Coturnix Quail Basics- Information and Pictures Galore

[member 156247]

Thank you so much for sharing all of this! We are getting quail chicks in about a week and this was the most helpful summary I've read yet!

 

[Koeyohte]

Thank you so very, very much for posting all of this wonderful information!!!! I had posted in the quail section about one that I had been given to take care of as the rest of the family had been killed by a cat and was informed he's a Coturnix (Jumbo Brown). I also named mine Cricket because of his sounds haha

He was wild, so he isn't friendly but I can hold him and he does make very quiet little chirruping sounds sometimes when I walk up to his crate. He also crows quite a bit.

I have 6 female bobwhites in an aviary with 3 silver pheasants. I would like to place him out with them. I do have a large pen inside the aviary that the bobwhites sleep in at night. I would like to place him in the large pen so they can get used to him before letting him loose. I have also just finished treating everyone with sinusitis treatments (it's very wet here and we just got over a nasty sickness that took half our birds Chickens and all of my male quails). They have all been wormed as well. Do Coturnix and bobwhites breed? I would love to get some eggs from them, the bobwhites did lay a few weeks ago but none hatched. The bobwhites are old, at 2 years.

Thank you again for all of your information!!! I'm also going to make another post with these questions to see what else I can find out.

~Koey

 

[Fat Daddy]

Thank you so very, very much for posting all of this wonderful information!!!!  I had posted in the quail section about one that I had been given to take care of as the rest of the family had been killed by a cat and was informed he's a Coturnix (Jumbo Brown).  I also named mine Cricket because of his sounds haha

He was wild, so he isn't friendly but I can hold him and he does make very quiet little chirruping sounds sometimes when I walk up to his crate.  He also crows quite a bit.

I have 6 female bobwhites in an aviary with 3 silver pheasants.  I would like to place him out with them.  I do have a large pen inside the aviary that the bobwhites sleep in at night.  I would like to place him in the large pen so they can get used to him before letting him loose.  I have also just finished treating everyone with sinusitis treatments (it's very wet here and we just got over a nasty sickness that took half our birds Chickens and all of my male quails).  They have all been wormed as well.  Do Coturnix and bobwhites breed?  I would love to get some eggs from them, the bobwhites did lay a few weeks ago but none hatched.  The bobwhites are old, at 2 years.

Thank you again for all of your information!!!  I'm also going to make another post with these questions to see what else I can find out.

~Koey

To answer your question will they interbreed? Yes. The offspring is called a bob-birds.... This has been tried by several I know of and has never had good results... It's quite likely that the bob hens will kill the coturnix. But to be honest I would have bet the pheasant would have killed the bobs in the same pen... Its my opinion your lucky!!

Are you sure what the ailment was that killed your birds? It's sounds like a chicken illness was hard on your birds. It's common. Game birds don't have any immunities to most common chicken ailments. The quail that did survive, could now be "carriers" as would be the chickens... Any new game birds you introduce, could become infected.

As for myself, the thought of intentionally breeding a "mutt", makes my left eye twitch! But they are your birds and your right to do as you please. But I would watch any bird I added to the group of quail that survived the illness that killed the others.... Good luck with your birds... Bill

 

[Koeyohte]

Because of having chickens and seeing how easily they breed "mutt" birds, I didn't think anything of it. having read more about quails and game birds, I see that it's not common and probably not the best for them. I;m guessing chickens are much simpler and just a lot easier to do that with.

I had some other replies on my other thread about the bobwhites killing coturnixes so I don't want to take that chance. I will see what I can do for him to keep him away from them and what I can do to give him some company. I feel really awful that he's all alone, especially since he's crowing so much

I don't know what killed our birds, our guess is among sinusitis or some sort of cavity disease and worms (the bobwhites laid eggs and never hatched. I found worms inside the eggs after letting them sit in the incubator). We did send off a chicken and one bobwhite male for necroscopy and the partial report doesn't tell much but hinted that the bobwhite did have a parasite problem and the chicken was very thin and unable to keep weight (worms, I'm guessing). My mom also brought her dog out before we knew they were sick and he stepped in something and we discovered he had worms right around the same time the birds started dying. I'm hoping to hear back very soon.

Thank you for your time and advice!! Do you know of any other birds I could place in with the coturnix without any problems? I donly know people who have bobwhites so unless I can get him a fellow coturnix, I don't know what to do. And I've become attached so rehoming is something I would do only if it's all I can to make him happy!

~Koey

 

[Fat Daddy]

I wish I could help you! Sometimes its even hard to get two coturnix to get along.... always a pecking order that must be worked out. Mixing game bird species is never a easy deal....Please dont think I was trying to say it could'nt be done. Many have mixed species pens and it works fine... But it only takes a leaf to fall wrong and all bets are off... Give it a try and see. Just watch close! If by chance you were to find more coturnix on craig's list or the like, If I were only going to buy one more, it would be another Roo. Yours would wear a hen out.... they really need 3 or 4 hens per roo to "share the love" if you will!! But introductions should be made with great care no matter what. Good luck, Bill

 

[gabrielle1976]

Dont mean to steal a thread but if bob white are so agressive should I take my chuckar out of the pen ?? I grew out 4 of the whimpy bobs left from the ones I hatched for uncle dave and the one whimpy chukar so all five have stayed with me as they would have been culls and they are all in a pen together? Should I take the chukar out and if so is he best on his own or should I put him in with the jumbo brown ?? Thanks

 

[Fat Daddy]

Dont mean to steal a thread but if bob white are so agressive should I take my chuckar out of the pen ?? I grew out 4 of the whimpy bobs left from the ones I hatched for uncle dave and the one whimpy chukar so all five have stayed with me as they would have been culls and they are all in a pen together? Should I take the chukar out and if so is he best on his own or should I put him in with the jumbo brown ?? Thanks

If your pen is working leave'em be. Just keep a eye out for signs of aggression.... The chukar has a "inner demon" too! First signs will be the toes for the bobs, and the chukar will hit the nostril area or face. Both will pick the feathers of pen mates just above the tail... This will look like a weird molt then turn to a raw bloody spot.... But if they'v been together and you have had no issues, you could be fine till spring. Good Luck with your birds, Bill

 

[Koeyohte]

Thank you very much for your input I would rather wait and get him some company and keep him happy with some other female conturnixes. I will check online to see what I can find

~Koey

 

[TTeddy]

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!
It's just what I've been looking for!

 

[LovePolish]

Great info! I'll be getting my first Coturnix quail next week!! I'm excited!