Mom decided to hatch quail. How to care for them???

[Anime2lover]

We've never done quail before and don't know the proper care, housing, and feed they'll need as chicks or adults. Could someone please elaborate a little for us. There are so many different ways to house them as I've seen but what have you guys experienced and believe to be the best and safest way? Individual cages are out of the question.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

We've never done quail before and don't know the proper care, housing, and feed they'll need as chicks or adults. Could someone please elaborate a little for us. There are so many different ways to house them as I've seen but what have you guys experienced and believe to be the best and safest way? Individual cages are out of the question.

Why hatch quail then?
If you don’t have the supplies or the knowledge....
@Nabiki is a quail expert, I think....

 

[Anime2lover]

Why hatch quail then?
If you don’t have the supplies or the knowledge....
@Nabiki is a quail expert, I think....

I wasn't expecting it either. I didn't know about them until they were delivered yesterday evening. Mom suddenly told me to get our incubator ready and I thought it was because we were gonna hatch the silky eggs we were saving. But found out soon after that it was because of the quail eggs that her friend brought over. Been researching housing for them since then and can't decide which way to go.

 

[Nabiki]

Here are a couple of articles that I've written that might help you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-incubation-tips.76184/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-basic-care.76183/

Good luck!

 

[Anime2lover]

Here are a couple of articles that I've written that might help you.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-incubation-tips.76184/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/coturnix-basic-care.76183/

Good luck!

Than you. Can I ask, what you find is the best way to house them? And how do you get them to lay in one area? How do you tell male from female? Do they pair up for life or only for one season? How prolific are they at egg laying?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Depends on what species you're getting

 

[Anime2lover]

Than you. Can I ask, what you find is the best way to house them? And how do you get them to lay in one area? How do you tell male from female? Do they pair up for life or only for one season? How prolific are they at egg laying?

Honestly, we were not told what they are. We suspect them to be northern bobwhites, but are not sure.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Honestly, we were not told what they are. We suspect them to be northern bobwhites, but are not sure.

Do you have a license? Most states require that for those

 

[Nabiki]

Than you. Can I ask, what you find is the best way to house them? And how do you get them to lay in one area? How do you tell male from female? Do they pair up for life or only for one season? How prolific are they at egg laying?

I'm going on the assumption that we're talking about Coturnix quail.
Most of your questions are answered in the second article. It's a short read, but feel free to ask if you still have questions after reading it.

You're unlikely to get them to lay in one place. They're not like chickens, so they don't roost, they don't go into a coop at night willingly. They are very good egg layers, laying almost daily as long as they have 14-16 hours of light per day.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

Do you even know how to hatch them? Kinda different from bantam chickens. And as @JacinLarkwell said, even this differs from Quail species.

Which quail you got, do you know? (Coturnix, Bobwhites, Buttons, ... etc.?)

Edit: ok ... you don't know

Edit2: I'am taking too long to answer