Raising Quail Chicks

[chicken+quail=luv]

i am going to be hatching and raising quail soon, but i still have a few more questions.
I have hatched chicks before and i was wondering if there are any big differences between hatching chickens and button quail. Also, what is some good home-made food besides hard boiled egg?

 

[chicken_angler]

I am not sure to your ?'s but i just love your screen name

 

[chicken+quail=luv]

thanx!

 

[shelleyd2008]

*chicken+quail=luv* :

i am going to be hatching and raising quail soon, but i still have a few more questions.
I have hatched chicks before and i was wondering if there are any big differences between hatching chickens and button quail. Also, what is some good home-made food besides hard boiled egg?

Well, first of all

#2: the biggest difference is the time factor. Buttons take about 16 days, coturnix about 18 days, and bobwhites is I believe 24 days, but not sure on those.

#3: they are hard to hatch period, and shipped eggs are even harder. I have heard they need consistent humidity of 50% until you stop turning, which is three days before hatch, just like chickens. Then you raise the humidity as high as you can get it. The temps are the same for chickens. This is just my opinion, but many on here will tell you that for still air you need a temp of 101.5. That is wrong!! My eggs have always hatched up to 3 days early like that, even one was 4 days early! Forced air is 99.5. Get or make a water wiggler to test the inside temp of the egg. You can do a search for it.

#4: You need to get some unmedicated game bird starter. I have heard people say you can use regular unmedicated chick starter, but you would need to add something for protein, or they won't grow as big.

#5: Make sure you have a small quail waterer, or something similar that they don't have to climb into to get a drink. A regular chick waterer will not work as it is too tall. I used an X-Sm. gladware bowl. I put some small holes around the inside rim, and filled it with water, turned it upside down and voila!! Instant quail waterer. It had an opening about 1/4 inch wide, so they couldn't get in it.

I'm not an expert by far, but I am always happy to help. Let me know if I missed something!​

 

[chicken+quail=luv]

thanks so much!

 

[shelleyd2008]

There is a forum on here called turkey quail doves etc. if you check the index. That's where most of us quail addicts hang out!! monarc23 has a thread on there about coturnix quail. Pretty informative. She is a walking search engine when it comes to quail. If she doesn't know, she will find out!

 

[chicken+quail=luv]

oh! that sounds cool, i'll go there!