hi, quail newbie from nyc - what's cluckin?

[stormseeker]

Hi guys i just got into keeping quail. I just adopted 2 adult coturnix pairs from a poultry place. I got them in a 31x22x25 or so doggie cage that came with divider. Got them lay pellets that I crush up a bit with corn bits as bedding. I put

[/IMG][/IMG]ut cardboard flaps along lower sides of cage to prevent mess. We been hit with heavy snow and low temps so im trying to acquire all their essentials asap to make them as comfortable as I can protecting them from drafts. My house is pretty warm. I plan to get calcium soon. At this point in the year where can I start my path to get them to lay? Thanks for any advice and help, guys, these are cool lil dwarf chickens and I feel like an eco farmer lol !!

 

[roostersandhens]

Make sure to check out the Quail section of the forum!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Cute birds, X2 you might want to post on the Quail forum about the little guys. https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/48/quail

 

[TwoCrows]

Coturnix are kept 1 male to 4 to 7 females. Do not keep them in pairs as 1 male will mate the hen to death. And if you keep two roo's together, one of them can get injured or killed. So be prepared when they are of breeding age. It is best not to feed layer feed to the entire flock because the males can not tolerate so much calcium. So you might want to feed a starter or flock raiser and keep crushed oyster shell on the side for the girls.

Good luck with your quail and enjoy BYC!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[TwoCrows]

Oh, and as for them laying, they are considered seasonal layers, so won't lay until spring. You can add light to their environment to stimulate laying.

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

 

[gander007]

Coturnix are kept 1 male to 4 to 7 females. Do not keep them in pairs as 1 male will mate the hen to death. And if you keep two roo's together, one of them can get injured or killed. So be prepared when they are of breeding age. It is best not to feed layer feed to the entire flock because the males can not tolerate so much calcium. So you might want to feed a starter or flock raiser and keep crushed oyster shell on the side for the girls.

Good luck with your quail and enjoy BYC!

Big X2 on that

And

great to have you onboard with us

 

[cstronks]

Oh, and as for them laying, they are considered seasonal layers, so won't lay until spring. You can add light to their environment to stimulate laying.

Coturnix quail will lay all year providing the temperature is right. They can lay in cold weather, however I think what we are experiencing in the tri-state area now is a bit too cold for them. I have gotten around 300 eggs from each of my coturnix quail hens. They are not really seasonal layers. Additional light will help, but they are productive machines. I noticed that you said you are feeding a layer pellet? A good feed for quail is a game bird feed that is very high in protein. You can offer calcium on the side for the hens, but they should be alright.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.