I have some quails hatching now , . The eggs were given to me by a friend who bought them from an agricultural show so I thought I would give them a go in the bator 9 so far have pipped !!! . I have three day old chicks in the brooder can I put them in with them ? and in the future can they live with the other chickens? The others are all free range with no fencing , do I need to fence the quails ? need some advice please ????
Quail will run off. They will not return to the coop at night or stay in the area if they are not fenced. They can clear a fence as well as most bantam chickens. Other than that I think the only obstacle to keep quail penned with chickens is the size difference may lead to them getting picked on. I've been debating if there's a way to let my button quail loose in the bottom of my large coop with my bantams but I want to free range the bantams. I'd have to come up with a way to keep quail in and let chickens in and out.
The quail can run and fly very well. The chickens will also pick them to death. I have two quail in with my ducks and they try to pick on them. I know chicken wouldn't be a good match!
Don't know how well they would do in confinement, but my White Leghorn pullets seems to get on OK with the wild quail. I've seen them scratching together under the bird feeder. The quail are a bit skittish, but the pullets don't chase them the way they chase the magpies and the scrub jays.
It is not recommended. Quail are wild by nature, and even the tamest coturnix will fly away if given the chance. They are best kept in an aviary, or rabbit-hutch design pen. They are pretty small, and though they will brood well with chicken chicks, once the chicks are larger than the quail, they will be picked on. I'm not sure about the compatibility of diseases, either... Either way, I would plan on housing the quail separate from the chickens. What kind of quail are you hatching?