Apartment Dweller Trying to Learn in GA

[Floof]

Greetings!

I am a serial internet-researcher who is in the market for a new home in Smyrna, GA/Atlanta, GA/Unincorporated Cobb County. I want to be as prepared as possible for my backyard flock, but also be educated enough to buy a home in a location that will allow me to live out my backyard flock dreams. Mostly interested in Coturnix and Bobwhite Quails, as well as Ducks but am having a heck of a time learning what my area will allow.

Feel free to say hi, and if you are anywhere near Smyrna, GA get ready for lots of questions from yours truly.

Depending on your apartments pet policy you might be able to get a few coturnix and keep them in a cage inside. My friend is still apartment living but keeps 2 coturnix females in a Guinea pig cage. They're quieter than parakeets at least. Since they live in a cage she doesn't have to pay an extra pet fee either.

That's all to say- Live your dreams! Haha

 

[Ebony Rose]

You'll need to cage them or build a well secured aviary for them as quail are at the absolute bottom of the food chain... everything kills/eats quail.
I raise Japanese Coturnix Quail, four hens per cock in my 2'x3' breeding cage. I've built an upper feeding floor with a ramp leading up to that area for them. This gives them ample run around space below and makes it super easy for me to keep clean. Up to 12 chicks being raised for meat or breeding-stock replacement in the other, same-sized cage, as by the time that things start getting crowded, it's time to make the decision of 'freezer or breeder'.
If you have the desire to raise your own chicks from your initial breeding stock, I recommend buying an incubator (or two) as most hens will 'play at' being broody and quickly give up long before the chicks are ready to hatch.
I find quail raising to be exceptionally easy as they truly prefer to be left alone. Fresh food & water daily, gather the eggs, do a minute or two of housekeeping and leave them alone... you'll have happy birds.
You can easily raise one cage of quail in an apartment and have ample eggs. Each hen laying, on average, one egg daily; 4 or 5 such eggs being equivalent to 1 chicken egg. So a cage of four hens will produce about the equivalent of a half-dozen chicken eggs weekly for the cost of one ounce of high-protein game bird feed daily, per bird.

 

[sourland]

Hello, and welcome to BYC.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hi and welcome to BYC! We're glad you joined us!