Arizona Quail

[Menmyrc]

I have my chickens on 3.3 acres south of Maricopa so no problems with CCR compliance for me! That being said, the CCRs in Tortosa seem to make it ok as pets. However, a friend of ours in Tortosa had a neighbor complain about his chickens so he gave them to me rather than put up a fight. I think he may have decided keeping chickens was more work than he wanted not to mention the fact he has gone vegetarian so didn't use the eggs. If someone was determined to keep their chickens I think it could have been a fight that could be won.

 

[QuailCounsel]

Do you know the ccr's of rancho el dorado and their stance on chickens?

 

[Menmyrc]

I don't know - sorry Maybe you can contact your HOA for a hard copy of their CCRs. That way you won't alert them that you might be looking at something called into question!

 

[kuailnchicks]

I was wondering how long I can expect it to be before my Gamble quail eggs hatch once the eggs start moving around? This is a batch I brought in from my flower pot because the mother was killed and so I don't know the exact expected hatch date and it is my first experience trying this out. Thanks in advance!

 

[mainahgal]

I'm in Phoenix and would like any and all feedback about raising quail. I had chickens and recently decided to try quail instead. Our chickens were lovely don't get me wrong but watching them suffer in the heat every summer drove me nuts! I want to try raising quail for meat and eggs. I have a really lovely backyard and am currently converting my old chicken coop to their new aviary. I am sanitizing and putting in new features. How do the quail fair in the summer? I have a very nice shady spot under some citrus trees and I have a mister system i set up for the chickens. I do know however that i would have to get rid of that or modify it because quail shouldn't be wet. Anyhow...I am all ears and want to hear whatever you all have to say/share. Thanks so much!

 

[Sill]

I'm in Phoenix and would like any and all feedback about raising quail. I had chickens and recently decided to try quail instead. Our chickens were lovely don't get me wrong but watching them suffer in the heat every summer drove me nuts! I want to try raising quail for meat and eggs. I have a really lovely backyard and am currently converting my old chicken coop to their new aviary. I am sanitizing and putting in new features. How do the quail fair in the summer? I have a very nice shady spot under some citrus trees and I have a mister system i set up for the chickens. I do know however that i would have to get rid of that or modify it because quail shouldn't be wet. Anyhow...I am all ears and want to hear whatever you all have to say/share. Thanks so much!

If your aviary has open ground or dirt I would dig out a good foot of the dirt and replace it with dirt that never had chickens on it. Scrub everything left very well with disinfectant or bleach before putting in new earth. Realize you will need to replace the bedding/substrate in the aviary often depending on your square footage and number of quail.

I've found the quail do better than chickens in the heat. I've lost chickens but never quail to heat. Anytime it is over 105 it is important that they have pans of water to wade in (unglazed terracotta works best) or damp earth. When it's over 112 they really need misters, but realize they will pant regardless as this helps cool them. They will drink A LOT of water in summer!

I've not kept quail on the ground, so I can't tell you how often you will need to change out the dirt or substrate in summer, but you don't want your quail on damp earth that is contaminated with their poop, they will get sick. Plan on cleaning and changing out the dirt pretty often. You might want to try gravel on part of the flooring, but there again you will need to either wash it or replace it when it gets dirty.

The statement that quail should not get wet absolutely does not apply here in summer! Very few places on this earth are like this area. The quail love to get wet in summer to stay cool. Mine love their pans of water when it is hot. They are exited to get into their fresh water each morning. They play in the pans, scratch some water out, sometimes roll in the water like dogs. They will bathe in the water just like any other bird. They are fun to watch! Some of them look like wet rags for part of the day. It's all good when it's way over 100 degrees! Water pans should be cleaned at least daily, and may need filling more than once a day when it's really hot and the quail are using them often. My quail are on wire so I don't have to worry so much about dirt, poop, etc. getting in their water.




In summer they must have more than one source of water. If something happens to an only source of water while you are not home all day they will die. Mine have an automatic system with cup waterers and the pans of water. If you use regular poultry drinkers use at least two in case they knock one over or bedding wicks the water out, you never know what might happen and at least they will have a back up to their crucial water supply.

Cool weather here is no problem and I phase out the water pans when it's not getting past 100.

Let me know if you have any other questions. It's way different raising quail here than most parts of the country, at least in summer.

 

[Three Bird Stew]

Sill
Do you do anything different now that we are heading into winter? Will we have to throw tarps or covering, light bulbs, ect now that the weather is cooling down? or do the quail handle are cold weather in the valley just fine?

 

[mainahgal]

One of my revisions for the coop is to do a wire flooring. I want to raise the coop on cinders and put a poop catching system in...what do you think? I saw that a lady did this and added worms and grew worms for her birds in their own poop! I thought that was brilliant! I also have a large fenced in area that my chickens could run around in under some citrus trees...probably 10 feet by 15 feet. With such a large area would it be okay to cover the top with nice small mesh fencing and let them use that? I of course plan to dig all that dirt up and get new dirt for the quail...But after its all sanitized has new dirt would I be okay with not cleaning that space and just putting litter down or all natural things on the ground? Also, even though the top would be fenced in would the wild birds above in the trees and their droppings make my quail sick?

 

[Sill]

Sill
Do you do anything different now that we are heading into winter? Will we have to throw tarps or covering, light bulbs, ect now that the weather is cooling down? or do the quail handle are cold weather in the valley just fine?

As long as they have places to hide out of the cold wind and make sure they don't get wet in our winter rains they can handle anything. With my set up I have to use a canopy or tarp over the cages, I have enough of a covering that there is dry ground for me too as I service their cages so I'm not standing in mud. For places to get out of wind I just use cardboard boxes and baskets (make sure they are made of "soft" materiels, stiff stuff can hurt their toes). Baskets I put in upright and velcro them to the cage sides and fill with shavings. They love to dust bathe in these. Boxes I usually cut a doorway in and leave a lip on the doors so they can hold shavings too. They will kick out the shavings while they are dust bathing but just replace some daily. It's plenty warm enough for here. I use no supplemental heat.

One of my revisions for the coop is to do a wire flooring. I want to raise the coop on cinders and put a poop catching system in...what do you think? I saw that a lady did this and added worms and grew worms for her birds in their own poop! I thought that was brilliant! I also have a large fenced in area that my chickens could run around in under some citrus trees...probably 10 feet by 15 feet. With such a large area would it be okay to cover the top with nice small mesh fencing and let them use that? I of course plan to dig all that dirt up and get new dirt for the quail...But after its all sanitized has new dirt would I be okay with not cleaning that space and just putting litter down or all natural things on the ground? Also, even though the top would be fenced in would the wild birds above in the trees and their droppings make my quail sick?

Sounds good but make sure chickens and wild birds cannot poop into their enclosure. They will give them diseases, especially the chickens. Never let chickens get above your quail! My chickens can get under the quail and will scratch the substrate, but my cages are elevated about four feet off the ground so cannot ever reach them.

Feeding worms and bugs will give your quail parasites so you will need to worm them at least once a year. Earthworms can carry all sorts of things your quail can get. So just know that if you feed bugs and things you will need to worm them.

My cages are double wired on the bottom to keep critters, mainly my dogs, from snacking on tasty quail toes. There is about two inches of space between the layers of wire. The ground under the cages I cover with shavings or wood chips depending on what I can get cheap or free. When it gets dirty enough I rake it up and throw it in the compost piles, and throw down more shavings or wood chips. Makes cleaning up after them easier when there is something to rake up with the droppings. Since my cages are elevated raking under them is easy.