Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[bullrunslabs]

I have had 13 quail for about a month now, Tibetans. They have not laid a single egg for me. I do know I have some males by the sounds they made, but I am hoping I didn't get duped into buying all males! I have not seen an egg. Do they lay seasonally or are they like chickens and lay all year as long as there is enough light? These are fairly friendly now. When I first got them they would scatter every time someone walked by, but now I can stick my hands in, change their feed and water, rearrange their branches and such in their cage, but still no eggs. I do keep it covered on three side and the top as I read they don't like drafts. They are eating game bird crumbles with a handful or two of dove and quail seed from the store mixed in. They have fresh water at all times, and get some plants to much on as they clean them up. They have a small box in the back corner that I fill with dirt, ash and a small amount of DE for a dust bath. Any advice?

 

[eHuman]

I have had 13 quail for about a month now, Tibetans. They have not laid a single egg for me. I do know I have some males by the sounds they made, but I am hoping I didn't get duped into buying all males! I have not seen an egg. Do they lay seasonally or are they like chickens and lay all year as long as there is enough light? These are fairly friendly now. When I first got them they would scatter every time someone walked by, but now I can stick my hands in, change their feed and water, rearrange their branches and such in their cage, but still no eggs. I do keep it covered on three side and the top as I read they don't like drafts. They are eating game bird crumbles with a handful or two of dove and quail seed from the store mixed in. They have fresh water at all times, and get some plants to much on as they clean them up. They have a small box in the back corner that I fill with dirt, ash and a small amount of DE for a dust bath. Any advice?

They are seasonal layers, but can be coaxed into laying year round by supplementing light so they have 14 to 16 hours a day. Around the end of September by girls stopped laying because we are getting less daylight. I installed fixtures in their aviaries and within a week they started laying again. Supplementing their diet with some dried garlic and crushed hot pepper will also improve laying but they need the lighting.

 

[Lobzi]

I speak for your group of quail but from the experience with my large group that is about 50/50 males and females I have seen the egg production drop dramatically. Im not looking for eggs though but I do think that the egg laying is seasonal. I have observed that the mating is seasonal. Finally my females are getting a break from the males. I had to separate the males during the mating season in order to give the females a rest from the males.Now they are all back together and all seems to be quite calm.

 

[bullrunslabs]

I speak for your group of quail but from the experience with my large group that is about 50/50 males and females I have seen the egg production drop dramatically. Im not looking for eggs though but I do think that the egg laying is seasonal. I have observed that the mating is seasonal. Finally my females are getting a break from the males. I had to separate the males during the mating season in order to give the females a rest from the males.Now they are all back together and all seems to be quite calm.

These are not like my chickens where the males are constantly chasing the females. Unless they are very shy about that and don't do it when we are around. Should I divide my couvy into two smaller groups? I am working on building them a larger cage, but I had planned on building it larger for all of them to be together. I could easily divide it into two larger pens but smaller than my original thoughts. How do you tell the males from the females without vent sexing them? I do not know how to do that.

 

[bullrunslabs]

I will try putting them on a light with a timer like I have my chickens on. Thank you.

 

[Lobzi]

The female coturnix wild type and goldens have speckled chests where as the males wild are mostly just reddish on their chests, The males goldens get a very dark beard area. Regarding size of enclosure I just recommend hiding places where they can get way from the crowd if they want. I put in little boxes and some hay as well as feathery plants. They even like to lay on things like rags and plastic as if they can claim it as their territory.

 

[bullrunslabs]

The female coturnix wild type and goldens have speckled chests where as the males wild are mostly just reddish on their chests, The males goldens get a very dark beard area. Regarding size of enclosure I just recommend hiding places where they can get way from the crowd if they want. I put in little boxes and some hay as well as feathery plants. They even like to lay on things like rags and plastic as if they can claim it as their territory.

Thank you! I have a dust box in there, and on the upper shelf I have a strip of rounded bark with the moss still on it, on the lower level I have another larger piece of bark, a limb that goes up like a tree, with branches that we cut every few days for them to run under, and then a large flattish rock that one sits on often. In their permanent run I will have some natural vegetation like a small brier bush, with tall grass, possibly a fern if they aren't dangerous, and some logs and such. I also want to try to put my water system in as a lined pond type area, that is shallow that flows through like a creek in a rock bed. I planned on adding 8" by 8" nesting boxes, about half a dozen or so also.

 

[Lynn Manes]

Hi I have been raising quail again for little over a year (I also raised them in the late 70's as a child) & I have consistently found that if I put them in my bedroom for the first 3 weeks (handling them 3 times a day I put them in the center of a padded circle with me inside the circle all at the same time wearing a shirt 2-3x larger than I wear they will huddle up under my shirt and next to me, and after 2 days at the most 3 then when I pick them up one at a time they no longer mind. Next I move them to an attach patio were they can see me through the sliding glass door. I let them run around freely and I spend 1hr to 2 hrs put there a day. Feeding, cleaning and checking the incubator which is also there. They are so tame by week 4 that they try to get in my room when I open the door and jockey for posion when I'm out with them. Most importantly as adults they rarely if ever startle, the exception being other animals which is good and . if they get out within a few minutes they appear at my feet and start hopping until I pick them up and put them back. This is far less successful with button quail and even less successful with bobwhites for those I'm still working on variations for each of those breeds. Oh, as a control I have kept broods out of my room and bought some adult birds. They turn out to be unfriendly, although if I put them with my tame birds gradually they become friendlier over time

Amazing, that you've learned to train your quail We keep ours penned,and I don't have any problems with behavioral issues with me, except an occasional male who likes to give me a peck when I open the pen door. They are so tiny, that doesn't phase me. I just pick up the little culprit and move him aside I do talk to mine all the time, though.

 

[Lobzi]

Thank you! I have a dust box in there, and on the upper shelf I have a strip of rounded bark with the moss still on it, on the lower level I have another larger piece of bark, a limb that goes up like a tree, with branches that we cut every few days for them to run under, and then a large flattish rock that one sits on often. In their permanent run I will have some natural vegetation like a small brier bush, with tall grass, possibly a fern if they aren't dangerous, and some logs and such. I also want to try to put my water system in as a lined pond type area, that is shallow that flows through like a creek in a rock bed. I planned on adding 8" by 8" nesting boxes, about half a dozen or so also.

That sounds like it is going to be very nice for them. I like having a more natural environment too. I dont like the idea of cages but I do have my very large area with open but separate areas (5 different areas). They can move around but they can also find their favorite spot to hide. I take smaller size boxes and turn them on their side with one side open so they can climb in. If you get excelsior (curly) type hay they can burrow in it. Have you heard of deer grass?


It is a low moisture grass that looks like feather dusters. I think that would be a perfectly suited landscaping for them. They would love being able to hide in the "feathery" fronds.

 

[bullrunslabs]

I very much like things as natural as possible. I tend to do larger on all my "cages" and if possible, keep vegetation in them. I don't want my critters feeling like they are being warehoused waiting to be processed. That goes from cows all the way down to quail. I will check out the deer grass and see what grows well here in the PNW other than moss and mudd!