Mearns quail

[Recomachi]

Hey good afternoon. I have two pairs of mearns quail and now I have 13 young ones moslty feathered out. I am wanting ideas on how best to keep them, in pair,s trios or in one big colony. A few years ago I had a quad and my one mearns hen scalped another hen and got extremely agressive. Whats best? Any help would be great. Thanks Johnny Pinkham

 

[DK newbie]

If you have two pairs and those are fine, and you have previously had a group with more hens that didn't work, I'd say you've pretty much answered your own question. Unfortunately I know very little about mearns quail, but from your description I'd go for pairs.

 

[Recomachi]

Hey thanks allot for getting back to me. Yea you are right but I'm planning on keeping all of these 17..... as breeders. The two pairs i have didn't lay at all this year so I'm afraid thats maybe why they weren't agressive. I got 9 eggs and 8 chicks from a friend. But id like to keep them all as breeders. But true tjey are getting along fine right now.

 

[007Sean]

I haven't raised Mearns before but everything I have heard or read about them, it's best to keep in pairs. Otherwise, as you found out they will fight.