Japanese quail questions

[therealsilkiechick]

yes that is their natural habitat but most people don't know that it is and raise them in captivity in battery cages, flight pens ect. i agree they r to domesticated and need to be in natural habitat, it's a shame how domesticated they have become now due to that they r not setters like their ancestors once where. in an ideal aviary(mocking grasslands ect) yes i think they would try to set their own eggs, i agree but in any other kind of surroundings i honestly don't see them doing it which is really a shame to see.

sorry i didn't realize before u ment just aviary i thought u ment release ones too.

 

[Cowboy Joe]

I've raise coturnix for a few years and never had a broody hen. Many states require a domestic game bird breeders license if you want to raise Bobwhite quail...check with your local dept of environment conservation.

My personal opinion is that coturnix have been raised in pens for so long that the hens have lost the instinct. Using a silkie is an interesting idea. If it were me, I'd get started with chicks. You'll be up to your eyes in eggs within a few months which will give you the opportunity to try different incubation methods. Please let us know how you make out.

 

[Lophura]

Quote:
Totally agree!!!

Never been a fan of battery cages (for quail or commerical laying hens), remind me of puppy mills for birds or even prisons. It is our job to give them a good quality of life while they are in our care.

Dan

 

[monarc23]

I plan to make lil tractor runs for my quail to go into for a bit everday to enjoy the grass and such (which is why I decided not to get bobwhite quail-- more room for my coturnix)!

 

[laughingdog]

I bought a trio of courtnix quail at a flea market here in Morristown, and one female looked odd n she kept raising chicks up iny aviary as did her young, but common looking other female never raised her eggs to hatch except few from each I'm sure just by chance, but both hens would more or less care for the chicks stealing calling and corraling from one another and fighting over. I started releasing young in areas where the bobwhite had been decimated before twra started killing feral cats etc, and twra started paying me to breed and release etc keep records on larger scale all over area to Virginia. Some do get throwback genes but extreamely rarely unless bred into, as guy that had ones I got, had in huge barn and flight pen attached, so I'm thinking the ones who got wild enough to run hide brood and raise own young more, took over because most domesticated got culled by guy n other press.. so you could just get bunch of unrelated eggs and see, breeding most natural acting quail. I'll start that too, but new quail I have are super tame and female only sets for days to week in her lil nest she makes in igloo house usually for rodents. Original ones used to release n see thriving breeding more n more generations, I had in a small aviary (actually a kitten display cage for pet stores) then chain link dog pen with bird netting inside for acclimating young, feeding them feeder baby exotic roaches crix mealies etc, seeds on clumps of green n dried plants planted or clipped upright, fresh wild greens, gamebird feed, and my half Maine Coon would sleep by killing any rodents etc that attacked before dogs got there jumping fence protecting. I've had good luck hatching rearing waterfoul with muscovy duck, guinea foul etc game birds with game hens, n I think I'll try to find OEGBs eggs to hatch, or adults to start raising these new quail with (had a good show pair of OEGBs in with when had first quail, but female never produced any viable eggs or brooded but followed the baby quail trying to love them).