Quail: Help me decide

[psychocircus91]

I am really interested in a North American species. I know a lot of people recommend cortnix for beginners, but this is not my preference.
I am primarily interested in the gambel's quail and the bobwhite quail.
My main goal is just to have a happy flock, but I would not mind using eggs occasionally or meat if my flock grows.
I live in Maryland: Winters usually in the 20s-40s, Summers usually in the 80s-90s.
I would like to do an outdoor aviary with birds on the ground, rather than wire.
How difficult is each species in comparison?

Thanks

 

[Binki]

I don't have experience with those quail but I do know they like to roost at night, people use cut branches of pine and etc on the ground for them to hide in, those quail are much more wild and skittish than coturnix and I'm not sure about egg production other than it is WAY less than coturnix

If they had a big planted aviary that would be ideal, but I think you may only be able to keep a pair in there or they will fight over territory and resources.

They're much more suited to the weather than coturnix (coturnix tend to not take shelter from wind and rain nor roost/coop at night) but my coturnix did fine in a hutch with wood shavings in my garage over the Canadian winter (wasn't a terrible one).

Sorry I can't answer everything but hope it gives you a bit more idea ^^ what are you planning to build the aviary with?

 

[sniper338]

These kind of quail you wont get eggs from. They lay to reproduce, thats it, IF they even lay at sll. They arent easy. They need lots more space than coturnix. Thry gotta be able to fly up and not hit their head hard on something or ita kill em.

Pain in the ass is all it is. If you want any eggs or any meat coturnix is what you want.

 

[feedman77]

I hatched out Bob's in January. They just started laying 3 weeks ago. From the hens that are laying I get an eggva day or every other day.

I know they are still young but I have 1 male to 5 females in one pen. And 2 males to 8 females in another. So far no fighting or deaths.

They were Georgia giants.

They take a lot longer to get to adult size than cotournix. But I like them they give me meat and eggs just on a longer timeframe. They are a lot more flighty and wild than cotournix.

Don't know about gambles quail.

 

[Binki]

Another point, if you're getting them to just let them do their thing and enjoy watching them, you may have birds that are nervous with your presence and I have heard about people changing their feed and water or walking by the cage and they run into walls trying to get away from them but some people really enjoy them despite this.

On the other hand, some single raised bobwhites and Gambel's have turned out to be amazing and tame pets! But that likely won't happen if they're not hand raised as a single bird.

Coturnix quail are the derp of quail. They don't know they're in captivity. They don't even jump/fly away when I have their cage doors wide open.

I have a small planted aviary with a little group of quail, a male and his girls. I love watching them dustbathe, scratch for bugs, make super bad nests, do their creepy soft egg laying time screech noises, etc. they all have different personalities and some of my quail actually like to cuddle a few don't like me but I go in their cage all the time and they only skitter if I touch them - but they're allowed to peck me to see if I have treats, apparently xD

So if you're looking for silly quail action (they sometimes popcorn dance when they're happy/frisky) and beautiful colors (even the "normal/wild/brown types") then coturnix might be best, as the other quail will hide and stress with people.

 

[Binki]

These are all coturnix quail, but again I think they're all lovely, I don't care which color they are its just what my eggs hatched

Tip - the white ones tend to be more skittish - check out his stupid face xD with the random eyeliner coloring haha.

If you want tame quail best bet would be to

A. Pick out the least spazzy young chicks/birds from a breeder and

B. Treat them and talk to them

My treat noise is a kissy sound and it will suddenly turn placid quail into little monsters - it's the only time they try and jump out, to get at the treat first xD

I don't mean to sway you towards coturnix, just if you're looking for birds you can observe and interact with then they would be best. But weather wise they need a more protected shelter than the other types of quail.