cold hardiness quail

[pokey]

of the quail in north america, not buttons, which are cold hardy and which would require added heat in the winter?

 

[BaronRenfrew]

Which quail require heat? None. Provided they winter in a draft free shed, barn, or shelter.

Here in the "Great White North" of Quebec we had 3 weeks of -30 Celsius or -20 Fahrenheit. the only problem is having a suitable water source that gives half a day of drinkable water.

I found a heated dog water bowl that I used for my ringneck pheasants and bobwhite quail. I had a steel heated water fount base with a two gallon plastic water fount on top. The fount would freeze solid if cold enough (i didn't fill it beyond half full) and would exchange with a non frozen one with room temp water. Had the birds on lights so they had 6 hours or more of light after being fed and watered. I did not lose any bobwhites, or coturnix quail. they were in a shed, on shavings on the ground.

Of course they didn't lay eggs until things had warmed up.

Save your money, don't heat them, heat the water.

 

[pokey]

even gambels and mountain quail?

 

[BaronRenfrew]

California Mountain quail see snow in the mountains of the rockies, all birds must deal with frost as the deserts also see frost in the winter nights. New Mexico also sees significant winters as does Utah.

I would not concern with heat as you are in south carolina. (I'll trade my winters for yours.)

 

[pokey]

if we traded i'd freeze before the quail do !!!!just seems funny that seramas need extra heat but quail can manage. we would like to add to a few we have but i wanted to make sure we could provide for their needs this winter. thanks

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Hey pokey, I've over by Charlotte. My Bobwhite were out in their pen all winter with no heat. I put up some plastic sheeting on 2 sides of their pen to cut the winds. During those few really cold snaps, I gave them some small piles of staw that they buried into to keep warm

 

[pokey]

hmmmm... how many do you have together in one pen?right now we only have 4 baby bobwhites but i would like to add some more, plus some valley or gambels. i know the bobwhites will be ok, but i think they would do better with a few more bodies to huddle together.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

My one group is 5 in a 3x6 coop pen. I have 25 youngin's in a 4x8 pen. I will eventually be putting them in a 12x8 hoop coop. Divided out into breeding groups in the spring.