calling all bobwhite quail raisers!! i have some important questions!!

[lcw]

could i raise bobwhite quail with cochin bantams?

my grandpa ordered 45 bobwhite quail eggs off ebay and he is splitting half of them with me and i was wondering since im building a coop for my cochins in the spring if i could raise the quail with my cochins.

im planning on having a nice sized run around the sides and front of my coop.it will have netting over the top and about 4 foot buried under the ground around the sides. half of the run will be in the woods and another half of it will be in the yard. i read somewhere that bobwhite quail can get pretty tame if handled nicely and i was wondering if i did get them pretty tame if i could herd them into the coop at night?? since the run will have netting over the top and wire buried under the ground if i cant get them inside at night i dont think it will be a problem for them to be sleeping outside. what do you think??

there is a few more things i have questions about also??
1-if i herd them inside at night, in the mornings when i let back out can i throw some bird seed or scratch grain on the ground for them? not sure?? is that good for them or not?
2-were do they prefer to nest and raise babies?? since the run is half way in the yard and half way in the woods i dont think it will be a problem for them to find a good nesting place but where do they prefer to nest at? do they like really tall grass? in the leaves were they can blend in? i dont know?
will the females be able to raise the babies on their own without the moms fighting eachother? do they share parenting?
3-are males territorial? can i have alot of males together or will they fight? i have no idea? if they do fight i will have a cage on the inside of the coop for the males. i dont know if the males will still fight if they dont have any females with them or not.will they?
4-when do they start calling? in the spring or summer?
5-once the eggs come half are going to go under a broody cochin bantam hen . that will be my half. anyway are they like chicken chicks. will they follow the hen around if let outside? will they respond to her calling them to food and water? im also hoping since she will be one of the ones going into my coop this spring with this help the quail go into the coop at night. i have no idea? thats why im asking!!
6-are they like guinea keets. can they go outside in the dewy grass a couple days after hatching or so they need to wait also?

sorry for all the confusing questions, i really need to know this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks.
cole.

 

[lcw]

it would be nice if i could get some replies. lol.

 

[Prettiest Frog]

I don't know if you'll ever get bobwhite that tame. And I think odds are in favor of open warfare between the chickens and the bobwhites. For many quail, bobwhites included, territorial is an understatement.

 

[JJMR794]

WOW, WHERE TO START ON THIS????

NO!

no they cant be kept with or next to any other type of fowl besides quail/ pheasants as they are 100 times more susceptible to, and have no immunity against the myraids of diseases that chickens/ ducks/ turkeys can and do carry most times (without ever becoming ill from it). The result is a dead covey of quail all while they chicken roommates continue on as if they never existed. Furthermore if using a hen to incubate not only can/will she infect the babies its most likely her weight will either quash the eggs or most certainly any newly hatched chicks. Most domesticated quail do not go broody and sit eggs.

no they will not become tame. no matter how you raise 99.998% of the bob white quail chicks on this planet they will never be your buddy--- they dont want your attentions or affections. They are gamebirds. They want to flee from you or hide from you--- this is genetic instinct and takes many centuries of domestication to overcome.

They may use a coop, but it will either be as a hiding place to flee from you, or at their own will. They likely will not cooperate with your plan of housing them unless it suits their own wants/ desires. Your run/ pen construction sounds good for quail.

They will fight fiercely during the 1/2 of the year that is breeding season--- Both males and Females in many cases. They are best kept in pairs or very small groups in large enclosures with lots of places to hide and things to distract them from beating on their roommates.

They are gamebirds and require a specialized diet--- gamebird feed. Most will relish scratch grains as a treat but it is inadequate as sole nutrition and should be supplimented with high protien gamebird feed.

Bobs are beautiful, magnificent birds, but carry a large learning curve for the hobbyist to master. These may not be the best starter quail...

 

[lcw]

Quote:
i had no idea. thanks.

 

[JJMR794]

You're welcome! Sorry to shoot the plan down...

I really do like the pen idea, for quail only setup it sounds quite nice.

If you really want to get into quail either start with bobs on a very small scale, or try coturnix to get your experience level up--- they're much easier to handle and deal with on almost every level, and way more docile to handle. still need some special care, but their basic behavior makes them much easier. And everything about coturnix is about 10 times faster than anything bob white--- hatch in 16-19 days, sexually mature in as little as 6 weeks, full size in 10-12 wks, lay like and egg obcessed demon, will readily lay year round if kept under 14 hrs of light a day..... Dont get me wrong... I do love my BOBs, but for the un exposed general person to start with, Coturnix are the beginner's bird hands down!


Either way, GOOD LUCK, ENJOY, and dont be affraid to keep asking questions and learning about the hobby!

 

[lcw]

Quote:
can i do everything that i mentioned above with coturnix?

 

[Prettiest Frog]

Quote:
No, for most of the same reasons. Also, your chickens may kill the coturnix.

 

[spotsplus]

I raised a pet Bob White quail from an egg my pair laid. I held her a lot and she did become tame to an extent. I can pick her up and she'll come when i call but she mostly acts like a wild quail. Her parents have gotten used to me enough that they dont' run when I go in to feed and water but no-touchy is thier policy!

As already pointed out chickens will go after any type of quail so it's not a good idea.

T

 

[lcw]

Quote:
darn. ok well i guess im gonna have to get to building a pen for them. lol.