Quail

[JanetMarie]

The quail are 3&1/2 and 4&1/2 weeks old. They all were moved to their new enclosure early this morning. There was just a little pecking going on, but since it is all new to both groups, it's been minimal. So far they're doing okay. Some are stressed from being moved, and hiding, but looks like some have been out eating. The love the bush branches.

Here is their outside pen. I have rolls of chicken mesh to attach to the pen so they can't escape.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

It's a shame ya'll have had such bad luck. Here - quail are one of the easiest of my critters to raise. They don't get sick, the chicks are easy to raise if they have heat, food and water. The last one I lost literally committed suicide by jumping out of the cage and right into the dogs mouth. She tried to spit him out real fast, but he wasn't having it, lol.

 

[JanetMarie]

Update! Memorial Day weekend I opened their outside door and they all finally went outside.

Here was more recently (June 17):

 

[JanetMarie]

They don't go back inside at night like chickens do. Their door is open all the time and some go inside at times. I had to put another layer of fencing on the inside of their run. Three layers of fencing to keep them safe!

 

[JanetMarie]

About time! Nice!

So, how many weeks old?

13 weeks when first egg was laid one week ago.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Are you raising them for eggs, meat or both? Quail are so cute, I’ve always been semi interested in trying them but never enough to actually go for it lol.

What kind of housing will they be in? Do they have to be caged? Now I’m looking up quail info😂

 

[Alaskan]

My husband said he heard they can die of fright- any truth to that?

Definitely never happened to mine.

But...

They can pop up with such force that they break their neck on the top of the cage. So, the top has to be so short that they don't hit it with too much force... or have some give... or be tall enough so there isn't risk of impact.

They are more fragile though in terms of cold and drafts than chickens.

And... the male quail are way more vicious to each other than male chickens.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I don't use a cave for quail chicks either. They go from incubator into brooder. Floor of the brooder is covered with paper towels for the first week so their little feet don't go through the hardware cloth. Game bird crumbles go straight on to the paper towels for that first week also. Then they graduate to a feeder.

 

[JanetMarie]

Thanks for the input @Alaskan and @frustratedearthmother. They are doing much better today. I kept helping the weak ones to drink and then place them by food. Their food is ground finer, most of it almost to a powder. Going to skip the egg meal for today, thinking that maybe they need more carbs for now. The food has been on paper towels, and I added a paper plate with food on it yesterday.

 

[JanetMarie]

I am thinking about building a quail hutch/coop and getting some soon. I was thinking something similar to a rabbit hitch with one side being enclosed and insulated but vented? Do they need the vent if the door is always open? And if they dont go in at night and the door is open, will they freeze where I live? Or will I have to build something else, put them in the barn over winter (not ideal) or put their cage in a spruce tree wind break area?

Thanks for the help!

I don't know how they'll do in the winter. I think in your area you'll want to keep them inside. Here, I'll have to see, since Bobwhite are around here, but survival is difficult for them because of the snow.

I will probably shovel snow in their run, or put them inside their shed, and close their door.

They may go inside on their own. Some of them do go inside on their own, and others may learn, especially in the winter.