orloffer's Coturnix Quail Project

[orloffer]

Breeding for color only will not give you the numbers you will need for food. If your looking for eggs and meat, stick to the established colors. Pharoh, Italian and Tibetan have produced the best for me over the years. Although the other colors are pretty I've hatched very few in the hundreds of eggs I've hatched.

That is a good point, and something I will make a note of. However, at this point I am mainly focused on color, and what I meant by "raising for meat" was more "eating the extra males" than purposefully breeding for a good meat bird. This is not a long-term project, but rather an opportunity to learn a little about color genetics, get some more eggs and a bit of meat, and enjoy the process of raising quail chicks again.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I moved mine to the outdoor brooder today because they discovered flying last night and we don't have a lid on the indoor brooder, lol! They grow so fast! They look tiny in that huge 4'x10' pen though.

 

[orloffer]

I moved mine to the outdoor brooder today because they discovered flying last night and we don't have a lid on the indoor brooder, lol! They grow so fast! They look tiny in that huge 4'x10' pen though.

Yes, they grow amazingly fast. How old are yours now? Do they still have a heat source? Mine are starting to grow tiny little feathers on their little feather stalks. I added shavings and pine pellets to their brooder, which is front-opening, this morning. 4'x10' sounds like a very nice, big area for quail! Mine will be separated into smaller areas that can each fit around 4-5 birds.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Yes, they grow amazingly fast. How old are yours now? Do they still have a heat source? Mine are starting to grow tiny little feathers on their little feather stalks. I added shavings and pine pellets to their brooder, which is front-opening, this morning. 4'x10' sounds like a very nice, big area for quail! Mine will be separated into smaller areas that can each fit around 4-5 birds.

Mine are already 2 weeks old! Here in Georgia it's soooo hot this time of year that after a couple weeks chicks no longer require a heat source outside. My efforts are spent making sure they have shade and water out of direct sunlight, lol.

I was going to buy a separate hutch but then it occurred to me that the secure section of my chicken run that I use as a grow out pen/broody pen wasn't in use, so it's pretty perfect for them and is reinforced like Fort Knox against predators.

I'm going to have to do some additional reading to see how many males I can keep in an area that large.

I've hatched quail for others before but this is the first time I've kept some for myself so it has been really fun but I'm a newbie all over again. Lol

 

[Nabiki]

Mine are already 2 weeks old! Here in Georgia it's soooo hot this time of year that after a couple weeks chicks no longer require a heat source outside. My efforts are spent making sure they have shade and water out of direct sunlight, lol.

I was going to buy a separate hutch but then it occurred to me that the secure section of my chicken run that I use as a grow out pen/broody pen wasn't in use, so it's pretty perfect for them and is reinforced like Fort Knox against predators.

I'm going to have to do some additional reading to see how many males I can keep in an area that large.

I've hatched quail for others before but this is the first time I've kept some for myself so it has been really fun but I'm a newbie all over again. Lol

My general rule is 1 male for 5 females if you have a large enough space to keep more than 1 male.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My general rule is 1 male for 5 females if you have a large enough space to keep more than 1 male.

Thanks! So even if they're in the same area? They won't beat each other up like roosters?

 

[Nabiki]

Thanks! So even if they're in the same area? They won't beat each other up like roosters?

They still might. There's a better chance of them not fighting if they have enough space and lots of hiding places.

 

[orloffer]

I found a vertical nipple waterer that releases water very easily, and as the quail chicks were able to use it quite readily, I took the normal quail chick waterer out. When they get bigger I will change them to a red horizontal nipple waterer.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I found a vertical nipple waterer that releases water very easily, and as the quail chicks were able to use it quite readily, I took the normal quail chick waterer out. When they get bigger I will change them to a red horizontal nipple waterer.

What kind did you get?

 

[orloffer]

What kind did you get?

It is this one, on Amazon: Waterer
It tends to drip a little when they are using it, so I put pine pellets underneath it several times a day.