-Raising Bobwhite Quail-

[JJSS89]

What about brooding? Do the hens brood easily? or will I need and incubator for my bobwhite eggs?

Rare from what I read. Not something to count on unfortunately.

 

[chickengirl987]

Are bobwhites cold hardy?

 

[TherryChicken]

I cant wait till my babies are old enough. What age do they start laying eggs? Also is it safe to have more then one male in a cage with females? I am new to bobwhites, but have owned coturnix

 

[JJSS89]

I cant wait till my babies are old enough. What age do they start laying eggs? Also is it safe to have more then one male in a cage with females? I am new to bobwhites, but have owned coturnix

My understanding is it isn't so much age as it is time of year. As long as they are 24+ weeks old when springtime rolls around, females should start laying when the daylight hours provoke them into a laying season. It seems that most folks reference April-October as the laying months for bobwhites.

Are bobwhites cold hardy?

Again, I haven't raised bobwhites through the dead of winter yet but consider some of the areas that they live naturally i.e. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nebraska etc. get pretty darn cold. I believe I'm safe to say they are indeed cold hardy. Biggest thing with birds in freezing cold is to keep moisture off them and give them a draft free area to huddle and fluff up.

 

[chickengirl987]

Post your aviaries here!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/905919/quail-aviaries#post_13781966

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

Are bobwhites cold hardy?

Mine made it fine in -20 F this winter, and lots of snow on top of that....only bird i lost was a coturnix that started to moult

 

[TherryChicken]

 

[tattie t]

Does anyone know what mutations the blonde and orange have been bred from ...
thanks

 

[TherryChicken]

My understanding is it isn't so much age as it is time of year.  As long as they are 24+ weeks old when springtime rolls around, females should start laying when the daylight hours provoke them into a laying season.  It seems that most folks reference April-October as the laying months for bobwhites.




Again, I haven't raised bobwhites through the dead of winter yet but consider some of the areas that they live naturally  i.e. Pennsylvania, Illinois, Nebraska etc. get pretty darn cold.  I believe I'm safe to say they are indeed cold hardy.  Biggest thing with birds in freezing cold is to keep moisture off them and give them a draft free area to huddle and fluff up.

wow so they dont lay till they are 24 weeks??

 

[JJSS89]

wow so they dont lay till they are 24 weeks??

Yeah, about the same as a chicken hen. They aren't similar in anyway - other than stature - to the Coturnix.

My bobwhites are exactly a month old and are about half the size of a Coturnix at that age. They fly 10x better and are smarter.