When they are babies, use marble to keep them from drowning in the water. Use something like paper towels or puppy pee pads (which is what these quail chicks are standing on) for traction for the first week (newspaper is too slippery). I used a heat lamp for the first week (while 125watt brooder bulb as they were brooded indoors and did not need a 250watt, which would have been too hot). I switched to a brooder plate - this is an adjustable platform that is low wattage, but heats by contact (like under a momma hen). Nice and clean, but I did find that the quail did not keep warm enough under it their first week and they needed the heat from the bulb. https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heating-plates-and-covers - this will show you what I've used as the heating plate. Instead of a cover, I used "Press N Seal" by Glad https://www.walmart.com/ip/Glad-Press-n-Seal-Food-Plastic-Wrap-140-sq-ft-Roll/24471001 and just changed it every couple of days - it keeps the poop off the top of the plate and doesn't cost $50 (like the domed plastic covers might cost).
Quail don't need a large area, unless you want them to have a large area. Keep 1 male with 4-6 females. More than one male (even in a large enclosure) will result in fighting. Too few females means that the males will be too <ahem> insistent with the females and stress them out. Use 1/4" hardware cloth - this will keep out any small predators if you are keeping them outdoors (mice and rats can possibly get through 1/2"). If they will have a ground cage outdoors, many people have found they need to put up a barrier at the bottom (up the sides 6" - 12"). And you would need to use an "apron" of hardware cloth to keep out digging predators. If you will have them outdoors in a raised wire cage, then you will need to keep the predators from accessing the birds from below. Several quail have died by having their feet pulled out from their bodies due to predators trying to get them from underneath like from opossums and raccoons. Quail LOVE dust baths! A cheap cake tin with some sand is all they need if you have a wire cage, and gives them a place to get off the wire bottom. Some people just build in a solid bottom floor as part of the cage. Quail will lay their eggs wherever, and not in a nest box, so you might be hunting for the eggs if the cage or enclosure is large, or on the ground. Good Luck, whatever you do.
Quail don't need a large area, unless you want them to have a large area. Keep 1 male with 4-6 females. More than one male (even in a large enclosure) will result in fighting. Too few females means that the males will be too <ahem> insistent with the females and stress them out. Use 1/4" hardware cloth - this will keep out any small predators if you are keeping them outdoors (mice and rats can possibly get through 1/2"). If they will have a ground cage outdoors, many people have found they need to put up a barrier at the bottom (up the sides 6" - 12"). And you would need to use an "apron" of hardware cloth to keep out digging predators. If you will have them outdoors in a raised wire cage, then you will need to keep the predators from accessing the birds from below. Several quail have died by having their feet pulled out from their bodies due to predators trying to get them from underneath like from opossums and raccoons. Quail LOVE dust baths! A cheap cake tin with some sand is all they need if you have a wire cage, and gives them a place to get off the wire bottom. Some people just build in a solid bottom floor as part of the cage. Quail will lay their eggs wherever, and not in a nest box, so you might be hunting for the eggs if the cage or enclosure is large, or on the ground. Good Luck, whatever you do.
