Can 3 week old quail be in the brooder with 1 week old chicks?

[SbeckTraditions]

I’m running out of brooder space in our bathroom. I hatched quail 3 weeks ago and picked up 4, 4 day old chicks from TSC. Can I put them in the brooder together since they are size comparable right now? I have more quail hatching today and need to use one of the brooder for those babies.

 

[nchls school]

I’m running out of brooder space in our bathroom. I hatched quail 3 weeks ago and picked up 4, 4 day old chicks from TSC. Can I put them in the brooder together since they are size comparable right now? I have more quail hatching today and need to use one of the brooder for those babies.

Yes, provided there is plenty of room. My quail are penned with serama bantams.

 

[cmfarm]

Quail can pick up something from the chicks (can't remember what it is off the top of my head) so you do need to be careful with that.

 

[featheredplanets]

You can if you’re willing to risk your birds’ health. Chickens can carry Coryza without it affecting them much, but it is deadly to Quail. There is of course the potential for other diseases which is why biosecurity should always be a priority. I asked the same question a while ago and got the answer I gave you.

In my opinion, quail and chickens should not be housed together. You should always be aware of the health risks but it is up to you, at the end of the day.

 

[JaeG]

I agree, it's a risk that you'll have to weigh up for yourself. If you'd hatched the chicken chicks yourself it wouldn't be an issue as you could be sure they wouldn't have had any chance of exposure to Coryza. Coryza is nasty for quail and any survivors become carriers of the disease.

If the room they are in is warm the quail could be fine without a heat source. They are pretty well feathered by 3 weeks. Try them without the heat and see if they complain (they'll let you know if they are cold).