Bobwhite advice for a newbie?

DaltonA32

Hatching
Jun 1, 2015
1
0
7
Hey all,
I'm a newbie to this quail thing and was hoping to get a little advice. I've done quite a bit of research on the topic, but i've still got a few simple questions. First off, I have about 72, one week old, bobwhite chicks. They are currently brooding in a baby pool in my garage. I have a 10x8 shed that they are going to live in once they are ready. I built a wall about 2 ft. into the shed so they actually have about a 10x6 area that they will be living in. Now, these aren't pets, these birds are going to be used to train a young bird dog. I have a 6 month old brittany that I'm currently training. I have homing pigeons, but he is ready to have birds shot over him, hence why i have the quail. I would like to keep a few of these birds around for breeding my training stock for next season. I may even consider selling some if I get good enough at it. Also, I'm aware of the fact that these birds may not flush very well being raised in a confined area. This isn't much of a problem for me as I use remote controlled bird launcher devices in my training. So, as far as the questions go...
1. At what age should I allow the chicks to run free in the shed?
2. What should I put in the shed to keep them happy? A sand box? Logs? Bushes to hide under? Some sort of nesting area?
3. At what age will bobwhites begin to lay eggs?
4. Should I seperate the breeders from my other birds?
5. Will they still lay eggs in the winter time if I provide 14-16 hrs. of light? Do I need to put a heat lamp on them during the winter?

Thanks in advance for the help! Any info is very much appreciated.
 
Hey all,
I'm a newbie to this quail thing and was hoping to get a little advice. I've done quite a bit of research on the topic, but i've still got a few simple questions. First off, I have about 72, one week old, bobwhite chicks. They are currently brooding in a baby pool in my garage. I have a 10x8 shed that they are going to live in once they are ready. I built a wall about 2 ft. into the shed so they actually have about a 10x6 area that they will be living in. Now, these aren't pets, these birds are going to be used to train a young bird dog. I have a 6 month old brittany that I'm currently training. I have homing pigeons, but he is ready to have birds shot over him, hence why i have the quail. I would like to keep a few of these birds around for breeding my training stock for next season. I may even consider selling some if I get good enough at it. Also, I'm aware of the fact that these birds may not flush very well being raised in a confined area. This isn't much of a problem for me as I use remote controlled bird launcher devices in my training. So, as far as the questions go...
1. At what age should I allow the chicks to run free in the shed? When they are 5 or 6 weeks of age and done with the heat lamp, they can be free to wander the shed and run. They will need 2 square feet per bird at this age. 4 square feet for an adult quail of one year or more. Do not crowd Bobs. They are notorious for killing each other when cramped in.
2. What should I put in the shed to keep them happy? A sand box? Logs? Bushes to hide under? Some sort of nesting area? They will be much happier and flush upwards less if you provide brush piles of some sort. You can cut branches from trees outside or use fake Christmas trees.
3. At what age will bobwhites begin to lay eggs? Bobs are mature sexually mature at 6 months, however they will not breed or lay eggs until the spring following their hatch. So plan on next spring.
4. Should I seperate the breeders from my other birds? Bobs need to be paired. They mate for life with one bird. Never mix pairs of breeding birds. They are seasonal layers and will breed and lay from April through September. From October through February, they need to covey up and the flock appreciates being reunited.
5. Will they still lay eggs in the winter time if I provide 14-16 hrs. of light? Do I need to put a heat lamp on them during the winter? No heat is needed for Bobs unless you see temps of -5 or more in the winter. They will need shelter however out of all wind, rain and snow. If you see temps below freezing in the winter and keep them on wire, either cover the wire with bedding or provide shelter where they are off the wire. Cold wire will give them frostbite and or kill them. They can be force to lay in the winter, however you will have to wait until next year winter.

Thanks in advance for the help! Any info is very much appreciated. Good luck! :)
 

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