New Quail Owner:Tips Please!!

[cocatoolover101]

Hi,

We recently purchesed some (we think) Japenese quail from a market. We got them to basically clean the bottom of our avairy, which houses a pair of budgies. We have 6 quail in total 2 males and 4 females 2 for each male. They are in seperate avairies. whill the males fight if we put them together as we want to breed them. What sort of a nest do we need and habitat at the botom of the avairy. We bought pellets for them, but do we feed them veggie scraps like chickens? If so what are the "do's" and "don't's" with that obviously no avacardo or chocolate.



Any advice would be much apprieciated

Thanks

 

[cocatoolover101]

Hi,

We recently purchesed some (we think) Japenese quail from a market. We got them to basically clean the bottom of our avairy, which houses a pair of budgies. We have 6 quail in total 2 males and 4 females 2 for each male. They are in seperate avairies. whill the males fight if we put them together as we want to breed them. What sort of a nest do we need and habitat at the botom of the avairy. We bought pellets for them, but do we feed them veggie scraps like chickens? If so what are the "do's" and "don't's" with that obviously no avacardo or chocolate.



Any advice would be much apprieciated

Thanks

 

[DK newbie]

Usually people on here advice 4-7 females for every male with coturnix, to avoid over breeding of the females. I wouldn't try to put the males in the same aviary, unless it is huge, and there are more females - I never had coturnix though, just know what I've read on this forum.
Some say coturnix don't need nests, others say they usually lay their eggs in boxes with sand or shavings (but this was about birds living on wire, your situation is different).
They'd probably love some plants or other cover at the bottom of the aviary.
For the veggies - take a look here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...quail-grapes-and-foods-that-are-bad-for-quail

 

[dc3085]

Hi,

We recently purchesed some (we think) Japenese quail from a market. We got them to basically clean the bottom of our avairy, which houses a pair of budgies. We have 6 quail in total 2 males and 4 females 2 for each male. They are in seperate avairies. whill the males fight if we put them together as we want to breed them. What sort of a nest do we need and habitat at the botom of the avairy. We bought pellets for them, but do we feed them veggie scraps like chickens? If so what are the "do's" and "don't's" with that obviously no avacardo or chocolate.



Any advice would be much apprieciated

Thanks

That's not really enough females but it may be harder to solve the problem than to just let it ride and hope for the best. Quail are extremely territorial and don't like new birds being added to their groups.

Don't keep multiple roos in same cage. Raises stress level, reduces thrift of the birds, and thats assuming they aren't playing deathmatch all day.

Feed them high protein game bird feed, they can also eat whatever your other birds are dropping but if the aviary floor doesn't have some sort of grit to aid their digestion, you will want to add some.

Raw potatoes are a no no as well.

 

[James the Bald]

Welcome to the Quail forum on BYC. The best advice that I can give anyone is to learn as much about Quail as you can before you make any purchase. Otherwise, you're placing yourself behind the learning curve.
James

 

[Sill]

Hi,

We recently purchesed some (we think) Japenese quail from a market. We got them to basically clean the bottom of our avairy, which houses a pair of budgies. We have 6 quail in total 2 males and 4 females 2 for each male. They are in seperate avairies. whill the males fight if we put them together as we want to breed them. What sort of a nest do we need and habitat at the botom of the avairy. We bought pellets for them, but do we feed them veggie scraps like chickens? If so what are the "do's" and "don't's" with that obviously no avacardo or chocolate.



Any advice would be much apprieciated

Thanks

Yes the roosters will fight, and that is only enough hens for one of them. They will tend to lay eggs in boxes, straw, grass, or just squat, drop an egg, and keep walking.

 

[cocatoolover101]

Thanks everyone, yesterday we introduced the males to their females..... One male has already started mating is that natural?





thanks

 

[Sill]

Thanks everyone, yesterday we introduced the males to their females..... One male has already started mating is that natural?





thanks

Oh yeah, they waste no time sowing their oats. He will calm down once he realizes the hens are all his and are there to stay. They are all his right? The roos are separated with their own group of hens?

 

[cocatoolover101]

Oh yeah, they waste no time sowing their oats. He will calm down once he realizes the hens are all his and are there to stay. They are all his right? The roos are separated with their own group of hens?

Yeah he has got them all too him self, So does the other one. Both males have started mating in different avairies. I read somewhere that if on there poo there is foam that means he is "in season" is that true?




Thanks

 

[Halloweengirl13]

Yeah that's normal male behavior.