Hello, I need info on quail

[313759]

This year I have decided to try quail. But I new before I get them I need info on them. Questions I am hoping to get answered

What breed is best for:
Shows, Eggs, or Meat

Do the hens take layer pellets or need to?

What breeds are best for beginners?

Do they need a certain type of feed?

Can they live both inside and outside?

How many eggs do they lay in a year?

Do they go broody?

What breed is known for broodiness?

How long does it take for hens to start laying?

How long do eggs have to incubate?

What temperature is recommended for incubating quails eggs?

 

[dc3085]

This year I have decided to try quail. But I new before I get them I need info on them. Questions I am hoping to get answered

What breed is best for:
Shows, Eggs, or Meat

What breeds are best for beginners?

Chicks need 30% protein game bird starter adults need 24% protein game bird food. THey need to fed oyster shell constantly also.

Can they live both inside and outside?

Most quail only lay from may to august and lay about 100 eggs. Coturnix lay daily and with artificial lighting in the winter can produce over 300 eggs per year.

Do they go broody?

Button quail and they brood less every day. They are hamster sized, not friendly, and only go broody very occasionally. With most breeds you chance of a broody is literally probably around 1 in a million.

How long does it take for hens to start laying?

Every species is different. Coturnix 17-18 days.

What temperature is recommended for incubating quails eggs?

Same as all poultry. 99.75* for incubation and 99.5 for lockdown.

Before you start you should be aware that chickens are resistant to many diseases that they often carry their entire lives without symptoms, but those same diseases are fatal to quail and some can cause 100% mortality. You will need to make sure they don't come into contact with each other at all, you use separate equipment between each species, and you wash your hands and arms after doing chicken chores before you work with your quail.

There are no tests or cures for diseases like coryza, MG, and blackhead, and once a bird has one of them it will carry and transmit that disease for life. Those are three of the most common but aren't by any means the only diseases chickens can pass to quail.

 

[313759]

Thanks for the info

More questions I might ask

What kind of housing should be used

What brand/structure of housing is the best to use

 

[dc3085]

Cages with either wire floors or a bed of gravel covered in a few inches sand are the best options for substrate. Quail are typically from arid climates so they don't do well with any sort of wet or damp soil (this is why sand is recommended for not wire floored cages). Wire cages are easier to clean up after, and remove some of the likely hood for birds contracting parasites and helps mitigate the spread of disease (should you encounter one). The wire should be 1/2"x 1/2" at the largest. If the holes are any bigger raccoons will be able to pull quail out of them. If you can fit a nickel through a space a raccoon can pull an adult quail through it (in pieces obviously).

This portion of the forum is entirely dedicated to cages, coops, and runs. If you want to look at quail specific stuff do an advanced search and make sure to select the quail section only.

 

[313759]

Thank you

 

[313759]

That pointed me right back to this forum
:/

 

[Invision]

That's the point, info has been repeated a hundred times. Just takes a few seconds to find the care sheet. Always youtube

 

[dc3085]

It looks just like this forum but read the red letters at the top.

 

[313759]

That pointed me right back to this forum
:/

oops! I meant they pointed me back to this forum.


i made a thread on the forum and they told me it was for chickens

 

[dc3085]

People these days lol you come here for help and we just shuffle you back and forth. Here ya go.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/280575/show-me-you-quail-pens <-- this is the largest one on the forum

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/374251/quail-pics-and-cages

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/414536/quail-cages

You can click on my name and search my old posts for pics of mine too.