Can I put chickens and quail together? Or.... A dime for you.

[CBinSantaCruz]

Sorry,

I'm not really asking that. I just want the guy to get his ten cents.

What I really want to know is...



In the back of the aviary you can see a roosting box for chickens. I want to put another one on the outside left wall for quail. It will be about 2'x2'x8' and about 3' off the ground with a run under it. I want to do this because I want to keep my fowl in one area of the yard and I don't want to build another structure. I have two posts to hang the quail pen off of so I might as well save myself some work and hang them there.

I Googled Coryza and I can't determine how it is spread. My guess is fecal matter? If so I think I can keep the chicken poo off the quail with a little bit of effort.

So I guess my question is...

Can quail and chicken share a wall?

Thanks!

CB

 

[TwoCrows]

Coryza is spread both by bird to bird contact and airborne respiratory droplets. If you keep the quail pen on the outside of this structure, I wouldn't think you will have many issues if any.

James, you only get a nickle this time because the quail and chickens are not actually being kept together in the same pen.

 

[James the Bald]

OK, only because I don't know the answer to this; if it can be passed by airborne droplets, are there any studies on "how far" is safe enough? Also, could another species of bird, like a robin, crow or a sparrow that is mooching on free food from either aviary, cross contaminate and carry it to the other aviary? The reason I ask is that less than a mile away, there is a farm that has chickens.

Back to my savings jar. Actually, the statement was, "If I had a nickel for every time somebody asks "the question", and I'll throw in a dime if TwoCrowsRanch replies. So, the way I see it, quail and chickens were never meant to be penned together, so I forfeit the nickel, but TwoCrowsRanch instructed the real reason they can't be kept together. I get a dime.

 

[TwoCrows]

James, I don't know if there have been any studies about a safe distance to keep chickens and quail apart from one another, there might be. But as in human infectious diseases, I would think that a 20 foot span between the two, and very little can be carried so far. Of course you would not want to keep quail down wind of chickens as the airborne bacteria could travel farther. And your feet could pick it up as well. I don't know how long the bacteria lasts in the environment, but again, chickens can be natural carriers of it and you would never know.

And yes, wild birds DO carry Coryza. They can not only be carriers but get sick from it as well. Be VERY careful with wild birds getting into any pens or aviaries. They are loaded with all sorts of bacterias and viruses and will sicken your birds. 6 or 7 years ago, early on in my quail keeping, I had sparrows getting thru the chainlink fencing that I use on my quail aviaries. I had enteritis, quail bronchitis, and other assorted nasties that my birds got from these sparrows eating the quail food and drinking from their water fonts. And when I first started keeping chickens, I did not keep them in a covered run. I SWEAR, my chickens picked up MS, a Mycoplasma bacteria, from these dang little birds because my chicks were tested disease free. So for all of you out there that have aviaries, flight pens or any type of pen that wild birds can access any of your poultry, do your best to keep the wild birds out.

Poultry become immune to the bacteria's and viruses in their environment. But once you introduce new bacteria's or viruses, that is when your birds immune systems can fail them. That is why adding new birds to a flock is dangerous. So always be careful where you get your eggs or purchasing new birds. You are better off hatching from your own stock, (once you get it established) and that way the chicks carry similar immunities and it makes it easier health wise to mix your birds. Also, it is NEVER advised to visit someone elses facilities where poultry are kept. You might bring home an infectious disease that could kill your entire flock. But if you do visit another farm, wear shoes that you know will never come into contact with your birds environment, when you get home wash your hands and change your clothes.

Ok..enough of the paranoia on disease. LOL. James, here is a quarter for making me sit here and discuss poultry diseases.

 

[cindye]

wouldnt recommend combining chickens and quail. i have 12 of the cutest and healthiest coturnix quail. i held one for chickens to see......went nuts!!! quail have a built in immunity to lots of diseases; but chickens dont. wouldnt advise at all.