What can quail not eat?

[CuteQuail]

Thanks for all the help! I'll see what I can do about my quail.

 

[CuteQuail]

My neighbors have chickens and when they brought in new hens, the chickens fought and they had to bring them back. Will that happen to my quail if I bring in new females?

 

[Fishkeeper]

You have to acclimate them properly. Put the new birds where the old ones can see but not touch them for a couple weeks, then add the new birds in. They'll scuffle some at first, but they'll settle down. Quail (at least, coturnix) are easier to add to than chickens.

 

[CuteQuail]

So keep them in separate cages? I will only have one male and one female in one cage so they would get lonely right?

 

[Fishkeeper]

You can try putting them in together as soon as you get the new ones, but there's a chance they'll fight. At least put them next to each other, separated, for a few minutes, and watch to see if your current ones behave aggressively towards the new ones.

 

[CuteQuail]

And if they do?

 

[Fishkeeper]

Then split them up and introduce them properly. Give them a minute, a little bit of scuffling at first is normal, but if they keep at each other you have to intervene.

 

[CuteQuail]

Introduce them properly like face to face? I don't understand

 

[Fishkeeper]

"introduce them properly" as in use the acclimation and introduction process I listed above.
Here, I'll just put a step-by-step for what you should do.

1: get rid of 3 of those males. Eat them, give them away, whatever, as long as it's humane. While you're waiting to get more, keep an eye on your current ones. Make sure your male isn't over-mating the female. You may have to separate them if he is.
2: get adult females, if at all possible. If you can't, hatch them, or raise them from baby chicks, and get them to being fully feathered before you try to put them together.
3: put the new quail in something that they can see through, and set that container inside your current quail enclosure. Watch how they interact through the container with the old quail. If you don't see any aggression, go to step 4. If you see aggression, go to step 5.
4: put the new quail inside the enclosure with the old quail, and watch. If they chase each other and act aggressive for more than a few hours, go to step 5. If not, you're done.
5 (for if they don't get along): separate them. Put the old quail and the new quail in separate enclosures, where they can see each other but can't touch each other. Wait a week or so, or until they stop being aggressive at each other through the wall.
6: repeat step 4.

 

[CuteQuail]

Can I have a ratio of 2 males and 3 females? I would like to stay at 5 quail.