quail and the Bobwhites are more challenging?  I realize I may not be able to start with either of these birds, but I really like the looks of the California Quail and I know the Bobwhites are a very popular quail.  Anything else you can tell me about their specific needs?

All of the new world quail such as Bobs, Gambels, California, etc... require more space than do Coturnix. They are more hyper, more aggressive, they are kept in pairs only and do not tolerate being handled. They flush easily and really should be kept in avaries and not in pens or cages. They can be cannibalistic if not kept properly. I am not trying to discourage you from these breeds, just know they can be a large handful. LOL They WILL train you, not the other way around. LOL Californias are a bit easier than Bobs and tolerate other pairs in close proximity in an aviary, but you will need to give them big spaces to co exist together.

 

[russiansage2007]

Thank you TwoCrows and Julbrod for all your helpful information.

 

[QuailCo Eggs]

Quote:
I agree with TwoCrows. I would recommend you start with Coturnix before you try a breed like Valleys, Mountains, or Gambels. They are tougher to raise. Chickens do carry a LOT of diseases that can impact your quail. I would not mingle the two together and keep the pens separated.


Chad