I've rescued some quail...

[Kourtnie]

Good morning BYCers!

Recently three Texas A&M quail were anonymously surrendered at the Humane Society where I work. Having chickens, of course, I decide to bring them home with me after doing a bit of research. I've tossed around the idea of raising quail but really hadn't planned on it for awhile... seems my time table moved up a bit lol I do know they are Texas A&Ms and at least one of them is a female, I've gotten four eggs in four days. I do know which one it is only because I've been staring at them ever since I found the first egg. Right now due to the terrible weather we've been having, I have them in a very very LARGE dog crate. I've placed a ton of bedding and straw down for them. I've also placed a heat lamp in with them as well as their food and water, I have absolutely no idea how old they are and I've read they only live 18 months to two years

I've also read and watched a bunch of youtube videos on how to sex them by checking the vent but is there any way to tell from feather coloration or, because of the age, is there something different like roos and hens...these guys are terribly afraid of people very much unlike my hand fed raised hens. And is there any way to tell their age other than they're egg laying age.

I've come to learn, the advice from you guys is far better than any book or youtube video out there, so I've come here looking forward to hearing any suggestions and/or recommendations for my new adventure

Sorry the pic is so bad, the heat lamp and my phone don't play well together

 

[TwoCrows]

Congrats on saving the birds!!!

As for how long they live, the average lifespan of captive quail is 2 - 5 years. However, with proper care, and of course the health of each individual, they can live a lot longer. I have some Bobs that are 7 years old and still going strong. So take the best care you can of them, and they can live a long time.

Looks good and keep us posted!

 

[dc3085]

Vent sexing at that age is pretty easy. Big vents are girls little vents are boys. If you can't figure it I'll go take a picture of each and post.

 

[Kourtnie]

I'm going to let them unwind a bit before I start picking them up. They have been so stress with moving them into the shelter, me moving them to my house, moving them into their new temp home, I just wish I would have thought about checking the vents during all their relocations!

 

[Kourtnie]

Well I'm still not sure who the female is and what the other two are but I do know I'm getting one egg every day. They are beautiful eggs! I haven't tried any yet but I've heard they taste fantastic just not sure I'm ready to crack one open and find a little quail inside lol

 

[dc3085]

If you find a developing chick in any of those eggs you have a very special quail lol. Coturnix will not incubate their own eggs (a thousand years of captive breeding, people ruined that instinct) before any development will occur the egg would need to spend at least 24 hours at 100* F. Basically unless you take it out of an incubator you will never find a developing embryo in a coturnix egg.

 

[bigrob83]

I have some old girls that didnt get the 2 year old memo lol
they still lay eggs like crazy

 

[TwoCrows]

I have some old girls that didnt get the 2 year old memo lol
they still lay eggs like crazy

I have 6 year old hens that are still laying! LOL They will keep laying pretty much til the end of their lives, if not forced to lay all year round.

 

[Kourtnie]

I really need to read up a bit more on quail, I've gotten the very basics but you guys have been just amazingly helpful as usual! I think in the next week or so I'll go ahead and sex them, I would really like to know. If I do find that one of them is male how should I start the incubation process, I have no desire to breed my hens but the quail are really intriguing me.

 

[Kourtnie]

And I wonder why they were surrendered, I find them absolutely adorable! Oh well, their loss, my gain!