What's your quail setup like? I'm looking to build something next year when I incubate again

[ivy_huan]

Can someone show me your setup for quails outdoor ?

I hatched out 5 quails a month ago and turned out I have at least 3 males. Now the two that being picked at are in separate pen while the other three are in the same pen. I am really having hard time source females where I live, everyone sells straight runs ...

So thinking ahead next year, I want to start early to build my own flock.
I'm planning on starting early to incubate but how do I deal with it if I hatch out too many boys again ?

I'm thinking about building a quail hotel, is that a thing with separate enclosure for each of them ? Or will I be better off building a large coop to house them all together ?

I would like them to have a lots of space

I'm new to this please give me some ideas

Thank you

 

[Lolaish]

Hi, am new to it too. But what I do understand is you do in more females. Rehome or freeze your extra males and start hatching now. The goal is for you to get at least 5 females for every 1 male. And I think, by you not having enough females may cause issues with fighting etc. (I could be wrong.)

 

[MeanCheek]

For a coop, I have a 'tractor'. It's about as close to free ranging as quail can get.
With a tractor they can get grass and the like and fertilize your lawn!

Extra males are troublesome. You will need a ratio of about 1 roo to at least 4 hens.
You can sell or eat the males you don't want.

 

[ivy_huan]

For a coop, I have a 'tractor'. It's about as close to free ranging as quail can get.
With a tractor they can get grass and the like and fertilize your lawn!

Extra males are troublesome. You will need a ratio of about 1 roo to at least 4 hens.
You can sell or eat the males you don't want.

I think I'm gonna end up eating them as it was the original plan but I would like to hatch out more. My problem is I don't have a lot of space to separate them .. so now I'm trying to think ahead next year see what enclosure I can build to keep them separate.

I saw this coop and really like the idea to keep the main flock basically build a coop next to a raise bed.

I'm wondering if anyone has separate room like enclosure to keep the males separately

 

[MeanCheek]

I think I'm gonna end up eating them as it was the original plan but I would like to hatch out more. My problem is I don't have a lot of space to separate them .. so now I'm trying to think ahead next year see what enclosure I can build to keep them separate.

I saw this coop and really like the idea to keep the main flock basically build a coop next to a raise bed.

I'm wondering if anyone has separate room like enclosure to keep the males separately

My extra males live in this little community. There's enough space they can get away from each other

(It does look overcrowded, but I'm going to expand it)

 

[ivy_huan]

My extra males live in this little community. There's enough space they can get away from each other View attachment 3236915(It does look overcrowded, but I'm going to expand it)

It doesn't look over crowd to me at all lol I'm new to this but this looks amazing

I'm thinking about building something similar but with a raise bed attach to it to make compost soil out of them lol

Then make a stackable cages with pull out tray to accommodate the males

 

[Cool-breeze7]

If you go for a large outdoor aviary style enclosure the roo to hen ratio can be much more forgiving based on my own experience as well as reading around online. Currently I have 4/10 or a ratio of 1:2.5 and everyone seems happy. I want more hens but that’s just for getting more eggs.

Unfortunately it’s almost always freezer camp for extra roos. That’s just part of the gig.

An aviary style may not be right for you but when the birds have enough space and things to do other than mate, the hens don’t seem to get worked so hard.

 

[QuailTail]

If the males are out of earshot of the females I've found they can live together without too much fighting. I kept two of my males (notorious for fighting when they were together with 7 females) together in a small hutch far enough away that they couldn't hear the females and they were very content to hang out together. But then I ate them

 

[TullyRiver Quail]

Hi, am new to it too. But what I do understand is you do in more females. Rehome or freeze your extra males and start hatching now. The goal is for you to get at least 5 females for every 1 male. And I think, by you not having enough females may cause issues with fighting etc. (I could be wrong.)

4-5 females to 1 rooster for fertile egg production with less wear n tear on the hens. Or, 1 male to one female as pets or in breeder cages (as they mate as pairs in nature) aa they learn to love each other more gently. The addition of a second hen causes problems with competition in a breeding pair set.
Tully River Quail Co Reading PA

 

[Nabiki]

4-5 females to 1 rooster for fertile egg production with less wear n tear on the hens. Or, 1 male to one female as pets or in breeder cages (as they mate as pairs in nature) aa they learn to love each other more gently. The addition of a second hen causes problems with competition in a breeding pair set.
Tully River Quail Co Reading PA

It sounds like you've been lucky. I have seen some gruesomely scalped hens when coturnix are kept in pairs.