New/ Young Quail Integration Question

[wbruder17]

Hello! I have 8 adult Coturnix quail, 2 male, and 6 female. I have 8 juveniles, dont know sexes yet. They are almost completely feathered.

When can i put the young ones in with the older ones? I know there will be some turbulence, establishing pecking order etc. But will the older ones posibly kill the younger ones?

They have a very large enclosure, with a coop and run, like for the chickens, but on a smaller scale, just fyi.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

 

[TwoCrows]

I would wait until the juveniles are the same size as the adults. They don't have to have their adult feathers, just have the same edge and vigor as the older ones.

It is best to do the separation method, keep the new ones on the other side of the pen between wire so that everybody sees everybody. If you have a walk in type aviary, a large german shepard size dog crate works quite well. Keep them this way for several weeks. That way nobody touches and works out some of the aggression behind wire. When you do the final mixing, stand by for an hour and watch. Also keep a close eye on them for a few days. If things are getting bloody, it is best to intervene before the blood starts flowing.

When mixing Coturnix, make sure to group them properly, the correct amount of females to one male. No male on male action. And there may be some females that just don't like each other. So be prepared to mix and match.

Good luck!

 

[mrlaff007]

thanks two crows!

 

[kingmt]

I'd wait till breeding age & move them all to a few cages mixing all the the old & new so there is no alliances & everyone is new to everyone if you keep mixing them up every few days you should be able to move them all together without problem.

ETA:I just realized this was three years old. Lol