Quail questions

[Duckymark]

I loved having my quail. I got rid of them during one of my moves. 1 per square foot is a good guideline but i had some aggressive hens so i had to thin the flock down to 1 per 1.5 sqft. I got about 3 eggs a day from 5 hens. They make great tiny deviled eggs.

I have gone to partridge hoping for larger eggs. If it doesn't work out I'll be having 12 roast partridge and an outdoor coop with 50 coturnix.

They do lay different colored eggs so don't be alarmed to find the occasional white or blue egg.

 

[DK newbie]

I have 9 young roos in an 8 sqft cage at the moment. It's not like they'll kill each other over 1 square foot and the birds are probably just fine - but I think they look crowded and I would feel a lot better if I had 4 birds in that space, than the 9 I have. I intend to butcher them in a couple of weeks though, so in my case it's a very short term solution. I'd definitely not push it long term - not because they'll fight (they might, but they might also fight if kept at 4 sqft/bird), but because you take over the responsibility of the welfare of an animal when you purchase it and even if they don't fight having less than 1 sqft of personal space is hardly welfare.

 

[Erkenstein]

Yes I started with 1 square foot but now recommend at least 2 square feet each. The more space the better. Just because you can keep birds in a battery doesn't mean it's best for them. Even if you have them on wire, they like a sandbox or area with wood shavings or straw, obstacles, etc.

You'll want to have another space also for in case you have an aggressive or injured bird.

 

[Jus1]

I haven't read any of the comments so please forgive me if I reply with some of the same information. Getting them soon when? While coturnix quail can lay eggs in the winter personally I advise against it. They quit laying in the winter naturally due to less daylight. Giving them more light to keep them laying is NOT natural and you give your birds no break. I have 0 laying eggs now as I only give them a small rope light at the top of their enclosure, it's just enough for them to find their food and water and is not enough to keep them laying. It can be done as I said, this is just my opinion that you shouldn't. Also my opinion about their cage, you will find sites that tell you each bird only needs a square foot of space. While this may be true, I urge you to think about how you would feel in a tiny space. They DO jump up and limited space can hurt them. My girls jump all the time if they get spooked.

 

[Erkenstein]

I haven't read any of the comments so please forgive me if I reply with some of the same information. Getting them soon when? While coturnix quail can lay eggs in the winter personally I advise against it. They quit laying in the winter naturally due to less daylight. Giving them more light to keep them laying is NOT natural and you give your birds no break. I have 0 laying eggs now as I only give them a small rope light at the top of their enclosure, it's just enough for them to find their food and water and is not enough to keep them laying. It can be done as I said, this is just my opinion that you shouldn't. Also my opinion about their cage, you will find sites that tell you each bird only needs a square foot of space. While this may be true, I urge you to think about how you would feel in a tiny space. They DO jump up and limited space can hurt them. My girls jump all the time if they get spooked.

As for vertical space, in my experience it should be low enough for them not to generate too much force if they flush (my pens vary from 17-24 inches in height) or on the ground with at least six feet. Mine don't jump much and I try not to startle them.

The OP is looking for egg production. If the plan is to keep the birds for their lifespan (about 2-3 years) and keep feeding them for half the year without getting eggs, it is totally fine not to add light. If the plan is to keep a batch for the year of their laying prime and then cycle onto another batch, then light is the way to go.

 

[Arktos18]

Probably in the wrong place.
Smell free manure pans.
Use coffee grounds, spent ones. It keeps the smell down and is a great source for black soldier fly larvae. I get mine from Starbucks. I asked if I could collect their spent (used) coffee grounds. So, free litter. Let it dry then use it to cover the pan. No smell and free litter. For quail and quail products contact me.
Robert at cresthillfarms.com