Thinking of quail

[HappyDuckie]

Hey all! I'm thinking about getting quail soon, but don't know all that much about them. What breed is "best"? Is it better to get them young or matured? Also, can they live with chickens and ducks and free range with them? All help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[JadeFarms]

No they are too small to live with chickens. And if they are free ranged they will run away. I like coturnix quail, they are larger, come in many colors and lay pretty eggs. Especially celadon coturnix, they lay blue eggs. If I’m not mistaken there are some places that don’t allow bobwhite quail so you would have to check.
Button quail are super small so if you are looking for something that lays larger eggs then you should do coturnix. I don’t know a lot about bobwhite.

 

[Tomqhill]

Hey all! I'm thinking about getting quail soon, but don't know all that much about them. What breed is "best"? Is it better to get them young or matured? Also, can they live with chickens and ducks and free range with them? All help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

i can't speak to keeping with other birds, - but the number of times I have had to run around the neighborhood because one flew away - you might never see them again if you free-range quail

 

[HappyDuckie]

Ah ok. The coop and run are pretty much empty all day, with the ducks and chickens out and about, so really the only problem would be at night. Is it OK for them to sleep in the same area? Or would I need to build a new coop/run for em?

 

[NatJ]

Is it better to get them young or matured?

Coturnix quail can start laying eggs when they are 6-8 weeks old.
So getting mature ones would not save you much time!

Quail chicks are very tiny, which could cause trouble shipping them through the mail--I tend to see quite a few eggs for sale and not many chicks or adult quail for sale.

 

[HappyDuckie]

Coturnix quail can start laying eggs when they are 6-8 weeks old.
So getting mature ones would not save you much time!

Quail chicks are very tiny, which could cause trouble shipping them through the mail--I tend to see quite a few eggs for sale and not many chicks or adult quail for sale.

I wouldn't have them shipped, there's a feed and seed near me that sells em

 

[NatJ]

I wouldn't have them shipped, there's a feed and seed near me that sells em

In that case, whatever age they sell is the easiest to start with

If they have all ages, then adults would save you the bother of brooding the first ones, but they have a short enough lifespan that you would probably be brooding new ones each year after the first.

 

[HappyDuckie]

In that case, whatever age they sell is the easiest to start with

If they have all ages, then adults would save you the bother of brooding the first ones, but they have a short enough lifespan that you would probably be brooding new ones each year after the first.

Ok! Another thing, will the hens go broody and hatch their own? (If i end up getting a male one, of course)

 

[NatJ]

Ok! Another thing, will the hens go broody and hatch their own? (If i end up getting a male one, of course)

According to what I've read, usually not.

(I don't actually have any quail myself, but I like to read about raising many kinds of animals, so I've picked up some of the basic information about quail.)

 

[Fishychix]

Coturnix are your best bet. No, they don’t go broody. That said, there is a thread going on right now where someone actually does have a broody quail hen. What type does your store sell? They should know which breeds require a permit or are restricted, but don’t forgo your own research.
The guy I got mine from did have them semi free range BUT its not recommended. They are very flighty. Chicks are so stinking cute! Its crazy how tiny they are.
How many do you want to start with?