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Hi Ren and welcome! :welcome I did not know that about quail. So they’re more aggressive to each other than chickens, ducks, turkeys, or geese are? Wow. But like you said, probably some kind of weasel… did you find any openings where it may have gotten in the coop? They can fit through a space the size of a quarter I’m also amazed at how self-sufficient you are. That is so fantastic good for you. Keep it up.!!
 
Glad to meet you, Ren and Montana. Welcome to BYC. I am so sorry about that quail you had to euthanize. Two Crows is quite right that quail can attack each other if they are over crowded (so can chickens, but quail can be surprisingly vicious). But you very likely had a weasel or rat or other such predator. Those guys can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter!

I presume you have already found the forums for quail, ducks and guineas.

Here are my favorite beginning articles that helped me as a newbie. I hope you will find them helpful as well. All articles are short, have illustrations, and reviews, which are often worth looking at for the comments. Best wishes with your poultry efforts!

1. Intro to chicken keeping AND Intro to quail keeping AND Intro to duck keeping AND Intro to guineafowl

2. Common mistakes & how to fix them

3. Ventilation (important to all bird health), with helpful links to coop designs organized by climate (because what is just right for my New England hens won't work for my brother's Arizona chickens)

3(a). Farmers Almanac on Building Coops (Includes size requirements!) Allowing plenty of space for chickens is really important because, even as chicks, they will start pecking each other or plucking their own feathers, or become unhealthy if they are overcrowded. Here is a link to Colorado State Extension's publication on space and temperature requirements for chicks as they age.

4. Predator protection for new & existing coops (will work for tractors as well)

5. Dealing with a muddy coop and run

6. Gardening for chickens

7. BYC Lists of Chicken Ailments and Cures AND Quail Diseases and Health

To look for articles on your own:

A. Use the SEARCH button, but use the Advanced Search choice, and select ARTICLES at the top of the box. Just enter your keyword(s) and scroll through your results!

B. I find it helpful to notice the rating and reviews. All articles are by BYC members, and all the reviews/ratings are as well. The ratings help a newbie like me sort the most useful and reliable articles.

C. You can bookmark the articles or posts you think you want to refer to again using that bookmark icon at the top of articles or posts. You can find them again by clicking on your own avatar and looking at the list of bookmarks you have built up!

D. You may also notice particular members whose articles seem especially useful to you. For instance, Nabiki writes a lot about coturnix quail.
* You can Search Nabiki.
* Click on the box with her name in it to go to her home site here at BYC.
* At a member's site, you can click on ARTICLES by that member so you will find all of Nabiki's useful quail articles in one swoop.



Notes about where to put a coop:

1. As far as you can, put a coop and run on high ground, that drains well, so you won't have so much muddy coop problems. Chickens need to be dry, dry, dry.

2. As far as you can, put a coop with the ventilation lined up with your prevailing breezes, and away from the direction of your storms. If you are not sure of these (who is these days?), check with your local National Weather Service website.

3. As far as you can, arrange for some sort of shade over your coop and run. Preferably deciduous so the girls will enjoy winter sun, but summer shade.
 

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