We are somewhat new to quail,but this is how we have done it, with pretty good success. Size and space: I think they do better with at least 1 sq. ft. per bird , although the commercial operations use much less. The quality of life of the bird is a consideration. We keep our covey in an aviary. They have a plastic dog house for shelter, which they never use, even in the middle of the worst storms. They have a sand box in one corner that we keep rock dust in. They have two corners with hay containers. They have pvc pipes to hide in. We just let the grass grow tall and they like to hang out in there. There is a tarp over one corner for shade. Don't try to free range them because they will fly away and not come home. Food and water: We feed them Purina Game Bird Layer / Layena. It made a huge difference in the egg production when we switched from chick starter to the right feed. They had a standard chicken waterer, but we switched to a nipple water system. Way less work . You can refill it twice a week instead of twice a day. Egg laying: Don't bother with nesting boxes. They are going to lay their eggs here , there, and everywhere. They like to dig a little divit and lay eggs in it. If you dig a divit, they will ignore it. Light is important this time of year and you should think about turning on the lights a few hours extra in the morning and evening to extend their day. If there is not enough hours of light, the egg production will stop. Eggs normally are laid between 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Good luck and happy quailing
