My first hatch.... need advice

[justacouplemorechicks]

I hatched 6 coturnix and 4 button quail eggs 1 week ago. This is my first experience with quail. I have been reading and researching quail for a couple of months. Hoping some of you with experience can help clarify some things.

I currently have all 10 quail in the same brooder. How long can I leave them all together in the brooder?

I am feeding them chick starter crumbles and mixing in a little grit and oyster shells. Should I use a game starter? How long do they remain on starter? What do you feed them next?

Can I put all 6 coturnix in one large cage or should they be divided into a couple of cages?

How long can the 4 button quail stay together before I divide them into pairs? Do I HAVE to divide them? Do they function better in groups or pairs?

If I have a large outdoor aviary, can I keep them all (coturnix & button) together? If so, do I build seperate living quarters? Perhaps something at ground level for the button & something higher for the coturnix?

Thanks!!

 

[GrandmaBird]

I hatched 6 coturnix and 4 button quail eggs 1 week ago. This is my first experience with quail. I have been reading and researching quail for a couple of months. Hoping some of you with experience can help clarify some things. I can not help with the coturnix but I can with the buttons.

I currently have all 10 quail in the same brooder. How long can I leave them all together in the brooder? Due to the size difference I would separate them from the coturnix soon or they may get stepped on.

I am feeding them chick starter crumbles and mixing in a little grit and oyster shells. Should I use a game starter? How long do they remain on starter? What do you feed them next? Again just for buttons I use game bird feed with a protein of 20-29% that is finely ground for the chicks at about 4 weeks you can make it a bit larger and add 50% good quality finch seed. Always offer oyster shell that is crushed almost to a powder then getting slightly larger by 4 weeks. I keep with the same food all the time just add fruits, veggies and live food after 5-6 weeks of age.

Can I put all 6 coturnix in one large cage or should they be divided into a couple of cages? ? cant answer that one

How long can the 4 button quail stay together before I divide them into pairs? Do I HAVE to divide them? Do they function better in groups or pairs? Buttons are much happier in pairs which is how they would live in the wild but some people keep them in trios or even a group. be for warned that if kept in anything but pairs it will be hard to know who is laying and who is mating with who. at 10-12 weeks they are ready to be paired and place into separate cages. I also keep my buttons inside in a climate controled environment.

If I have a large outdoor aviary, can I keep them all (coturnix & button) together? NO If so, do I build separate living quarters? Perhaps something at ground level for the button & something higher for the coturnix?buttons do not perch so a nice area with hay or straw or pine shavings, I use aspen chips, for sleeping/nesting and a few hiding places/boxes. A nice food dish and they love their water for drinking so be sure it is full and fresh at least twice a day especially in the summer/breeding season. hey do not take water baths just give them sand or fine dirt for bathing.

Thanks!!

 

[justacouplemorechicks]

Thanks GrandmaBird! I appreciate the answers. I have been keeping the quail inside the house and yesterday I moved them over beside the couch and just sat & watched them for hours. You're right!! The bigger quail just run right over the buttons. But I've noticed the buttons running between their legs and flipping them over too! No one seems to mind and they all bed down in a large pile and the buttons crawl over the backs of the coturnix and wiggle their way underneath. So cute!!! I think I will keep the buttons in the house. I enjoy them so much. I gave them a small bowl of dirt/sand yesterday. They loved it!! Thanks again!!