Allisonlovesnancy

In the Brooder
Nov 1, 2017
26
34
49
Hello BYC family! I went to 4H yesterday and my leaders assistant surprised me with three baby quail! I have wanted quail for a while now and asked her to hatch me some (she offered first) but I had never heard back from her so I had no clue I was getting them! What should I know about quail, any tips I need or could use, anything to help would be great!! Here are some pictures!
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As every bird should be. Are they messy?
They aren’t too messy, I took the workkeys test for my school today so afterwards I got to come home early and I got home, and one of them had just hopped out of their bin that they’re in!! I saw him fly right out!! I have a wire panel like over them now because I don’t want those little suckers escaping anymore.
 
Yay! Those look like Coturnix. Quail are so much fun to raise. It's good you're handling them now, they'll be more tame later.
  • 30% protein game bird feed is good for chicks, and 22-26% range is better once they're grown—regular chicken feed doesn't usually have enough protein.
  • Your brooder will need a top/roof—they can be flighty.
  • The males will have reddish breast feathers, where the hens will have speckled. If you have all hens, you'e good to go. More than one male --> will need to cull or re-home extras.
  • What are your plans for housing them? Coturnix can live indoor or outdoor (as long as they have shelter and bedding).
  • If you give them treats like veggies or insects, be sure to give them grit—chick grit is a good size, even for adults.
  • Quail need a dustbath to keep their feathers and skin clean of oil and parasites. Washed play sand works, so does peat moss and wood ash, but you can use dirt from your yard as long as it hasn't been sprayed with garden chemicals.
This is a great site—tons of helpful people here. :) Ask any quail questions in this forum (and post more cute bird pics!).
 
Yay! Those look like Coturnix. Quail are so much fun to raise. It's good you're handling them now, they'll be more tame later.
  • 30% protein game bird feed is good for chicks, and 22-26% range is better once they're grown—regular chicken feed doesn't usually have enough protein.
  • Your brooder will need a top/roof—they can be flighty.
  • The males will have reddish breast feathers, where the hens will have speckled. If you have all hens, you'e good to go. More than one male --> will need to cull or re-home extras.
  • What are your plans for housing them? Coturnix can live indoor or outdoor (as long as they have shelter and bedding).
  • If you give them treats like veggies or insects, be sure to give them grit—chick grit is a good size, even for adults.
  • Quail need a dustbath to keep their feathers and skin clean of oil and parasites. Washed play sand works, so does peat moss and wood ash, but you can use dirt from your yard as long as it hasn't been sprayed with garden chemicals.
This is a great site—tons of helpful people here. :) Ask any quail questions in this forum (and post more cute bird pics!).
Thank you sooo much!! We are getting a guinea pig cage tonight or sometime very soon. I was planning on building a run and coop and keeping them outside but I live in Michigan, where winter is horrible and I was scared they wouldn’t make it next year!
 

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