New Here in the quail world

[anthonyjames]

I currently raise chickens.. Layers. I am interested in getting into other birds and quail seemed like it could be a good bird. They are small and seem easy to raise.

The one thing I can't seem to see is with all of these hutches/pens does anyone let them out to roam or are they raised in a hutch/pen?

I would like to make sure I have the correct set up to either get some eggs, meat or reproduce. Any info on all of these subjects would be great.

I live in Wisconsin so winter info would be great as well.

 

[Wifezilla]

I am a n00b too. I am working on a movable outdoor pen but for now I have 4 in a cage. They need some outside time!!! LOL I have to wait from spring though.

 

[DLS]

WELCOME TO THE QUAIL ROOST . I have mine in pens. But want to make flight pens but never have . .hutches simalar to rabbit pens is what a lot of folks use
D

 

[anthonyjames]

Thanks.

Along with the first question here are some more..

What are the best meat and egg quail?

Which don't mind being handled? (I have 4 and 3 year old girls and love to hold the chickens. Don't see the quail being an different)

If selling quail for meat and eggs how do you price?

I saw a great big cage with pine limbs in another post. If you create an opening in part of the floor so that they can go down to get grass will they come back up to sleep? My though is a run the same size or double that, so that I could move it 360 degrees on a spindle for a new section of grass every day of the week or something like that.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have 4 coturnix. The 3 girls give me about an egg a day. 3 coturnix quail eggs = about a medium chicken egg. Don't know about meat yet though. As for being handled, mine have no fear of the hand, but they don't like being picked up.

 

[DLS]

I have bobs & Texas A&m's .Your girls will love the A&M's they are friendly & lay like crazy. I usully give eggs away, try and sell some . The best place to sell eggs I have found is to orentals they love them -I live in a military town so that make a good way to sell.
They taste GREAT! bobs are not as friendly-at all
Dan

 

[shelleyd2008]

In most places it would be illegal to 'let them roam', as this would be considered 'releasing'. Coturnix are not native, and would be illegal to release anywhere. Bobwhites require a permit to raise/release in most places.

Coturnix are, in my opinion, the best choice for meat or eggs. They are full size at 10-12 weeks, where as bobwhites aren't full grown till 24 weeks or so. The coturnix start laying eggs as early as 5 weeks old, bobwhites, again, not until 24 weeks or so. Some coturnix can get as big as a pound, same as bobwhites, though there are some species of bobwhite that get up to 3 pounds. But they take an awfully long time to get there. In the time it would take to raise a buttler bobwhite to full size, you can raise 3 coturnix to full size

Bobwhites are very skittish, no holding them. Coturnix aren't exactly 'pets', but probably could be made to like it, just like a chicken. Coturnix are not skittish at all, depending on how they are raised. Most mine have to get pushed out of the way when I'm feeding, they aren't a bit scared of me!

Coturnix don't roost, they are ground dwellers. I believe bobwhites do, so they would need a bigger cage.

I've not had bobwhites, so I can't say for sure on them. But I had my coturnix in a coop-and-run setup this summer, and they would all stay in the run. I would catch them and put them in the coop for about a week, then I gave up. So they probably wouldn't go into a coop to sleep.

Coturnix and bobwhites both will lay an egg daily in-season, but can be forced to lay year round with supplemental lighting. However, as stated before, coturnix can start as early as 5 weeks old, while bobwhites wait until closer to 24 weeks. Mostly, if a bobwhite is hatched this year, don't expect eggs till the following spring.

Also, many 'lines' of coturnix lay eggs that are huge compared to their body size. My jumbo browns lay eggs that are just a bit smaller than my bantam chickens eggs are. The other coturnix's eggs are just a bit smaller. My english whites eggs are about the same size as the jumbo browns, but the english white birds are about half as big as the jumbo browns.

Coturnix and bobwhites both do well in colder climates, you'd just need to make sure they are protected from the elements. Mine are inside a 3-walled building and do just fine. As long as they don't have wind/rain/snow/ice/whatever directly on them they will do just fine.

ETA: Bobwhites are also more aggressive than coturnix, and need a lot more space. Coturnix need about 1 sq. ft. per bird, and that's being generous.

 

[Wifezilla]

Yeah...you stick your hand in to clean or move something and the goofy coturnix jump on your hand and then stand in the way and stare at you as if to say "Got treats?".

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mine usually try to eat me when I'm feeding them, or they fall out the door

 

[Wifezilla]

I was just pouring some more feed from a big mason jar in to one of their feed cups. Lucy climbed INSIDE the jar while I was pouring! WHat we she doing??? Looking for a prize at the bottom of the jar???