Adding New Quail To A Flock

[chickbird]

Can You Add New Birds To An Established Colony Of Quail? If So How Old Do The New Birds Have To Be Before They Are Introduced?

 

[TwoCrows]

Adding new quail to an existing flock can be done if done carefully. The new bird or birds should be at least 6 months old if you are adding to an adult group. If you have juvenile birds less than a year, you can add younger birds.

Make sure when adding the new birds you have plenty of room available for the new ones to hide and escape the original birds. So you might want to add branches, and obstacles to get around so that the new birds have a chance. There may be some fighting, so watch them carefully for a few days and be prepared to make new arrangements.

You can also put up a divider so that the new birds have their own space, the original birds can see them and let them stay this way for a few weeks. That way they get used to each other from the other side of a piece of wire. This is also a good idea so that there is some what of a quarantine period in case someone has an illness. Good luck!

 

[redraindrop]

I had read in the past that if you introduce them all into a new space then it will work, otherwise they are territorial about their enclosure. I had quails in separate cages last summer that I combined together into an aviary and didn't have a problem. I now have a new batch of quail we hatched that are a month old and I'm going to try introducing them separated but able to see each other. We'll se how it goes

 

[TwoCrows]

It all depends on your flock of birds really. I have mixed in 5 week old Bobs, who are not mature until 6 months old, with fully grown, non aggressive females with spring fever and there was no fighting! I have also mixed in fully grown flocks together with a full blown blood bath going on.

You need to assess your flock before mixing to prevent blood shed, however many times you can mix birds in together with no introductions and all goes well.

Good luck!

 

[redraindrop]

Well it seems to have worked, after about 4 days I couldn't stand to see them all crammed into the smaller cages and put them all back in the aviary. No fighting and they intermingled immediately. A month old quails with year and half old quails, plenty of males in the mix as well. I think enough space is really important.

The birds that were older when put into the smaller wire bottom cages I have started pecking when cramped together.

 

[kenazzo2000]

They look nice . Nice cage

 

[freeflyin]

I'm from Indiana and am about to get some quail. Yours are cots right? Where did you get them?

 

[redraindrop]

I got them from Snoozin' Goose Ranch outside of Bloomington, depending on where you are, we will be hatching them ourselves soon, but I'm not prepared to do any shipping. We are located south west of Bedford outside of Williams, IN.

 

[laseterlass]

I recently added a pet coturnix to my flock. I placed a wire dog kennel in my aviary with him in it. He had NEVER before seen another quail and was very territorial over food. Ine hen got a bloody nose for sticking her head in his cage and food. After a few days I placed a few hens in. One of which cleaned his clock for being without finesse. But after a week I have opened his door and he is part of the colony.