Coturnix quail housing questions???

[UGLYFOOT]

Hello all,

I am sure that these questions have been asked multiple times, but this site can be very daunting trying to wade through all the post to find out exactly what you are looking for.

A bit of background on our situation to help with the answers. We live in North Idaho where the winters can be in the single digits. We are interested in raising quail for both meat and eggs. We currently have 12 coturnix quail in a small chicken coop built for 3 hens. It has a top section with steep ramp( which they do not use) and a run under and attached where they are hanging out now, like you see in the farm stores. I do not want them in there permanently because it is for my Seramas. We want to breed them, to hatch the eggs, to make the meat birds. So now for the questions.

- What type of housing is best for outside year round?

-. How large should the pen be?

- How many birds per section if I build or buy a divided one (see pic below)?

- Has anyone taken the pre-made breeding type cages L:30”x W:24” (see pic) that can be stacked and just built a structure around them?



- Can the above cage be put into a large chicken coop, housing chickens, with a slanted cover over it?

- Should you put a board inside part of it to get them off the wire part time?

- How long do you keep breeders before you switch them out?

- After switching, do you then eat the old breeders?

- Are the Texas A & M birds really all white meat and are they larger that the regular birds?

I think that is all I have for now. I do need to post pictures of the 6 dark colored birds we have, because we have no idea which are male or female. The light colored ones are easy.

I appreciate any help you all can give me.

 

[Dana Marie]

I have a question about couternix quails. I hatched one over two years ago. I've been handling him since two weeks old and he loves to snuggle and lay on his back and sleep in my hand. I can put him in a sling and tie around my upper abdomen and he will snuggle and sleep for hours against me in it. Is this common? He likes to have tummy and feet rubbed.

 

[UGLYFOOT]

I have a question about couternix quails. I hatched one over two years ago. I've been handling him since two weeks old and he loves to snuggle and lay on his back and sleep in my hand. I can put him in a sling and tie around my upper abdomen and he will snuggle and sleep for hours against me in it. Is this common? He likes to have tummy and feet rubbed.

Sorry I cannot answer that, we do not play with our quail. They are not pets to us. We have only had them since April

 

[CascadiaRiver]

I have a question about couternix quails. I hatched one over two years ago. I've been handling him since two weeks old and he loves to snuggle and lay on his back and sleep in my hand. I can put him in a sling and tie around my upper abdomen and he will snuggle and sleep for hours against me in it. Is this common? He likes to have tummy and feet rubbed.

I keep my quails for pets and while they are new many people do have little super friendly pet quails.

 

[cactusrota]

Hello all,

I am sure that these questions have been asked multiple times, but this site can be very daunting trying to wade through all the post to find out exactly what you are looking for.

A bit of background on our situation to help with the answers. We live in North Idaho where the winters can be in the single digits. We are interested in raising quail for both meat and eggs. We currently have 12 coturnix quail in a small chicken coop built for 3 hens. It has a top section with steep ramp( which they do not use) and a run under and attached where they are hanging out now, like you see in the farm stores. I do not want them in there permanently because it is for my Seramas. We want to breed them, to hatch the eggs, to make the meat birds. So now for the questions.

- What type of housing is best for outside year round?

-. How large should the pen be?

- How many birds per section if I build or buy a divided one (see pic below)?

- Has anyone taken the pre-made breeding type cages L:30”x W:24” (see pic) that can be stacked and just built a structure around them?



- Can the above cage be put into a large chicken coop, housing chickens, with a slanted cover over it?

- Should you put a board inside part of it to get them off the wire part time?

- How long do you keep breeders before you switch them out?

- After switching, do you then eat the old breeders?

- Are the Texas A & M birds really all white meat and are they larger that the regular birds?

I think that is all I have for now. I do need to post pictures of the 6 dark colored birds we have, because we have no idea which are male or female. The light colored ones are easy.

I appreciate any help you all can give me.

I couldn't tell ya about the cages. I simply built a 4x8 pen with a roof, some extra covered area (bird furniture), and toss straw on the ground that I rake out about every two weeks. Seems to work pretty well. Quail stay on the ground. They are very unlikely to climb ramps or use perches.
You want to keep a minimum of 3 females to every male to prevent the females from getting too "abused". If you're having trouble sexing by plummage, there are a couple of easy ways to tell once they are of breeding age. The females will get a tussled or plucked look on the back of their heads and rumps just above the tail from the males holding on to mate. The males will have perfect plummage. You can vent sex a mature male by checking the area between the vent and the underside of the tail. It will seem swollen, and if you press on it some white foamy stuff will come out of the vent. And, obviously, males will crow.
I have had some white birds (not sure if they were A&M) that were definitely lighter meat than the regular colored birds. I like the dark meat though, so I'm not so interested in that.
Hope that helps.

 

[preciouseureka]

I've found that the more you handle them, the better! I know many will disagree, and thats fine. If you want to raise them for meat, more power to you. Mine are pets, they have names, I couldn't kill them if my life depended on it. If they choose to give me eggs, I'll be happy. There's no right or wrong here, just a bunch of people who like talking about interesting little birds.

 

[MrPezman]

Definitely do not keep them in a coop or house with chickens! Chickens can make quail very sick.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Definitely do not keep them in a coop or house with chickens! Chickens can make quail very sick.

like with what diseases or illnesses? I was hop7ng to be able to put my quail out near where i free range my chickens when the quail were older!

 

[eHuman]

Definitely do not keep them in a coop or house with chickens! Chickens can make quail very sick.

It is a common practice to have Silkies hatch out Coturnix eggs. Are you talking about general cross-flock disease prevention or do you know something that I don't?

Edit: well after more reading I understand your concern now. Interesting.

 

[cactusrota]

It is a common practice to have Silkies hatch out Coturnix eggs. Are you talking about general cross-flock disease prevention or do you know something that I don't?

Edit: well after more reading I understand your concern now. Interesting.

I have heard of serama's brooding coturnix eggs...

My quail are right on the other side of the fence from the chickens, sometimes the chickens will stand there and watch them for entertainment. Haven't had any problems yet, but they don't share the same ground to peck at, don't know if that makes a difference or not...