Scaled quail care??

[KenjiQuacker]

Hello!

I know a lot about raising cot quail, but I'm adopting some scaled quail soon and I don't know much about how to care for them. I'm also getting a bobwhite quail. So just had a few questions.

Do I feed scaled quail the same thing I'd feed coturnix? (Gamebird feed).

Do you need a certain ratio of male to female scaled quail?

Is scaled quail egg incubation different from coturnix quail incubation, and what do you feed the chicks?

If a bobwhite and a scaled quail bred, would the offspring be able to breed and have chicks? (if I bred them to a quail of a different family, not sibling to sibling).

Are there any special requirements for either Bobwhite or Scaled quail?

Thanks!

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Scaled and Bobs are New World quail, and while I’m not an expert on them, I know that they are monogamous in the breeding season and must be kept in pairs or else they will fight, during the off season they will be okay in a large covey.
Generally I think gamebird feed, high protein, is necessary for all game birds while they are growing.
Scaled quail and Bobwhite have 23-24 day incubation, which probably can vary (again, not an expert) which is more than the 18 days you generally have with Coturnix.
Scaled quail and Bobwhite can interbreed. The result is called a “blob” (blue scaled + bob) by hunters. I don’t know if they are fertile or not. Here is a thread with some healthy looking blobs, but I do not encourage breeding hybrids.https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-with-blue-scale-female-blob-quail.1401872/
Even if you do, please do not release the birds to anyone. Some people are unaware that they are hybrids and will pollute the pure bloodlines will have huge issues in the behavior, health, and appearance of two very different species.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Scaled and Bobs are New World quail, and while I’m not an expert on them, I know that they are monogamous in the breeding season and must be kept in pairs or else they will fight, during the off season they will be okay in a large covey.
Generally I think gamebird feed, high protein, is necessary for all game birds while they are growing.
Scaled quail and Bobwhite have 23-24 day incubation, which probably can vary (again, not an expert) which is more than the 18 days you generally have with Coturnix.
Scaled quail and Bobwhite can interbreed. The result is called a “blob” (blue scaled + bob) by hunters. I don’t know if they are fertile or not. Here is a thread with some healthy looking blobs, but I do not encourage breeding hybrids.https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ng-with-blue-scale-female-blob-quail.1401872/
Even if you do, please do not release the birds to anyone. Some people are unaware that they are hybrids and will pollute the pure bloodlines will have huge issues in the behavior, health, and appearance of two very different species.

When you say fight, do you mean the females will fight? Or only the males? Cause we'll only have one male. But if any of them will fight then I'll have to figure something out...

Thanks, I won't sell them.

 

[shrimpsilkies]

When you say fight, do you mean the females will fight? Or only the males? Cause we'll only have one male. But if any of them will fight then I'll have to figure something out...

Thanks, I won't sell them.

Males fight males, and females fight females. I think they’re equally as bad. Only one male to a whole covey of females probably won’t work, although like I said I’m no expert. What I’ve heard is that they need to be kept in pairs, maybe trios but expect fighting if not in pairs.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Males fight males, and females fight females. I think they’re equally as bad. Only one male to a whole covey of females probably won’t work, although like I said I’m no expert. What I’ve heard is that they need to be kept in pairs, maybe trios but expect fighting if not in pairs.

Ohh ok, thanks for telling me. I'll only have 3 females and ones a coturnix, and I doubt the coturnix will fight. So maybe it'll be ok. If they start fighting though I'll separate them. The aviary I'm putting them in is pretty big though so maybe they'll avoid each other...? (edit) avoid each other during mating season I mean, cause they split off in pairs during mating season so maybe they'll just go separate ways for a bit.
If they fight I might just get a male bobwhite for the female. Do you think that would work?

 

[shrimpsilkies]

Ohh ok, thanks for telling me. I'll only have 3 females and ones a coturnix, and I doubt the coturnix will fight. So maybe it'll be ok. If they start fighting though I'll separate them. The aviary I'm putting them in is pretty big though so maybe they'll avoid each other...? (edit) avoid each other during mating season I mean, cause they split off in pairs during mating season so maybe they'll just go separate ways for a bit.
If they fight I might just get a male bobwhite for the female. Do you think that would work?

Pairs should be kept separate I believe. They will contest their territory. The single coturnix may be attacked.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Pairs should be kept separate I believe. They will contest their territory. The single coturnix may be attacked.

Oh alright... I'll figure something out. Thanks.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Just found out that the coturnix is actually a male, so it'll be two males and two females. Do you guys think that'll be ok?

 

[Nabiki]

Just found out that the coturnix is actually a male, so it'll be two males and two females. Do you guys think that'll be ok?

Mixing quail species usually isn't a good idea. You might be able to get away with it if you have a large aviary.

 

[KenjiQuacker]

Mixing quail species usually isn't a good idea. You might be able to get away with it if you have a large aviary.

The place I'm getting them from has them living together already, so maybe it'll be ok. My aviaries pretty big, I wouldn't say huge but big enough that they can easily avoid each other or hide from each other if they wanted to. Thanks!