California Quail???

[Brownie101]

I am going to be raising my own quail in January and i am wondering what breed would be best for me to keep. i would like nice lookingbirds and will only be keeping a pair. btw, i am new to BYC!

 

[StewedMammal]

Many kinds of quail would do fine in pairs and look nice. Some I can think of are bobwhite variations, gambels, mearns, California and mountain. California would be a good choice as long as your state allows you to own them.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

I have no experience with quail, so I can't help you much. I suggest posting in the Quail section of these forums: Quail There should be lots of quail people who can help you decide what quail is best for you!

 

[Brownie101]

I have checked all the regulations and they should be fine. would they be O.K. in a 25 square foot enclousure as long as i let them out every day? (i intend to keep them as pets... friendly pets)

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to BYC, sorry I don't know about quail either. The folks on the quail thread should be able to answer your questions.

 

[Brownie101]

oops!

 

[StewedMammal]

25 sq feet would be fine for a pair of quail. What do you mean by let them out everyday?

 

[Brownie101]

I have a large back yard so I would let them roam around under my super vision for a few minuits each day. is that a good idea.

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

 

[StewedMammal]

I don't know. It would be very risky for a few reasons. One, even though they will be tamed, they will possibly try to fly or run away anyways. Two, a simple bird flying over them may cause them to hide and disappear. Third, from an experience, I had some coturnix quail who I let out for their first time one day, they were grazing happily in the grass. One of them was about 5-8 feet away from me and in less than 2 seconds, a hawk dropped out of nowhere and flew off with the quail. The hawk knew I was there, but he went for the bird anyway even when I was in kicking distance from him. That said, if you were to let them out in the yard without some sort of pen to cover them, you'd literally have to stand over them to prevent any bad things from happening to them.