keping coturnix quail together

[darkgizmo1211]

hi i was wondering how i can keep my couturnix quail together i have 2 adults that are breeding and i was trying to put there babies with them after they become adults but when i put them with them the dad went straight for the kill how can i get them use to the babies so that they can live together in a rabbit hutch i have chickens that i was able to put together but for some reason the quail are more stubburn thank you for any help

 

[Binki]

Hello Coturnix quail males should have at least 3 females, normal is about 5 hens per roo. This is because during mating season, the male will injure the hen(s) and/damage their feathers by overmating them, so the more hens he has the less chance of damage happening.

To introduce quail, house them side by side with a safe partition between them for 1-2 weeks. They *should* get used to each other within this time but not always and even if they appear to be getting along, they still need to be closely monitored for weeks after because this can get bad and bloody very quickly.

Make sure to have as big of a cage as possible with lots of things to break their lines of sight/hiding places in case there is bullying. I like to wrap up a few handfuls of hay and just bend them to stand as hay trees in the corners and the quail love them, they feel very cozy behind them and the top of the hay folds over to create a cool "hay cavern" for them

As for males, adult males will not tolerate each other and even being in different cages near each other can make them upset and ferocious in their mating because they perceive competition.

So first step is figuring out who the males are and put the remaining females you want to integrate with your pair in a cage beside the pair's cage. Or, if there is enough room, you can partition the quail pair cage and have the pair on one side and the new quail on the other. Good luck!!

 

[darkgizmo1211]

ty how can u tell the sex of white a&ms coturnix quail

 

[Binki]

ty how can u tell the sex of white a&ms coturnix quail

I wrote this on another thread here,

Besides feather sexing, there are three other ways to sex them - vent sexing (can be difficult determining, has a chance of hurting the quail, foam can mean mated female not a male), "beer sexing" which is grabbing a beer to sit and drink and watch their behaviour for male and female characteristics and a quicker version of this from a poster (forget their name!) said they throw in a bunch of meal worms and the males will tidbit for the girls, but it's not foolproof either as one of my girls tidbits certain treats and some males won't tidbit (I have one of those, maybe it's because he became sexually mature in the fall not during breeding season) but rather gobble up what they can like a hen xD

At about six weeks the males will start making male noises (grunts and crows but um you guessed it - girls rarely do it too lol) and trying to mate with girls and boys. Young males can really hurt other quail by fighting males/poor mating technique combined with the hens and guys not wanting to be mated so be ready with a few setups if you have to pull out an aggressor/seperate the injured :O

 

[eHuman]

To introduce quail, house them side by side with a safe partition between them for 1-2 weeks. They *should* get used to each other within this time but not always and even if they appear to be getting along, they still need to be closely monitored for weeks after because this can get bad and bloody very quickly.

I place my grow outs in one side of the aviary at 3 weeks old. Adults on the other side go nuts trying to get to them. At 6 weeks, I cage all that will be culled or sold and open the pop door connecting the two halves of the aviary.

Never once had a fight, including introducing new males to the community.

 

[Binki]

I place my grow outs in one side of the aviary at 3 weeks old. Adults on the other side go nuts trying to get to them. At 6 weeks, I cage all that will be culled or sold and open the pop door connecting the two halves of the aviary. Never once had a fight, including introducing new males to the community.

Great setup!! Is that bird netting? I need to fashion a flush partition for for my quail hutch floors, perhaps a thin wood frame with bird netting

 

[eHuman]

Great setup!! Is that bird netting? I need to fashion a flush partition for for my quail hutch floors, perhaps a thin wood frame with bird netting

The outside is wrapped with 1/2" HW cloth. The partition in the picture is plastic 1" mesh garden stuff for fencing your veggies. It doesn't need to be strong to keep them in, only needs to be strong to keep predators out.