Found chick in road..help with ID

[Sweetjelly]

Yes, I think she must be a quail. She seems quite happy now with her two companion Rhode Island Red chicks. Do you think she'll be able to live with the girls when they are big and she is still rather small? Do you think I can let her go in the wild without getting easily killed? I'm not sure what to do with her. I want the best for her and I'm not sure what that is.

 

[Sweetjelly]

The Quails Have It!
You guys are absolutely right...see the newest pics of my mystery chick. She's getting along just great with her big sisters.

 

[Loddie Da]

Glad you have a cute little Quail

Please don't let he/r go...S/he is easy pickings for wild animals even more so with a color like that.
I would get another Quail to pair off with he/r or rehome he/r as s/he will not be able to stay with the Chickens. If it's a female you will get eggs when she is 6-8 weeks old, tops 10 weeks.

If it's a male his crow kinda sounds like a juicy fart...really it does...lol

If you need to rehome he/r & can't seem to find someone I could take him or her, but rather you just keep him/her & get a friend.

 

[Sweetjelly]

Thank you Loddie Da for the information. Is there any way to tell what sex s/he is? Right now she has a couple of brown or black dots on her head. Otherwise...all white.
I would like to get a friend...but not have babies.
This sounds crazy but would a quail get a long with two parakeets? I have two rescue birds that are male and female and have been together about 4 years...no babies (yahoo). Most of the time I let them fly in our guest room and they spend most time up in a fake tree. When company comes we get them back in the cage, clean the room, and no one's the wiser.
Could a quail fit into that situation? I read that they don't perch so maybe the parakeet thing wouldn't work. Besides my birds aren't the friendliest in the world even to me.
I think I just talked myself out of it, didn't I?

 

[Loddie Da]

Yes I think you did just talk your way out of it.

I would wait until s/he's 10 weeks, if no eggs by then very good bet it's a male...I have put Parakeets with many a odd thing before, but only with young, friendly birds, it does not go well sometimes & Parakeets can kill a Quail if they wanted to.

I think & have thought all along it's a TX A&M Quail, which have white bodies with brown dots on their heads & sometimes on the body. I am sure you can buy another of the same sex from most/any person who breeds them, the Quail don't offen go broody, so even if you had a pair unless you put them in the bator you still would be chickless but poor embryos in that case. The eggs are tan with brown speckles on it & they lay an egg nearly every day...Sometimes 8 in a week. S/he can live in a rabbit cage, Mine used to live in the house. The males crow is not loud at all but is very funny sounding. The males may fight a little if you put another in but they get over it with ease, I would get a young pair of 4 week old or so chicks to put with him/her that way they can share the welcome pecks, their little "fights" are not really worthy of even being called fights...It's nothing like Chicken fights. They will all get through it in a day or 2 & I would be shocked if anyone bled. Mine actted like Guinea pigs which they can also live with, as with Doves, Pigeons, very small Rabbits, adult Button Quail, Finch & Canary ect.

Quail are very easy to keep & can tame down nicely if you put time into handling them.

 

[tallyho]

Gosh, now I want some quail. You make them sound so nice to have!

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Here is how my new additions live.

I've heard too they shouldn't be housed with or near chickens.

I would see if you can get a friend for him/her if you want to keep it. Other wise re-home him/her to quail keeper.

 

[fl_deb]

I would love the opprotunity, to have your found chick, should you decide to rehome.

I have wanted to get quail for awhile and had already decided that I wanted A&M or Bobs rather than courtrix (sp sic). I have a 4' x 2' x 2' double stack type steel bird cage that I purchased from a local button quail breeder, about 6 months ago, who was downsizing. And I want to secure the cage with 1/4 " x 1/4" hardware cloth, so that it is totally predator proof. So this would be perfect for me! I've been just lurking in the quail pages trying to learn more so that I am more ready and knowledgable before acquiring the birds.

Anyway, yes, if you decide that you do not want to keep him/her, then I do not believe you will have a difficult time in rehoming this quail.

All the best!

 

[Sweetjelly]

Well, my white quail Little Donna is doing very well. However her buddies the Rhode Island Reds..Dee and Diana (all named after sisters) are growing quite big and will soon be put in the regular coop...

I am looking for a friend for little Donna....I was going to wait to see for sure if she lays eggs by 10 weeks or so to see that she is a female (thank you Loddie Da) but with more of your advice I am opting to get her two young friends (sex be darn!) and let nature take its course.

Does anyone have a couple of young quail, any old color I'm sure, for sale to befriend my little bird. I would want them to be her age or younger... She'll be six weeks old on or about Halloween (10/31/10).

I live in Crystal River, Florida about 30 miles west of Ocala, 50 miles north of Tampa.
Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Next question: what do people do with the quail they raise?? I'm a little afraid of the answer. My girl will be a pet forever as are all my creatures.
I've heard people raise them for hunting practice? My friend said something about stunning them and putting them in trees to train dogs...I covered my ears right after that. I've heard too, that the eggs are a delicacy...say what??? The eggs must be the size of marbles!
Anyway, can you enlighten me on why people keep and breed quail?

Forever grateful for all your information,

Joanie aka Sweetjelly

 

[treldib]

Quote:
Despite the small size, those eggs are TASTY and they lay A LOT of them.....I doubt White Coturnix would be used for dog training....more likely for eggs/pet/etc.