Texas A&M quail Help *Newbie*

[JoshuaBurke]

TEXAS A&M QUAIL HELP *NEWBIE*

Hello Friends,

I purchased 2 Texas A&M quails from a breeder.


Q1: When Will my new adult quail start laying eggs?

Q2: How to sex male and female apart?

Q3: What should I feed them?

Q4: Is ultra fine scratch feed okay to feed them?

Q5: What temperature do I need to keep my cage?

Q6: Are Quail eggs good to eat and what is the difference from a chicken egg to a quail egg?

Q7: Will the mother quail sit on her eggs or do I need to put them in a incubator?

Q8: What is the life span of a Texas A&M quail?

Q9: Is it okay to give them veggies and fruit?

Q10: What is a approximate size cage for them? (House for 2)

Thanks for answering my questions in advance!

 

[funsized72]

Im a newbie at quails too but I think I can answer some of your questions.
1. I think when they get comfortable with their cage. A week or so?
2. You can't visually tell Texas A&M quails apart but you can vent sex them.
3. I feed mine quail & dove seed I get at my feed store and chick starter.
4. Sorry I don't know.
5. I don't regulate the temp of my cage because the weather here is not too hot or cold. I do however keep a clear shower curtain thing over the cage to act as a wind breaker.
6. I feel like they are the same but apparently quail eggs have only good cholesterol and chickens have good and bad. I don't know this is just what I heard.
7. They don't sit on their eggs. Just put 16 quail eggs into the incubator! Yay it's my first time

!
8. I think 3 years. But 2 if you plan to make them lay in the winter.
9. Yes just not avocado. Its suppose to be poisonous
10. 1 sq foot per bird.

 

[JoshuaBurke]

Thank you so much for your time and answers! Have a great day!

 

[dc3085]

TEXAS A&M QUAIL HELP *NEWBIE*

Hello Friends,

I purchased 2 Texas A&M quails from a breeder.


Q1: When Will my new adult quail start laying eggs?
6-12 weeks depending on genetics and environment

Q2: How to sex male and female apart?
White coturnix do not autosex so you must either vent sex or wait to see who crows.

Q3: What should I feed them?
30% protein gamebird starter as chicks 20-25% protein game bird starter as adults. Feed oyster shell freely to hens (roo won't bother it) for additional calcium.

Q4: Is ultra fine scratch feed okay to feed them?
No. Don't feed them anything with too much powdery feed (respiratory issues) or anything designed for chickens. Chickens have a higher calcium requirement and quail roosters cannot process the extra calcium.

Q5: What temperature do I need to keep my cage?
After the birds reach maturity you don't need to heat the cage unless your temperature is well below zero. The birds are ok with cold in most cases as long as you use plastic sheeting to cover all the drafts. Remember coturnix exist in the wild primarily in Russia and Northern China where it is cold much of the year.

Q6: Are Quail eggs good to eat and what is the difference from a chicken egg to a quail egg?
Because Unlike chickens quail do not carry salmonella in their digestive tract you may eat quail eggs raw, thereby gaining extra nutrition you would have cooked away. Even cooked they are very good and they are better for you than chicken eggs. This link describes their nutritional value.

Q7: Will the mother quail sit on her eggs or do I need to put them in a incubator?
Quail have been cage raised for too long to pass the brooding instinct on, you will need an incubator. Coturnix have been bred in captivity for well over 1000 years and possibly as much as 4000, we've damaged the breed along the way.

Q8: What is the life span of a Texas A&M quail?
They will lay for about 1.5 years steadily. After that production usually declines with the average quail living about 2-2.5 years although I've heard of some living to 5 years old anything past 3 is rare. I eat mine just after a year old and replace them with new breeding stock.

Q9: Is it okay to give them veggies and fruit?
Give it in a pan, they are picky and will waste a lot, this way you can remove what they don't eat before it molds. Avocado is poisonous to them.

Q10: What is a approximate size cage for them? (House for 2)
1 sq ft per bird is recommended but I'd try to give them more just so they don't look like they live in a jail.

Thanks for answering my questions in advance!

 

[Mirec732]

well thank you. I will use this on my website as FAQs

 

[Coturnix Quail]

Hey there! I'm on my second batch of quail, so I might be able to answer a few of your questions.

Q1: When Will my new adult quail start laying eggs? A1: They usually start around 6-8 weeks.

Q2: How to sex male and female apart? A2: Obvious and easy ways are that roos will crow, females will lay, females will be thinner, and, well, you could vent-sex, but I just usually watch who crows and remember that.

Q3: What should I feed them? A3: How old are they? I would use Starter/Grower at first and use Finisher once they start laying. For me that's the easiest way to tell.

Q4: Is ultra fine scratch feed okay to feed them? A4: Never used this feed, but if it has a sufficient amount of protein, 18-20%, then I think it should be fine.

Q5: What temperature do I need to keep my cage? A5: I didn't really use a thermometer although you really should, but I just based it off of how the chicks felt. If they're huddling right under the light, I would move it a little lower. If they are "hugging" the edges of the brooder, they're too hot, so move the heat lamp higher. You'll know it'll be just right when they wander about the brooder.

Q6: Are Quail eggs good to eat and what is the difference from a chicken egg to a quail egg? A6: Completely fine to eat. I usually just soak them in water for a bit if poop gets on them. I'm pretty sure quail eggs are healthier.

Q7: Will the mother quail sit on her eggs or do I need to put them in a incubator? Q7: Its pretty rare for this type of quail to go broody, so you'll need to incubate them.

Q8: What is the life span of a Texas A&M quail? Q8: I'm not 100% sure, but 5 years maybe depending on living conditions.

Q9: Is it okay to give them veggies and fruit? Q9: Most of the time, yes, but you should just check which veggies are ok and aren't ok to eat.

Q10: What is a approximate size cage for them? Q10: People say 2 sq. ft. pet bird but I give each of mine 6 sq. feet.

Hope This Helps.