Mixing ages of button quail - newly hatched with 3 week olds?

[liljunie]

Does anyone mix ages of button quail? I originally had my 3 week chicks, and day olds separated but together in a large tank since they both need heat. I find the day olds sneaking into the older chicks side. I haven't seen any aggression from the 3 week olds so was thinking of leaving them?

 

[taprock]

I hesitantly say it seems ok. If you try it I would be sure to have a couple hours to observe and make sure it really is going to work. With my quail it seems like it was either immediate fighting or they settled in ok.

 

[liljunie]

It may be working because they were all moved to the tank at the same time? There was no established territory. Any guess at the color of the dark and light brown ones? I really find the dark ones confusing, red breasted/blue breasted/cinnamon/wild type? Also sex guesses? 3 weeks old.

 

[dc3085]

Absolutely not. You're asking for a bunch of cannibals letting the little guys get to where the big ones can reach them. You cannot mix quail until they are they are the same age or the same size and feathering. Once a quail develops cannibalistic tendencies you will never stop them without culling the offending parties. Chicks will pick on anything that is too different or they think is weak and young chicks are both to them. Beyond that quail are one of the most territorial domestic birds you'll encounter. They will not tolerate interlopers in their space, so anytime you mix groups of quail careful integration is going to be required. When you mix any quail they should all be placed in a cage none of them have ever been in. This will subvert their territorial aggression since none of them "claim" that space. Basically think of each of group of your quail like a different street gang, that's about how much of each other they'll tolerate.

 

[liljunie]

This is a brand new tank, both ages were put in together. I put up a cardboard divider which was breached immediately by both parties. I am keeping a close eye on them. I am home because of the storm, so this is a great way for me to spend my day - watching quail!!!!

 

[dc3085]

The integration process only works like that on adults, not chicks. There is no way you cut it that mixing babies with nearly grown chicks is safe. They can easily kill one of those chicks faster than you can stop it. Button quail are little and cute and all that, but they are the wildest of all the domestic quail and can be shockingly aggressive.

 

[GrandmaBird]

I agree with DC on mixing the different age chicks. And neither should be getting meal worms until at best 6+ weeks old. They need the nutrition in the crumbles and not the extra fat in the worms. also it has been shown that the older ones will peck at each others toes thinking them worms. just saying...

 

[liljunie]

It has worked out fine! The little chicks are snuggling with the bigger ones. I use a coffee grinder and add dried meal worms and the game crumbles.