[shearling]

These are the birds we bought from the poultry sale labeled 'Tuxedo Quail'. I think the redder looking one is the boy and the others girls (someone is a girl as we are getting eggs)  . Do not know much about them. The contrast between their 'bibs' and backs were striking compared with the other quail for sale.

[little blue]

sorry to disappoint you ... they are not Tuxedo, just ordinary (but gorgeous) Japanese quail - Cortunix
the red chested ones are your boys



I took some photos of mine to show you - hang on while I photobucket them...

[faith0504]

they are very nice whatever they are

[shearling]

Thanks little blue. I thought they did not look right from the googled versions (after I bought them) but they looked more interesting than the oter quail and did not cost too much, well ok £15 for the lot. lol  Oh liked them and he likes the eggs so cheaper (no pun) than buying the eggs

[doganjo]

I'd love to have quail - eggs taste lovely.  I've never bothered becasue my shooting friends all say they are difficult to keep.(they use them for training the dogs - pointing, steadiness to flush etc)  I'll be interested to hear how you get on.

[MelRice]

I dont fint them difficult to keep.We had five in a box with a run, a bit on the rabbit hutch and run idea. It only had flexible chicken wire coverind the run. The quail were not keen to hide in the box at night (unless it was raining) and one night we had a pine martin attack...oops only one left a lonly little boy! Ive found a couple of other Quail keepers not too far away so I plan to get him some friends next week. The run too will be covered in heavy duty wire netting! I think mine are lovely, enjoy yours.

[shearling]

OH kept Quail in the past. He thinks and so far  I think they are very easy. We have put ours in a medium dog crate (not needed now) and they have an extented run at the end if they want it and a house with roosts in the dog crate. So they are totally enclosed from anythingother than that which can get through the dog crate bars. So thinking about it a weezle type thing could - going outside now with chicken wire netting to crate the crate 

[doganjo]

I was told they fight a lot and can kill each other, susceptible to drafts etc

[shearling]

Well our are outside and happy prehaps it depends on how many you have. Maybe Little blue of MelRice can offer more onfo?

[doganjo]

Ah, but look what part of the country you are in - would they survive in central Scotland!

[shearling]

So what you are calling a draft I would call a force 10 gale   and maybe a wee bit dew - a full on Scottish mist  

[little blue]

I find them dead easy ... less messy than chickens and ducks (though that's not difficult!)
They eat less, drink loads (ours do anyway) and we've got lots in together, and have no real probs with fighting.  the girls get abit feather-pecked due to over amorous males, but again, they are less aggressive than ducks over it.

from Easter to Septmeber, they lay plenty every day. the season is shorter than hens I find, but quite reliable.  
they don't seem to get "traumatised" - you know like if you move hens they stop laying abit - ours put up wiht a lot really (!) and have been fine.

 I have one of those runs with a coop inside up a ramp, made for a few hens. the run is open all sides & there is shelter underneath the coop , they are backed by the pallets of the goat pen.  They stopped out all winter and we didnt lose any.

hth

[doganjo]

So what you are calling a draft I would call a force 10 gale   and maybe a wee bit dew - a full on Scottish mist  

Minus 17 from end November through to mid February, four foot snow, and then torrential rain that filled up the roads - resulting in me trying to drive through what I thought was a puddle and my car dying! 

[MelRice]

Got two new girl Quail for my lonesome lad and they have gone back into a propper bunny hutch(no run) whilst I re do the run with very thick wire mesh!...and Im not in a hurry as its been raining hard for over two days. flood warnings in the village and weve had to pump out our water store to stop it flooding into the workshop (It used to be a slurry pit!)