got a couple quail questions

[Indianaquail]

i just got coturnix quail and i got a few questions. i have ten chicks about 3 weeks old now im gonna use for breeds should i seperate cocks from hens entill there in the breeding pens ive been told i should but im not sure and. how do you all do your breeding do you keep some of your hens and get a different roos from different strains every year or couple years im gonna start small but we have a big market for them around here i just started raiseing then and have ahad several calls for eggs and birds. any info would be great thanks
Bryan

 

[TwoCrows]

Being that they are only 3 weeks, and won't be in breeding mode till fall, leave them together until they mature. I raise Bobwhite Quail and when they start in on breeding season, (April thru Oct,) I separate the mated pairs in separate cages within the entire quail pen. My birds fight for territory and rather have blood shed, all breeding pairs have their own space. Once breeding season is over, they can all be mixed back together with no squabbling. All my males and females are all of the same strain and I don't add to the flock unless it gets too small. Hope this helps.

 

[Rozzie]

Quote:
The information provided above is NOT correct for coturnix quail. It may be true of some other type of quail. I can't comment on that as I keep only Buttonquail and Coturnix.

Coturnix will start breeding mode as soon at about six to eight WEEKS old if they have fourteen hours of light. (Extremely cold temperatures may slow/stop this...mine have not experienced such cold.) If they are 3 weeks old now, they'll start laying eggs in roughly another 3 weeks (some may take a little longer. A few might start a few days sooner). By that time, you'll need to have them switched into breeding colonies. You can keep one male and several females (no less than 3 but preferably 4-6) with each male. You can keep more than one "group" in a pen if it's large enough, but you may see a bit of extra fighting. The males can start fighting as young as 5 weeks (perhaps younger depending on your birds).

DO NOT place coturnix in pairs. They need to be in colonies.

OP -- do you know yet how many males and females you have?

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Quote:
Hi Bryan,

No, it's not necessary at this point, and actually, you probably will never split them up completely if you are in the market for breeding. (Except for the extra males.) You will be able to tell the boys out soon if not already, so if they start getting rowdy you can put them in exile, but otherwise I leave them together until they go to the table.

I'm glad you have a market in your area, unfortunately the water is lukewarm up here in frigid Michigan.

 

[Indianaquail]

Thanks for all the info so far this site is great.

As for the amount of roos i have is 4 and 6 hens. i have breeding pens built to hold about 3 hens to 1 roo. i got lucky on the amout of hens i came out with this batch. i have one breeding pair now that is laying everyday. and i ordered in 25 eggs from bd game farm and have several of my on in the bator now im looking forward to this batch to start laying. seems like that grow and iinch every day lol

 

[wpalmisano]

Leave them together, it won't do any harm. At 80 days, start looking for eggs. Also, if you are looking to save some money, a 3:1 RATIO IS GOOD. You don't want to feed roos that you don't need. My coturnix are extremely productive. Many people leave them in a colony, but I like to segregate a little and see who is doing their job.

 

[mhwc56]

Quote:
The information provided above is NOT correct for coturnix quail. It may be true of some other type of quail. I can't comment on that as I keep only Buttonquail and Coturnix.

Coturnix will start breeding mode as soon at about six to eight WEEKS old if they have fourteen hours of light. (Extremely cold temperatures may slow/stop this...mine have not experienced such cold.) If they are 3 weeks old now, they'll start laying eggs in roughly another 3 weeks (some may take a little longer. A few might start a few days sooner). By that time, you'll need to have them switched into breeding colonies. You can keep one male and several females (no less than 3 but preferably 4-6) with each male. You can keep more than one "group" in a pen if it's large enough, but you may see a bit of extra fighting. The males can start fighting as young as 5 weeks (perhaps younger depending on your birds).

DO NOT place coturnix in pairs. They need to be in colonies.

OP -- do you know yet how many males and females you have?

X2
ONE rooster with 4 hens is good. If you do 1 roo/1hen then your roo will use the hen far too much and either test her patience or possibly get himself killed by the hen.
Coturnix are COVEY birds.

i don't know what you have figured for their space alotment but HOUSING rule for Coturnix is 1 square foot of space for each bird. Therefore if you have 1roo/4hens you need a cage that is 10 sq.feet in size.

Be sure to give them plenty of oyster shell ground up pretty small so they can replenish the calcium to their systems that they use up growing and laying too.