valley quail questions

[Sister Mary Michael]

I have a pair of Valleys; do I need more hens?

They are in a wire 24" x 24"cage inside right now as it was a nasty winter when we got them from a warmer climate. Want to move them outdoors soon. Should I build a larger cage and give them ground access? They are really wild and no eggs yet.

Want to make them as comfy as possible, and hopefully raise some for meat and a few eggs.

Any help out there?

 

[DuranAndy]

Most valley quail do fine in pairs or trios. I have mine on the ground with sand, they love it.

 

[Sister Mary Michael]

Thanks! As I type, I hear the male calling in the back room.
In the outside pen, what should the size be and what about predators? We have major raccoon problems.

 

[DuranAndy]

For a pair you would only need a couple square feet. Six square feet would make a nice pen. I don't really know what to do about predators because we don't have any around here.