Im thinking about getting qualils. Tell me about them.

[1st_chicken]

Are they hard to keep? Do you have to pen them up? How big are their eggs? How many eggs do they give in a day? What are the uses for quails? Can they be kept with chickens or guinea fowl?

 

[rittert3]

Some quail can be hard to keep depending on the species. Yes, they need to be in pens of some sort. Egg size and production depends on species. They can be used for meat, eggs, ornamental purposes, "pets", and breeding (uses also depend on species). It's a bad idea to keep quail with other birds. You can look through some of the other threads for more basic information, it is also recomended to use the search tool.

 

[joe125]

If you have a species of quail in mind, or a MODEL you are thinking about then please expand on your original question, because knowledgeable people stand by.

Quail basics: They are not chickens or larger forms of poultry so they generally need to be housed in some type of pen. They do not generally "Free Range" more than 24 hours before they are picked off by predators, or run to the next county. It is generally a bad idea to raise them in the same space with larger galiformes like chickens,guinea fowl, Zambian gutter snipes, or other (Non-Game birds). Besides the size difference, there is a bio hazard risk to game birds from other poultry in general.

The egg size and production rates vary with the species and doing a search as rittert3 suggests may be valuable!

 

[rittert3]

I do admit I've had problems finding what I want to with the search latley because there are so many threads but be sure to check the stickys for sure. If you're not sure what you want, you might think about coturnix, they seem to be a good starter quail, then go from there.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

I could go on for hours what you really should do is read all this is the sticky at the top of the quail forms

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
I agree,
the sticky is the best place to start.

Here's a picture of the size of a Jumbo Coturnix egg from our birds. It takes 4-5 to equal 1 chicken egg! But worth it to me.

 

[snyd08]

Quote:
I agree,
the sticky is the best place to start.

Here's a picture of the size of a Jumbo Coturnix egg from our birds. It takes 4-5 to equal 1 chicken egg! But worth it to me.

http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/yy307/JoJopicplace/Quail and Chicks/100_5695.jpg

thts also your first egg... they will get a little bigger still.. not too much but youll see. i get some big 'uns from my birds... some even as long as a few bantams eggs

 

[The Critter Place]

Quote:
I agree,
the sticky is the best place to start.

Here's a picture of the size of a Jumbo Coturnix egg from our birds. It takes 4-5 to equal 1 chicken egg! But worth it to me.

http://i802.photobucket.com/albums/yy307/JoJopicplace/Quail and Chicks/100_5695.jpg

thts also your first egg... they will get a little bigger still.. not too much but youll see. i get some big 'uns from my birds... some even as long as a few bantams eggs

Thank you snyd08~
True, it is the first egg and they have gotten a little bigger.
I didn't think to point that out. More coffee! lol...
We only have 5 hens at the moment, and eggs in the incubator, so by spring, we'll have plenty enough to share!