So, I'm in the midst of separating my Gambel's quail so they don't start killing each other during their mating season, but seeing as it's only my first year of owning them, I'm curious: When can I put them back together? From what I've read, Gambel's quail (in the wild) generally pair off and have their babies, and then, after a while, they usually regroup with their old covey. My question is when and how do I do this for my flock? Do I just put my pair(s) and unpaired males back in with the unpaired females after they're done laying eggs and/or showing signs of mating/aggression? Or is there a certain time when it's safest to do this? Do I have to take certain steps beforehand or will I just be able to throw them in? I know that it's somewhat early to be asking this question, but it's better to know sooner rather than wait until it's too late or something. Anyway, any help would be much appreciated! Thanks! ^v^
They usually covey up in the fall and winter when their chicks are all grown up. In other words, the young of the year look like their parents and you can't tell who are the parents. Normally, you can put them together now, but it'll last only a few more months. Starting March afterwords, they'll start to pair up and that's when you'll see the most aggression.
