Author Topic: Quails and how to keep them (Read 4674 times)

bb41 · « **on:** September 19, 2015, 04:46:36 pm »

After the move I was going to have a look at Quails just for eggs.

I don't know anything about keeping them so if anyone has any help.

I suppose I can't free range them or can I ?

Can they live amongst hens and ducks if they can free range or would they be better in their own house

Eve · « **Reply #1 on:** September 19, 2015, 06:03:12 pm »

If they free range you won't find all of the eggs - or you will once you've stepped on them or the chickens have eaten them and there's nothing but bits of shell. Mine are in metal enclosures high up in the chicken run as that saves me going on hands and knees to collect the eggs and clean & feed etc. The chickens' drinkers and feeders are below the quail. All fully dry and protected from the wind. They're on wood shavings with various types of nest boxes and love soft lettuce and finch seed.

My little call ducks lived with the quail for a few months without a problem until the ducks suddenly turned murderous one night - they drowned quail, bit them so very heavily their little backs were one massive trauma etc. all out of the blue. So I'm never trusting quail with ducks again. My chickens never posed a problem though in that run there isn't a cockerel which may make a difference.

shygirl · « **Reply #2 on:** September 19, 2015, 06:10:07 pm »

My quails decided free range was the way to go. Never saw them again. Lol. We used aviaries but hutches/pens were easier n calmer as they scare easy.

bb41 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 19, 2015, 07:27:56 pm »

Real helpful, my brother had a few in his aviary when he was young so might get an aviary built.

Are they happy in a shed for night and let out into a pen in the day ?

in the hills · « **Reply #4 on:** September 20, 2015, 09:12:03 am »

Quail can't free range like chickens as they don't 'come home to the coop' in the same way and will just disappear. They will also be taken by many predators eg. cats, rats, birds of prey.

They need to be kept in secure coops on the lawn or rabbit hutches. Rats will dig in and take them so you will need that strong wire with very small holes and the floor to your run will also need wire.

I don't think that it would be a good idea to have them in with chickens or ducks.

There is a really good and inexpensive paper back book ' Keeping Quail by Katie Thear '. It is well worth purchasing and will tell you in detail about all aspects of keeping quail, including the options regarding housing.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** September 20, 2015, 09:31:35 am »

Quote from: in the hills on September 20, 2015, 09:12:03 am

There is a really good and inexpensive paper back book ' Keeping Quail by Katie Thear '. It is well worth purchasing and will tell you in detail about all aspects of keeping quail, including the options regarding housing.

An excellent book - made me put keeping quail on the back burner while I raised rare breed chickens and turkeys instead.

Clansman · « **Reply #6 on:** September 20, 2015, 08:15:53 pm »

I keep a couple of hundred Japanese quail for eggs and meat.

Mine are mostly kept indoors in 3 tiered rabbit hutch type systems with my breeding birds kept in indoor rabbit cages.

Not bending down to pick up eggs is a huge bonus!

They have no concept of nestboxs, they will just lay their eggs wherever they are at the time and carry on.

I have a laying flock hatched last October which started laying in December which are still laying at 95% (95 eggs per day from 100 birds) although they are getting extra lighting, they won't lay anywhere near as many eggs on natural daylight outside spring and summer.

devonlady · « **Reply #7 on:** September 21, 2015, 08:01:24 am »

I kept mine in an aviary with a wire mesh tunnel out to a grassy run.(enclosed in chicken wire) They shared the aviary happily with Zebra Finches, Canaries and Diamond Doves, laid loads of eggs, I hatched lots of chicks in the incubator and enjoyed having them. I found if I put droopy pot plants in the aviary the quail would lay underneath them (Spider plants and the like)

Clansman · « **Reply #8 on:** September 21, 2015, 08:20:53 am »

Remember it's Japanese quail you're looking for, there are many different species although Japanese are the most common.

Here's a thread with some more detail

http://www.accidentalsmallholder.net/forum/index.php?topic=55641

greenbeast · « **Reply #9 on:** September 21, 2015, 09:46:33 am »

We've got 4 in the bottom level of a 3 tier DIY house. young bantam chickens above them currently.
They lay eggs wherever so need keeping fairly dry/tidy otherwise you'll never find them. Also low roofs are better as they tend to spook straight upwards!

Can be seen laying in various different place at night rather than together in the enclosed part (as opposed to chickens keeping together/roosting)

Do lay pretty consistently though