Can You Keep Coturnix Quail With Chickens?

[KingD]

I would say. As soon as it's cold enough to freeze water then they need a heat lamp

 

[ButtonHoarder]

The rabbit cage is not insulated but if I completely surrounded it with square bales, put a heat lamp in like you said, would that be enough? Considering the fact that it gets to 30 below celsius and occasionally colder.

 

[KingD]

The rabbit cage is not insulated but if I completely surrounded it with square bales, put a heat lamp in like you said, would that be enough? Considering the fact that it gets to 30 below celsius and occasionally colder.

Well. I'll say it like this. If it would be cold for you, then it would probably be cold for the Quails.

 

[FortCluck]

I have free range coturnix quail with my chickens and I have yet to have any issue. They go into their own aviary at night. I’ve had them together for 1 year. I fenced part of my yard to make a free range area and some of the woods and bushes are in there as well so they can hide at night.

The quail really aren’t aggressive and neither are chickens towards them. I also have a Muscovy duck and turkey with them.

I am someone who does not put quail in cages because I’ve seen a huge difference in my quail free ranging them and having them in a large aviary. Quail fight in cages, but not when they have plenty of area from my personal experience.

Ive had a bantam chicken sit on quail eggs and hatch them then care for them. My turkey will let the quail lay with her.

Feed the quail game bird feed. It has enough protein in it for quail to thrive.

I’ve never had issues with diseases being swapped. I breed my own chickens and coturnix quail, I feel like that makes them more resilient to diseases.

We used a rabbit hutch at first and for only 6 quail... they hated it. Bunny hutches aren’t even suitable for rabbits!

 

[Nabiki]

This is what I give new quail owners when they buy quail from me.

Coturnix basic care sheet​

For new chicks less than 2 weeks old:

Housing:

Chicks will need to be kept in a brooder until about 3 weeks of age. There should be a warm side and a cool side. Keep the temperature between 85-95 degrees in the warm side. The younger the chicks, the higher the temperature they need. If they huddle together, they are cold and the temperature needs to be raised. If they are laying stretched out or panting, they are hot and the temperature needs to be lowered.

Food:

Chicks need a feed with around 28% protein. The amount of protein can be lowered once they are over 8 weeks old. The feed needs to be fine enough for them to eat. They should always have fresh water.

For adult birds:

Housing:

Coturnix quail are quite hardy and can handle freezing temperatures as long as they are dry and have shelter (boxes or some type of small container works). The minimum amount of space is one square foot per bird, but more is better. Remember to subtract the space taken up by food and water from their living space. They are ground birds and are happiest on the ground. If you give them a wire bottom hutch, make sure they have boxes of dirt for baths and to rest their feet.

Food:

Quail thrive on high protein food of around 28%, but can go as low as 20% once they are fully grown. Adult hens will need calcium either offered on the side or part of their feed. If it is offered on the side, it must be ground small enough for them to eat easily. If it is part of their feed, it should be about 3.5% calcium.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

https://merriquail.com

https://facebook.com/QuailinPetaluma

 

[Quailobsessed]

I would say rabbit hutches are too small for japanese quails, unless they're really large ones with runs.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I'm currently raising 25 coturnix quail with 7 australorpe & 5 cornish cross type chicks. The quail were young adults when I introduced the (chicken) chicks last week. The chicks are currently 2 to 3 weeks old. They're all about the same size and for the first couple of days the quail weren't having it, but now I find that they're huddling with the chicks and even seek out their company both day and night for a little snooze They're sharing 80 square feet of floor space (ground level) with loads of plastic & cardboard boxes and 5 gallon buckets to duck into or behind and they have access to their original baby-cages that I've added ramps for them to walk up for those times when they just don't wanna mess with the others. These baby-cages add another 15 square feet of living space and are well utilized daily.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

I'm currently raising 25 coturnix quail with 7 australorpe & 5 cornish cross type chicks. The quail were young adults when I introduced the (chicken) chicks last week. The chicks are currently 2 to 3 weeks old. They're all about the same size and for the first couple of days the quail weren't having it, but now I find that they're huddling with the chicks and even seek out their company both day and night for a little snooze They're sharing 80 square feet of floor space (ground level) with loads of plastic & cardboard boxes and 5 gallon buckets to duck into or behind and they have access to their original baby-cages that I've added ramps for them to walk up for those times when they just don't wanna mess with the others. These baby-cages add another 15 square feet of living space and are well utilized daily.

Ok thanks, so could I like brood them together from day 1? Or do they need different temps? Thanks

 

[Ebony Rose]

I wouldn't brood them together as a newborn coturnix quail is about the size of a U.S. Nickel and a newborn chicken is about four or five times that size. Adult quail (6 to 8 weeks) are about equal in size to a 2 or 3 week old chicken. You'll need to not mingle them until they're of like sizes, and when the chickens growth outpaces that of the quail, they will already have solid friendships built between them (no fighting). By the time your chicken chicks are 8 to 10 weeks old, they'll be much larger than your quail. In theory, the quail, being adults by the time the chickens are introduced to the flock gives the quail the maturity to put the chicken chicks in their place early on, giving the quail a higher place in the pecking order. The quail will need that elevated status to overcome the growth rate of the chickens.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

I wouldn't brood them together as a newborn coturnix quail is about the size of a U.S. Nickel and a newborn chicken is about four or five times that size. Adult quail (6 to 8 weeks) are about equal in size to a 2 or 3 week old chicken. You'll need to not mingle them until they're of like sizes, and when the chickens growth outpaces that of the quail, they will already have solid friendships built between them (no fighting). By the time your chicken chicks are 8 to 10 weeks old, they'll be much larger than your quail. In theory, the quail, being adults by the time the chickens are introduced to the flock gives the quail the maturity to put the chicken chicks in their place early on, giving the quail a higher place in the pecking order. The quail will need that elevated status to overcome the growth rate of the chickens.

Thank you so much for answering all my weird questions. And is it ok to feed them the same? What do you do with yours? I just don't see how I could feed them different when they're together. Thanks