I could use a little advice :)

[farmertank]

My husband surprised me with 6 white quail today. A co-worker of his gave them to him. She said her husband bought them to eat, but she refused to eat them. She knew I have birds and have had bobwhites before, so she asked my DH if he would take them. DH brought them home and handed them off to me

Ok I have had quail before, but I don't know what kind these are. They are white with a few brownish/blackish spots. They are big enough to be Bobwhites and I know they have white ones. I'll post pics tomarrow I prominse.

They are not in great condition. One is blind, thay all have long beaks and nails. They have never been out of a rabbit cage and didn't know what ground was. I have a pen built on the ground for them. I'll post pics of this too. They are really dirty and the poor things are quite shocked right now.

They are however really tame which I never could get my Bobwhites to be.
I would just like any advice you would like to give me

What food will boost them up. They were living on cracked corn and I know that isn't good for them.

Sorry for the long post

Julie

 

[monarc23]

Those are more than likely A & Ms which i"ll post a picture of mine in a second to show you

They are a color and strain of Coturnix quail (just like a chocolate labrador is a labrador just a chocolate instead of ablack or yellow).

Coturnix can live their full lives in raised pens and actually should for their health, their beaks and nails should not get long because of that it sounds more like a horrid diet.

Nonmedicated game bird feed, boiled mashed eggs, oyster shell, grit, ground up cat food are all great mixtures to help boost those poor boogers back into health.

Coturnix on the ground are prone to worms and other illnesses but if you still want them on the ground, make sure to worm them monthly or whatever is reccomended for them.


I also wanted to edit to add, if they look in poor condition, more than likely it's diet along with over breeding/over crowding. Even in non-crowded situations roos will pick their favorite hens and breed them relentlessly. This causes bald heads and even bald backs on the hens.

 

[farmertank]

Thank you Monarc.

What about if they are aloud to be on the ground or up as they please, will that work better? My pen is built with an dirt floor, but I could put a floor down in half of it. Would they like a roost? Bobwhites don't.

Thanks for the list of foods. I don't have any Game being as I only have chickens and ducks. I will get some tomarrow. I do however have all the rest so I will give them a good meal come morning.

I will have this set up so the blind one will find the food. The poor thing was so thirsty when I showed it the water. I think it was just drinking if it happened to stumble into the water

I'm angry at the way they have been treated, I really apperciate the help to making them happier and healthier

Julie

 

[farmertank]

Oh beautiful birds and yes that's what I have

could you please tell me what to set up for them to nest in? I don't know what I have yet is there a way to sex them?


Sorry for all the questions.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
If you're curious too about sexing them. Since they sound pretty old, if they have been kept under 14 hours of light roos will have a swollen vent that if you press on it (even lightly) it will pour out a white foam (this isnt what you thik it is, it's a type of lubrication though). ONLY males have this. Hens wont at all, and if they are under 2 years old will still lay an egg a day as long as they are getting the proper lighting. Though I bet that those hens are old and over done and probably arent laying anymore to be sold for meat and look like they look. MY byc is all about coturnix quails if you're interested in reading.

I love my coturnixs

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
No problem i have nothing better to do right now honestly im bored out of my mind waiting for glue to dry lol!!!

I just explained how to sex them before i even read this post, and you can see pictures of how to sex them on my byc page website.

as for nesting, coturnix dont nest at all. they lay eggs wherever they see fit and they sleep pretty much where ever they see fit. I have the majority of my flock in a raised large rabbit hutch, 75% of it is wire and the other 25% is wooden, they all sleep on the wire huddled up like you see wild bobwhites huddled in the wild! LOL! It's really cute...but they're dumb

they have lost almost all of their natural broodiness over the hundreds of years they've been domesticated, but im sure it has been done where someone has gotten a hen to go broody.

 

[farmertank]

Thank you I will check out your site. I don't plan on breeding them, but I want them to do what they want and if one goes broody I want her to be happy. I do believe at least 2 are young they look it and act so much more alert then the others. I will do what you have said and put them in an off ground set up. The sexing info will help. I will seperate the females and males until I'm sure they are healthy.


Thank you so much, I am just sick about the way they were treated this has helped so much.

Julie

 

[monarc23]

I'm glad it's helped and if you have any other questions just ask