Here's the plan with the quail.

[Joplus]

Ok if anyone has any thoughts on whether this will work. I have a huge fenced section of my backyard for my pets where the dogs can't get them. I have rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens. I recently hatched out coturnix quail and some blue ameraucana at the same time. They are in the brooder together. The quail seem to think the chicks are their moms and cuddle them. I have no plans to separate. Once the chicks can go with the big girls and older chicks I plan on putting the quail out with those chicks since they're bonded. My big chicks I introduced at 9 weeks and my big girls were fine with them. So about 9 weeks from now I'll clip the quails wings and let them go? And there are nesting boxes. Will the quail use them? If not and they lay on the ground the rabbits will eat the eggs.

 

[dc3085]

Ok if anyone has any thoughts on whether this will work. I have a huge fenced section of my backyard for my pets where the dogs can't get them. I have rabbits, guinea pigs, and chickens. I recently hatched out coturnix quail and some blue ameraucana at the same time. They are in the brooder together. The quail seem to think the chicks are their moms and cuddle them. I have no plans to separate. Once the chicks can go with the big girls and older chicks I plan on putting the quail out with those chicks since they're bonded. My big chicks I introduced at 9 weeks and my big girls were fine with them. So about 9 weeks from now I'll clip the quails wings and let them go? And there are nesting boxes. Will the quail use them? If not and they lay on the ground the rabbits will eat the eggs.

It is illegal to release or free range quail without a permit in most states. Also they will lak key survival instincts so expect a high predation rate.

Chickens carry many diseases that they are resisatant to but are easily fatal to quail. It is est if you keep them separate and wash your hands between handling them. Refer to the link in my sig for some more info.

 

[Joplus]

Ok. I don't want them to be released into the wild. I want to clip their wings and make them stay with my hens and rabbits and guinea pigs. So they are in the brooder with the ameraucana already, did they already catch those diseases from those chicks? Or just my big girls carry those diseases? I treated my big girls with Sevin, DE, ivermectin and valbazen due to a massive tick infestation that I have successfully eradicated. Does that protect the quail in any way?

 

[dc3085]

Chickens easily pass disease hen to egg but this doesnt mean that they are infected. Even iif they arent infected now it means little to their overall saftey though.if they are kept in contact with chickens Diseases and parasites can be contracted from many environmental factors pretty much any time. There really is no safe way to keep them together. Many people will tell you they have no problems keeping them together but i really cant see it being worth the risk. When you play russian roulette there may only be a 1 in 6 chance of losing but there is still a bullet in the gun.

When im on my pc later ill link you to some more info.

 

[Joplus]

Thanks so much. I really don't want to lose my babies. Here's a pic

 

[dc3085]

In this thread I give a more detailed explanation and include links to common diseases. Honestly if it were me I'd separate the quail/chickens before the quail consume too much more of their feces (all birds eat each others feces and it's the one of the primary forms of disease transmission among birds).

Here is a thread that shows highly advanced Coryza in a quail. Warning it is very graphic.

 

[Joplus]

Oh my god that is horrific. I have separated them. I have plenty of cages I just thought they seem bonded since they hatched together. I only have 9 quail and 6 chicks that I hatched together. I set 47 eggs but I had a terrible hatch for unknown reasons. Maybe they contaminated each other. Who knows. Thanks for all your help and info.