Can I keep a few Bob White Quail with my chickens?

[MoodyBroody622]

I was thinking about having 5-15 Snowflake Bob White Quail Hatching Eggs mailed to me to incubate and hatch. As soon as they are grown do you think I could put them with some bantam chickens? I dont want any fighting I just really want them to live in peace Any suggestions?

 

[James the Bald]

$2.22

 

[TwoCrows]

It's not just a matter of size, which does pose a problem. Chickens carry diseases that can kill quail. The chickens do not have to be showing any symptoms of any of these diseases either. The feed requirements are completely different as well.

It is never advised to mix quail and chickens.

And James is raking in the dough!

 

[MoodyBroody622]

Oh boy.. never mind I might just build them there own seperate pen if I get some

 

[James the Bald]

Oh boy.. never mind I might just build them there own seperate pen if I get some

Here is what happened when somebody carried a chicken and used the same gloves with quail... In post #5, the member discusses how his quail became infected. The sad part, is you asked for some advice, didn't get the answer you wanted, yet intend to put any quail you get at risk.
$2.47

 

[Quailsong]

I was thinking about having 5-15 Snowflake Bob White Quail Hatching Eggs mailed to me to incubate and hatch. As soon as they are grown do you think I could put them with some bantam chickens? I dont want any fighting I just really want them to live in peace Any suggestions?

Yes, you can technically keep them together. BUT there are risks and expenses which are higher than maintaining just chickens or quail.

Feed: Quail need more protein than chickens.
Size: Large chickens vs small quail - can lead to bullying of quail.
Habitat: Chickens can generally enjoy a free-range enclosure whereas quail need it enclosed.

And lastly you need good bio-safety skills. Chickens can easily spread diseases to quail (and the reverse is true), and this goes the same with wild birds. This is why you want to avoid having wild birds at your chicken feeder (other than just trying to save on feed expenses!) as you don't want their droppings contaminating where they eat. They are 'strangers' popping in & out - who knows what farm or where they've been before they stopped at your place.

I have seen & read of people who kept quail/chickens together with NO problems. BUT they pretty much always had a closed coop (that is, did not let other fowl people visit it) & did not bring in outside birds into their existing flock. To do so would be to tempt fate.

If say, you keep a closed flock, keep beneficial, long-term breeding methods, raise the birds healthily & cull when needed you are more likely to have good results. The short-term key is raising the birds up together, not introducing an outsider. Long-term is to breed based on health & location.

 

[tabitha.h]

Quails and chickens will breed! It's the oddest thing ever. I got mine from a local. It was a fluke she said. She thought they were baby quails as she breeds both. I saw them when buying some corturnix. They were so tiny and cute. I didn't realize they were a mix. Dime sized at a few days. So I took them in. Thinking awesome, bobwhite quails. ! Now they are a few weeks. They look like bobwhite quails as far as facial floof. But they have Combs like chickens. Idk where to put them. They are so small I've kept them with the corturnix quails. But if they get any bigger I'll have to put them with the chickens. This is complex as I am a beginner.

 

[tabitha.h]

 

[Binki]

Omgosh :O I'm not familiar with this - very interested to see them grow!

 

[tabitha.h]

Omgosh :O I'm not familiar with this - very interested to see them grow!

That's when they were baby's..now they have a chicken look to them lol. Let me try again to post it