Integrating juvenile cotournix into a small flock

[Quailmomma56]

I have a 25 by 20 foot coop with 1 very old male, one old female, 3 two year old hens, and 2 three week old chicks ( male and female). I hand raised the other 14 chicks and next week at 4 weeks old I want to move them into the coop.
I figured I would divide the coop in half and give them their own section for a while. But I have 4 roosters, and 10 hens. I’m hoping for suggestions to make this work, even though my rooster count may be too high.
Thanks in advance

 

[Mrs. K]

I would want close to 40-50 head to keep 4 roosters.

Roosters are the most engaging chicks, they seem friendly, and bold as brass and people fall in love with them. We have all been there, and get that. At the very least, get a plan B together and set up, such as a long handled fish net, and a dog crate so that you can separate birds when needed.

Roosters are a crapshoot - and the more you have, the greater the chance of some of them not working out. Space will help, a lot of birds will help, raising them hands off, so that they do not become to 'friendly' with people will help. A little healthy respect for people will help - BUT NOTHING is a fool proof plan, if you do this, then you get perfect roosters.

Adding what appears to be 16 chicks will be easy if you do it in the next few weeks, with plenty of hideouts, both in the run and in the coop. Your coop sounds big enough, what about the run? You need a lot of hideouts, and one way gates, or escapes into safety zones. That many chicks, it will be tiring for those old birds to chase, if they have a place to get out of sight, and to escape to, they will be fine.

Mrs K

 

[Quailmomma56]

I would want close to 40-50 head to keep 4 roosters.

Roosters are the most engaging chicks, they seem friendly, and bold as brass and people fall in love with them. We have all been there, and get that. At the very least, get a plan B together and set up, such as a long handled fish net, and a dog crate so that you can separate birds when needed.

Roosters are a crapshoot - and the more you have, the greater the chance of some of them not working out. Space will help, a lot of birds will help, raising them hands off, so that they do not become to 'friendly' with people will help. A little healthy respect for people will help - BUT NOTHING is a fool proof plan, if you do this, then you get perfect roosters.

Adding what appears to be 16 chicks will be easy if you do it in the next few weeks, with plenty of hideouts, both in the run and in the coop. Your coop sounds big enough, what about the run? You need a lot of hideouts, and one way gates, or escapes into safety zones. That many chicks, it will be tiring for those old birds to chase, if they have a place to get out of sight, and to escape to, they will be fine.

Mrs K

Thank you for your reply. I only have one big room I call the coop. Maybe that should be called the run?
Currently I have the had raised chicks in 3 rubber made totes with fine mesh on top. Group A has 2 roosters and 4 hens, B has 2 roosters and 3 hens, and C has 3 hens plus a very old hen that I think has a vitamin e deficiency because supplements are helping her.
I think you are suggesting that I put all 3 groups into my area with the other 8 birds, but give lots of hiding spaces.
Or should I separate them into an area in the center. The center would give them less space to get away from each other, but would keep them safe from the mature hens. Combining all would give lots of space to get away, but the adult male or adult hens may pick on them.
I also contemplated keeping the small groups together and giving each group a 5 by 5 space until they were 8 weeks old and full grown. I wish I didn’t have so many roosters but 5/16 chicks was pretty good. I don’t want to give the roosters away. Worried they will become dinner.

 

[Quailmomma56]

Thank you for your reply. I only have one big room I call the coop. Maybe that should be called the run?
Currently I have the had raised chicks in 3 rubber made totes with fine mesh on top. Group A has 2 roosters and 4 hens, B has 2 roosters and 3 hens, and C has 3 hens plus a very old hen that I think has a vitamin e deficiency because supplements are helping her.
I think you are suggesting that I put all 3 groups into my area with the other 8 birds, but give lots of hiding spaces.
Or should I separate them into an area in the center. The center would give them less space to get away from each other, but would keep them safe from the mature hens. Combining all would give lots of space to get away, but the adult male or adult hens may pick on them.
I also contemplated keeping the small groups together and giving each group a 5 by 5 space until they were 8 weeks old and full grown. I wish I didn’t have so many roosters but 5/16 chicks was pretty good. I don’t want to give the roosters away. Worried they will become dinner.

Forgot to add as photo

 

[aart]

These are all quail, correct, no chickens involved?

 

[Quailmomma56]

These are all quail, correct, no chickens involved?

Yes, all quail.

 

[Mrs. K]

OH - so sorry - I did miss that entirely. I have no experience with quail.

As a side note for chickens these words tend to mean:

• coop - enclosed building like structure
• run - out door fenced pen
• free range - out doors - no pen

And it is very helpful, to put where on earth you are - just a general area.
Mrs K

 

[Nabiki]

4 males to 10 females is going to be really difficult to get to work. You have plenty of space and it looks like lots of places to hide, so you have a chance, but the odds are still against it.

I would say that you could house 2 males in there without conflict or overbred hens.

 

[FloorCandy]

Is the overall number 6 males to 15 hens? If so, that probably will not work out. With that size run I’d say 3 -4 males tops, and even that might be difficult.