Quail Questions. All ideas appreciated.

[Couchie]

Hi,

I recently obtained a couple of unsexed young quail. They have now shown their gender with one male and one female - hopefully not brother and sister. They have an 8m2 run under the tomato plants and seem happy. However I am wondering if my thinking matches what other (more knowledgeable) quail keepers think. They share a separated area from pullet pekin bantams and seem happy with each others company.

1. I read that there should be a 1 to 5 male to female ratio. The female is losing feather on the back of her neck due to soft lighting and mood music I suspect. But when I separate the two birds, they both whinge and make a heap of noise until reunited. It isn't easy to obtain other females. Do others think I should I should separate them or leave them together?

2. The fact that they do not nest in the same location every night (like the chickens do) and have a few favourite spots to do so - makes me think they will not return to the same area if I give them free range in the back yard for a bit. The quail seem envious of the chickens free ranging and want to join them. Do others think I should not let the out in the hope that they will return when it is time to go back in?

Thanks

 

[Patiocoturnix]

Hi,

I recently obtained a couple of unsexed young quail. They have now shown their gender with one male and one female - hopefully not brother and sister. They have an 8m2 run under the tomato plants and seem happy. However I am wondering if my thinking matches what other (more knowledgeable) quail keepers think. They share a separated area from pullet pekin bantams and seem happy with each others company.

1. I read that there should be a 1 to 5 male to female ratio. The female is losing feather on the back of her neck due to soft lighting and mood music I suspect. But when I separate the two birds, they both whinge and make a heap of noise until reunited. It isn't easy to obtain other females. Do others think I should I should separate them or leave them together?

That’s a tricky one I would probably separate until you can get some more hens but maybe separate their enclosure in half so they can still see each other but can’t get to each other.

2. The fact that they do not nest in the same location every night (like the chickens do) and have a few favourite spots to do so - makes me think they will not return to the same area if I give them free range in the back yard for a bit. The quail seem envious of the chickens free ranging and want to join them. Do others think I should not let the out in the hope that they will return when it is time to go back in?

Thanks

Do not free range them they do not have many survival instincts and they will not return they are not like chickens.

 

[Nabiki]

There is a chance that they will get along as a pair, but you've already noticed feather loss, which means she's being over bred. If this continues, it can turn to blood, scalping, and even death for your hen.

If you do choose to keep them together, make sure that your pen has plenty of hiding places. It sounds like it's large enough for her to have some space to run away, but you will want to keep a close eye on them, and at the first sign of blood, separate them.

Do not free range them, or you are likely to lose them. As you've noticed, they do not "go home" at night, and everything likes to eat quail.

 

[Couchie]

Thanks for the replies. I have been giving her a break for a few hours but it often seems to upset both of them. Today as per Patio...'s suggestion, I separated them with some doubled over chicken wire. They both spent the first five minutes trying to get to each other, jumping into the wire etc then they settled down. He had a bath where he could see her and they spent about 7 hours apart.

Then on dark (so they could sleep next to each other) I removed the wire. She ran straight to him and sat down for him. Then they just walked around the tomatoes together. She does have room to run away and I think when she wants to lay she runs away and finds a corner to settle into so I think she can run to find space.

For now, I think I will just keep giving them regular breaks during the day. As they are both young (now I may just be anthropomorphising - for want of a better word) perhaps they will settle down a bit as they get older.