The Poultry Keeper

Deb_Moderator · Joined: 13 Apr 2005 Posts: 3661

This thread is for Quail.

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

Does anyone out there keep Quail? I'm considering doing so when we move permanently to our house in France, and would welcome any info on keeping them - are they easy or difficult, do they mix OK with other poultry etc.

Thanks in advance

mojo · Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject: hi

welcome we are in deux sevre............dont keep quail too noisy but someone will soon tell you all..........mojo Razz

Ben · Moderator Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1346

Hi, I used to breed and keep them. They are not nosiey, they are wonderful to keep beccome hand tame. Jap quail are very winter hardy. They lay everyday, easy to keep very easy. Don't mix to well with other poultry though but don't need much room.

anything else just ask, we are all here to help on this forum

Ben

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

To an extent, noise wouldn't be a problem. In France, we're right in the deep countryside, with loads of space.

What sort of housing / run would quail need? How much space for say a dozen birds? Are they easy to keep organically - meaning no routine medications, but would obviously treat them if they were unwell?

I've got 6 - 18 months to learn all I can before we start doing this "for real". Thanks in advance for any more replies, folks!

Aussie Chick · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 9:40 pm Post subject:

I use to have Quail in the bottom of the aviary when I had birds back home, they were great for keeping it all tidy and their babies were soooooooooo adorable, we had to use extra fine mesh or they would get out of the smallest of holes, (the babes, not the adults). Extra cute.

mojo · Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:12 pm Post subject: hi

sorry vanessa........fingers in motion before brain .........meant guinea fowl are noisy not quail sorry again.......mojo Embarassed

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

That's OK Mojo, we all do that from time to time!

So, how susceptible are they to disease, any special dietary requirements? Housing similar to chickens? Mine would be semi-free range, having a huge penned-in area to roam in.

phil and charlotte · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset

I've 18 english quail in the incubator, due in 12 days. Has anyone advice on sexing them?

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

No advice, I'm afraid, but do let us know how you get on with them!

traditionalbritishfowlco · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 243 Location: lancashire

There's a few good sites all about quails on the net - there's a link to one on my links page www.traditionalbritishfowl.co.uk/links.php

Sexing depends on what type of quail you have - I *think* with coturnix its to do with breast and bid/head colour?

I've got 30 coturnix in the incubator - apparently they start laying at 8weeks so I'm very excited!!!

phil and charlotte · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset

excellent - VMT

phil and charlotte · Joined: 01 Aug 2005 Posts: 114 Location: South Somerset

11 out of 18 eggs have hatched but one died a few hours after emerging. All are now in a brooding box looking very inqusitive. I left the incubator on for an extra 72 hours to see if the remaining 7 eggs showed any signs of hatching, but no joy.

poultry poofs · Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2006 8:51 pm Post subject:

Japanese and Golden Italian are excellent little birds and very friendly very tolerant of poor weather except extreme cold when they should be brought inside.Lay very well and very tasty eggs.The birds are tasty too when you have too many males -which you will!!You should try to keep the ratio to 6 females to 1 male or some violent -to the death -fights will ensue in later maturity.They are quite rough maters too and I have had many a hen with torn scalps or necks.If you dont want to breed you wont need the males.Males have a plain unmarked breast ,females are flecked and the males generally have a defined black ring around the neck.
Rats and Cats love them!!!!! so you will need to keep them in an aviary type area with a netted floor or an ark so long as its vermin proof.
Its also illegal to allow them to escape or release them into the wild in this country Confused

I kept ours in a long run with a wire net floor and sides and the roof was covered in Game netting to keep wild birds out and them in.If you roof the area it will keep them protected from most of the weather.they generally prefer to roost on the ground rather than in a hutch or box and if you put plenty of ground cover in like conifer trimmings they feel safe and usually lay amongst the foliage.They must have water available all the while or they stop laying and it causes them stress too.They can be fed most growers or layers pellet feed and quail mix is also good which is a seed mix but is expensive but good as a treat daily.When they are chicks and growing they are extremely lively and flighty so beware! Laughing

The other breeds of quail are generally smaller and the eggs are too small and the birds are very skitish particularly the chinese and can die of fright if startled.
They are very rewarding little birds for the effort required to ensure they are happy and their eggs in salad make them all worthwhile Laughing

try this website the chap who owns it is very knowledgable and helpful

http://www.quailsfromwales.org.uk/

rich

traditionalbritishfowlco · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 243 Location: lancashire

They haven't been hatched 4 hrs yet and they're jumping all over the place! Laughing