[Daisys Mum]

My quail are now 3 weeks old and the house stinks,  is it too soon to put them out into there own house?

[doganjo]

Hi Anne
Are these Japanese quail - Cameron found a couple and I may be getting them - trying to gauge their age so how big are yours?

[in the hills]

Guessing that they are fully feathered by 3 weeks and given the time of year they should be fine outside.


I would make sure they have  cosy shut in quarters and protect from the wind and rain.


I find that they are difficult to age, Doganjo. Fully grown and laying at 6 weeks. Not as easy as chickens to age .... no comb or pullet shape to use as a clue.

[doganjo]

Ok, need Cam to tell me theri size if I get them so I know my pens are secure.

[in the hills]

Needs to be the wire with the tiny square holes .... can't think what they call it 

[sokel]

mine have been out for 10 days  , they are a month old now. I have them in an ark with the square aviary mesh on it , I lock them in the house section on a night

[Daisys Mum]

Will try to put on a picture of my house and quail. Oh and ITH it's weld mesh the wire with the little holes.

[in the hills]

   Will try and remember .... not very good at these things. 

[doganjo]

My weldmesh panels are 1.5 inches square.  Cam says they are about 3 inches but I'll bet they'd get through that, so ........   tomorrow I put five panels together with chicken wire!

[Clarebelle]

I put my quail out at 4 weeks but I'm sure they'll be fine at 3 weeks when the weathers warm.

I tried shutting mine in the eglu at night but they hated it and kicked up such a fuss that now I don't bother. They potter around all night!

The run on my eglu isn't the really small gauge wire its like rectangular space about 1" x 2.5" which the quail can not get through a much as they try. However, we had to cover the whole run with small spaced garden netting because our cat managed to kill three of our quail by getting a paw through the gaps.

[in the hills]

Used to attempt to lock mine in at night but they don't appreciate it  . Don't seem to go to bed or roost as chickens do and seem to be running around at all hours. Runs do need to be rat proof though, including floors, or they will dig in.

[doganjo]

They'll go in my garage (concrete floor) inside a dog run, inside a cage of some sort with smaller than 1.5 inch square holes. Unless anyone can come up with something better?

[in the hills]

Plenty of light ?? ..... necessary for all that egg production.      


They love a dust bath and conifer branches etc. to hide under

[doganjo]

Hens get that anyway, so will do their run similar once they're old enough to be out in it.

[Daisys Mum]

The Quail out in their new house