Quail Free range?

[ScoutingInTheWoods]

So chickens and other birds can free range so i wandered if quail could. So i looked it up and some peoplke say yes some say no and some just have a quail tractor? Please help.

 

[el dorado quail]

They don't return to a coop/house so it's better to house them in an aviary or other cage. I'm going to have a planted aviary and a mobile tractor for my flock

 

[ScoutingInTheWoods]

They don't return to a coop/house so it's better to house them in an aviary or other cage. I'm going to have a planted aviary and a mobile tractor for my flock

ok thanks is there a way top train them to go back

 

[el dorado quail]

ok thanks is there a way top train them to go back

Uhhh I don't know of anyone having success

 

[ScoutingInTheWoods]

Uhhh I don't know of anyone having success

ok thanks how would you train a chicken to come back to its coop? Because it might work with the quail maybe...Dont have much experience with chickens and non with quail.

 

[el dorado quail]

ok thanks how would you train a chicken to come back to its coop? Because it might work with the quail maybe...Dont have much experience with chickens and non with quail.

Chickens have instincts to return to coops and rest I think. Quail are ground dwelling so they just sleep wherever.

 

[ScoutingInTheWoods]

Chickens have instincts to return to coops and rest I think. Quail are ground dwelling so they just sleep wherever.

ok thanks

 

[ScoutingInTheWoods]

if you had a chicken or something like it broody and it watched the quail righat as they were born could the hen train them to come back?

 

[rlchatham]

The chicken would more likely than not kill the quail. Just not going to happen with quail. At least, I’ve never heard of it. Build a large aviary for them.

 

[maadroj]

This person says she free ranges hers.

I would be too afraid of losing mine to try.

I raised my California quail chicks indoors and would let them out of the brooder (in the bedroom) to eat/play several times per day. They always returned to the brooder voluntarily for naps or when they were afraid (and then I'd close it back up). When we moved them to the aviary, we left the brooder there in case, like a child's security blanket. They do go back inside it sometimes to rest or when nervous, but they've also found other spots they like to use, and they roost in tree branches at night. So they wouldn't go back to it to sleep if they were free range, and I'm not sure they'd stay nearby. In nature they have large territories, I think I read one acre per bird, so I don't think they'd naturally return to a specific spot each night if they were free range.

And of course, there's also the issue of predators.