Some Quail Questions

[EarthView]

I'm kind of doubting myself now. I feel like the 24x24 are too small. Maybe a cage alot like those just longer and a little wider? And use the stack as growout/ housing for extra roos? Thanks for all the replies!
-Max

 

[CoturnixComplex]

And now that I am thinking about color sexing chicks I'm pretty sure ONLY roux dilute would work. You'd need a dilute hen with two copies of the gene, and breed her to a wild type male. All the males chicks would be dilute from day one and the female chicks would be darker wild-type but carriers.

That's kind of a proposition though OP! It's a recessive sex-linked gene so getting a dilute hen in the first place is tricky. I only have a dilute male. I know you can order eggs online though. I actually aim to create some dilute hens for this purpose bit it will be at least six months before I have any.

Blues/silvers might work too but I haven't actually confirmed that gender split (silver with light feet/beak = male, blue with dark feet/beak = female) holds true for everyone, just some anecdotal evidence, including my own.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

I'm kind of doubting myself now. I feel like the 24x24 are too small. Maybe a cage alot like those just longer and a little wider? And use the stack as growout/ housing for extra roos?
-Max

I'm not gonna talk you out of getting them more floor space, they will appreciate that, but my birds are more crowded than that and in great health (although they also get periodic runs outside in a big kennel). The smaller the quarters the more you have to pay attention to pecking order and individual preferences. I have had to shuffle a few times.

EDIT: And again, if you live in town you are NOT going to want to hang on to extra males. As soon as they start crowing they're going to need to be processed or housed with females. Lonely boys are LOUD boys.

 

[EarthView]

I think I like that better. One large cage for the main "flock" and the stack for various other purposes. The one 24x24 cage by itself would be good for quarantine in the house.
Thanks!-Max

 

[CoturnixComplex]

I think I like that better. One large cage for the main "flock" and the stack for various other purposes. The one 24x24 cage by itself would be good for quarantine in the house

Check out coops and hutches for sale on CL, guarantee you can find something bigger real cheap! It is definitely handy to have extra smaller cages around for QT/injuries/breeding.

I started with one and now I have fourteen cages of birds

 

[feedman77]

Check out coops and hutches for sale on CL, guarantee you can find something bigger real cheap! It is definitely handy to have extra smaller cages around for QT/injuries/breeding.

I started with one and now I have fourteen cages of birds

Lol. Same for me started with 6 hens and a roo couple years ago.

Had pens of tuxedo, standard, goldens, silvers, and a & m s.

Hatched out over 4000 quail last year. Decided that was too many birds now I'm back to about 20 birds total.

 

[CoturnixComplex]

Lol. Same for me started with 6 hens and a roo couple years ago.

Had pens of tuxedo, standard, goldens, silvers, and a & m s.

Hatched out over 4000 quail last year. Decided that was too many birds now I'm back to about 20 birds total.

That is a LOT of quail O.O

Maybe I should be glad I am limited to keeping mine indoors, it would be physically impossible.

Also, person with silvers! Can you comment on the silver=male blue=female theory? At least one other breeder floated it somewhere and it's held true with me, albeit only on three birds so far.

 

[EarthView]

I really like tuxedos, very pretty birds. Not too worried about noise and the neighbours because I have a Goffins Cockatoo and a Sun Conure that scream loud enough to burst my ears. No complaints yet
-Max

 

[CindyinSD]

“Homestead Traditions” has some videos on raising quail on YouTube. I thought they were pretty informative. It’s my understanding that the “wild type” coloring can be feather sexed. The males have a reddy colored breast once they get a little older. The females are kind of spotted on the breast, but not reddish at all. I’m planning to get some of that variety, just to make things easier and because I like the look.

White meat chickens are desirable because they pluck cleaner and leave a nice unspotted carcass. Quail are not plucked but skinned, so feather color is a matter of what you like to look at and what’s more readily available. I did read one person saying that the whites were smaller, but that was just one source.

Since you want to raise quail mostly for meat, you’ll need an incubator. From what I’ve read, quail are very rarely interested in incubating their own eggs. You won’t need a fancy cabinet incubator to supply enough meat for just the two of you, though. The Hovabator Feedman recommended should do just fine. That’s the one I plan to get.

 

[EarthView]

So one more question I had. I forgot about this DIY rabbit cage I have in the garage. It was built for a Flemish Giant and its an on the ground. I would love to use it as its quiet large and I think would give them plenty of room to be birds. I'm just not sure what type of bedding to use and what type of feeders and waterers for an on the ground cage.
-Max