Urban quail?

[LosOsosChick]

Probably a silly question, but can you keep quail in town, or are they too loud (like roosters)? Thanks!

 

[kingmt]

They can be pretty noisy. It would really depend on your state, ordinance, & type of quail you want.

 

[Kennebee]

Generally, yes. Ordinances are definitely important. Luckily, coturnix are unregulated in my state. Unluckily, my city has a nuisance law.

In my personal experience they are quiet birds that are loud under certain conditions. About a week after they all went to the outside coop they started crowing... and wouldn't stop. They crowed all hours of the night, which was the big issue. I was concerned, though my neighbors said they couldn't hear it, and we ended up culling most of the males we had at 6 weeks, instead of letting them grow a little more.

Since then the noise has mostly stopped, I almost never notice it unless I'm right in front of them. In fact, the incessant song birds in the trees are louder than my quail. I think it's important to keep a male:female ratio and housing setup that prevents competition between the males. That should help keep the noise down.

 

[kingmt]

If it is just a nuisance law you should be OK. They aren't that loud.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

What kind of quail are you considering? Usually females are quieter.

 

[kingmt]

Actually as long as the male has ladies he is pretty quiet. Much more then the ladies.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Oh, thanks. Sorry, I am thinking of bobwhites, usually the males are more vocal

 

[LosOsosChick]

Thank you all for your replies! From the sounds of it, they probably aren't that much louder than my chatty hens. I'd love to start a quail project sometime in the future!

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Try Snowflake bobwhite quail if you want a quiet, nice, and beautiful bird.