Coturnix Quail Anyone?

[TexasLisa]

I am like FJ. I had quail once. Really don't know if I liked it or not. It was a specialty at a Mexican restaurant.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Don't use 1/4" hardware cloth for the floor, the poop won't fall through and you'll end up with a nasty mess that is difficult to clean and birds who start getting bumble foot. Use 1/2" hardware cloth for the floor. Some places sell it vinyl coated so it's a little nicer on their feet. All of my cages are made with 1/2" hardware cloth for all sides; 2'*3' and maximum adult birds I keep per cage is 6 (1 male and up to 5 females). Most of my breeding groups have 2-4 females though.

 

[flowerbug]

don't the gizzards have crunchy stuff in them that you don't want to eat? or just swallow it whole and let the digestive system sort it out (kinda like what i do with oysters )...

 

[flowerbug]

@FarmerJamie i don't eat the shells... haha!

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

I was hoping you would post a photo! Thanks!

I still want to try quail and still haven't done anything about it. Murray McMurray sells them by 100 count, which is way more than I want.

I am glad I jumped on this thread. I want some quail too--DH was even on board for it this fall but it got too late and I didn't want to start something new right when the snow flies and I would have needed to find some.

100 is more than I would want too but maybe we could split a shipment @tortoise

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

Anyone have quail cage dimensions, suggestions, tips, pics etc. Still really considering this for spring. Would want them for their eggs and then eating

 

[Alaskan]

I kept them in a 2 x 8, one male and 6 to 10 girls.

 

[Alaskan]

X2 on never having 2 males in the same cage.

I thought chickens could get bad... but wow... male quail are really bad.

I never tried having a male only pen.... my males were always with the females.

 

[tortoise]

I've used all manner of cages, lol. I have gone now to all hardware cloth to keep mice from coming in and eating their feed. Different size cages get different amounts of birds. Smaller cages I'll generally keep my concentration of male/female about 1 to 3 or 4. Larger pens maybe 1 male to 5 or 6 females. I've never had luck having two males in the same pen even with extra females. They fight like crazy. But, I've kept males together if no females are present.

what size cage would you use for 6?

 

[tortoise]

To convert a rabbit cage, I need to cover the bottom and up the sides a few inches with 1/4" hardware cloth?

Do they use chick feeder and waterer?