Where do I start?

[ChickenGeek_101]

I'm usually here on the chickens & ducks side of things, but I've been have seriously thinking about adding quails to the mix soon! It will still be a month or two before I'm able to get things set up. at the moment I'm the middle of moving, just thought maybe i should have a few questions answered first before I do anything!

#1 Where should I start?
#2 whats the best housing for them?
#3 what are the pros and cons of raising them?
#4 what are some things I should know before?

 

[Jpat]

I'm usually here on the chickens & ducks side of things, but I've been have seriously thinking about adding quails to the mix soon! It will still be a month or two before I'm able to get things set up. at the moment I'm the middle of moving, just thought maybe i should have a few questions answered first before I do anything!

#1 Where should I start?
#2 whats the best housing for them?
#3 what are the pros and cons of raising them?
#4 what are some things I should know before?

Hey there! Iam no expert. Hardly even experienced but ive had my quails for about 2 years now

So from my experience quails live on solely on the ground, so focus on ground space

They are bouncy and ive had a bad experience where a male bumped his head so hard he was bleeding, so a high or soft roof is good

The males are pretty aggresive and mate constantly so i cut down to 5 hens and 1 rooster. They will pull feathers and peck and stress females out constantly

They like hiding places so i put spruce bows and boxes in with my quails

My favorite part is they can be kept indoors!

How many do you plan on keeping?

i keep mine in my duck coop, its about 2x2x9 feet long. i plan on adding 4 more hens

 

[Nabiki]

I've only been keeping quail for 6 or 7 months, but I love them. I live in the suburbs, so I don't really have room for chickens. Quail are quiet enough that they don't disturb the neighbours.

I keep mine on my garden beds during the winter to fertilize the beds and take them off about now (last week, in fact) so the manure can compost before I plant my seedlings. They eat bugs and I haven't seen as many grubs, earwigs or roly polys this year as I have in the past.

 

[Jpat]

I've only been keeping quail for 6 or 7 months, but I love them. I live in the suburbs, so I don't really have room for chickens. Quail are quiet enough that they don't disturb the neighbours.

I keep mine on my garden beds during the winter to fertilize the beds and take them off about now (last week, in fact) so the manure can compost before I plant my seedlings. They eat bugs and I haven't seen as many grubs, earwigs or roly polys this year as I have in the past.

Thats a great setup!

 

[Nabiki]

Thats a great setup!

Thanks! The first picture is from last fall after I was done with my garden, and the second is from last week when I moved them off of the beds.

 

[blackandtan]

@Kiki is the quail pro

 

[Kiki]

I'll just list a few things.

I keep my quail in cages but on dirt.
I like dirt.

I don't like integrating birds.

One male per cage.

 

[Quailobsessed]

What species are you planning on raising? I'd assume japanese quail, they seem to be the most common, but there are pros and cons to other species too. It also depends on what you're raising for (meat, eggs, pets...)

I like to raise mine on the ground. They really love dirt. They are generally best to be kept in groups of one male to however many females (people always say different things, but it is generally 2-4, by the way, this is the japanese quail). I though, haven't found these pairings to work with my birds. I find that if there are two many females, they attack the male, for example. So I have two keep two males, who get along, in with the four females so the girls don't start a rebellion. This is just my experience, every bird is different.

They are really good to raise because of their small size and because they take only 6-8 weeks to mature. They are generally quieter than chickens, but you can still use them for eggs, meat, or, like me, pets.

Cons, they are generally less tame than chickens and can fly quite high, so you need a closed in run. They can also be complicated to house (in my experience anyway).

This is just my experience anyway. Hope it's helpful.

 

[le_bwah]

Where should I start?

You should decide:

• the species you want
• how much space you'll be able to afford them (inside or outside)
• what you'll keep them for (meat, eggs, pets)
• to hatch or not to hatch
• where you'll source the initial birds/eggs

Whats the best housing for them?

I've only ever raised my pet Coturnix (Japanese quail) on dirt/bedding, which they love. Sure, it's more of a hassle to clean, but I think it gives you healthier, happier birds. If you can afford it, give them plenty more space than 2 square feet per bird—that's when their natural behavior comes out. And however you build your enclosure, be sure to use 1/2 inch hardware cloth.

This is a pic from inside my aviary from last summer, before I put bark down.

Here it is now—bark makes a huge difference in the mud-factor.

What are the pros and cons of raising them?

Pros:

• if you enjoy birds as pets, they're great fun to watch
• if you want to eat them, they're excellent growers
• tasty eggs
• variety of interesting color mutations
• very quiet (hens, at least)

Cons:

• not "friendly" birds—don't generally enjoy handling, may be flighty
• won't typically rear their own young
• gender ratios can be finicky
• roosters crow and can become aggressive
• literally everything wants to eat them

What are some things I should know before?

This is for Coturnix, mind you—can be much different for other species:

• Rule of thumb for gender is 1 rooster to 3-5 hens. You might have to play around with that, as different birds have different temperaments
• They LOVE to have cover in their cage. I use grasses, wicker wastebaskets with holes cut out, logs I dragged out of the woods, cardboard boxes, Christmas tree branches and a broken doghouse, etc. They aren't especially discerning.
• They flush when threatened. Short cages can have padded ceilings, tall cages usually let them get it out of their system before they crack their heads.
• Handle them gently and often when young, and they tend to be more friendly as adults. That said, I can handle and hand-feed only about half of my flock.

 

[ChickenGeek_101]

Where should I start?

You should decide:

• the species you want
• how much space you'll be able to afford them (inside or outside)
• what you'll keep them for (meat, eggs, pets)
• to hatch or not to hatch
• where you'll source the initial birds/eggs

Whats the best housing for them?

I've only ever raised my pet Coturnix (Japanese quail) on dirt/bedding, which they love. Sure, it's more of a hassle to clean, but I think it gives you healthier, happier birds. If you can afford it, give them plenty more space than 2 square feet per bird—that's when their natural behavior comes out. And however you build your enclosure, be sure to use 1/2 inch hardware cloth.

View attachment 2034708
This is a pic from inside my aviary from last summer, before I put bark down.

View attachment 2034709
Here it is now—bark makes a huge difference in the mud-factor.

What are the pros and cons of raising them?

Pros:

• if you enjoy birds as pets, they're great fun to watch
• if you want to eat them, they're excellent growers
• tasty eggs
• variety of interesting color mutations
• very quiet (hens, at least)

Cons:

• not "friendly" birds—don't generally enjoy handling, may be flighty
• won't typically rear their own young
• gender ratios can be finicky
• roosters crow and can become aggressive
• literally everything wants to eat them

What are some things I should know before?

This is for Coturnix, mind you—can be much different for other species:

• Rule of thumb for gender is 1 rooster to 3-5 hens. You might have to play around with that, as different birds have different temperaments
• They LOVE to have cover in their cage. I use grasses, wicker wastebaskets with holes cut out, logs I dragged out of the woods, cardboard boxes, Christmas tree branches and a broken doghouse, etc. They aren't especially discerning.
• They flush when threatened. Short cages can have padded ceilings, tall cages usually let them get it out of their system before they crack their heads.
• Handle them gently and often when young, and they tend to be more friendly as adults. That said, I can handle and hand-feed only about half of my flock.

Wow lots of great information, Thank you! I would like to start out with them as pets, and see how that goes. Will definitely start looking more into what all i need to get them.
1 more question, what about during the winter, will they need special heating, or just a closed in coop with a light or will the be fine in the run?
(Am i getting ahead of myself?)