# Quails!



## Moosey (Jan 7, 2008)

We've put our order in for a trio and we should be getting a 4 foot viv for them in the next couple of weeks (they're not ready til halfway through March), we've ordered our quail keeping book and we're dead excited! 

So just wondering if anyone else keeps these little dudes and if they can tell me anything about them!


(and before anyone says it, they're not for snake food!)


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

yep quite a few of us keep them - try asking in the avian section though, lol.

one question though - why are you putting them in a viv? would the lack of ventilation not be good for them?
wouldnt an indoor rabbit cage be better?


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## ami_j (Jan 6, 2007)

i want a quail or three , little feathery balls with feet <3


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i`m impatiently waiting for mine to start laying so i can make me some baby ones :2thumb:


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

what book is it you have ordered if its the keeping quail one from that thor or something lady cancel it if you can i have it here and can send it to you for nothing


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

There dirty and can stink like more birds ( avian varity and some of the human species LOL )

Mine are quite cute tho.


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## Leliel (Mar 1, 2009)

i keep chinese quail, i have a pir, one m one f. they can be quite noisy! if that book doesn't go, can i have it? /cheeky/


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

katie thears quail book is good, i have that one.

i have 9 different coloured japs that still arnt laying :devil:


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## Moosey (Jan 7, 2008)

adamntitch said:


> what book is it you have ordered if its the keeping quail one from that thor or something lady cancel it if you can i have it here and can send it to you for nothing


BUGGAR. Cant cancel now :'(


pigglywiggly said:


> katie thears quail book is good, i have that one.
> 
> i have 9 different coloured japs that still arnt laying :devil:


We were gonna put em in a viv so the cat cant get them! The pla was to put lots of extra ventilation in, but we could just never leave them alone together i suppose.

thoughts?


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Replace the glass doors with weldmesh ones?

I got a big wooden rabbit hutch off Freecycle a while back, I was thinking of setting it up on legs in the chicken run and keeping Quail in it, going to see a local breeder for some bantams this week and I see he has CPQs as well, at just £4 each I can see myself coming home with a pocketful!


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## Leliel (Mar 1, 2009)

you need to be aware that if you are getting button quail they have the 'boing' factor. i've known mine to shoot up 6 foot into the air from standing when startled- if they hit their heads on something solid they could potentially kill themselves. my male button tells the 'tiel off if he's making too much noise though :lol2: such characters!


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

I've seen that people who keep them in rabbit hutches often line the roofs with foam rubber for this reason, I have a roll of the stuff and would do the same if I use the hutch. When it gets warmer I'd keep them out in the chicken run which is over 6 feet high, then they can "boing" themselves silly!

I'm going to see the breeder this evening so I'll see how he does it.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

didnt think we had button quail in the uk?

isnt it mostly japs and chinese painted with a few bobwhite, californian and gambels mostly?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

MissMoose said:


> BUGGAR. Cant cancel now :'(
> 
> We were gonna put em in a viv so the cat cant get them! The pla was to put lots of extra ventilation in, but we could just never leave them alone together i suppose.
> 
> thoughts?


 
if its off an online store think you`re covered by the 14 day cancel /distance selling regs?
if its a private viv builder who`s bought the wood you`re buggered,lol.

not sure if it`d be ventilated enough.
they chuck out a lot of dust, i prefer mine outside!


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> didnt think we had button quail in the uk?


From what I've read I understood that Button Quail is just the American name for what we call CPQs, ie _Coturnix chinensis_?


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## gazz (Dec 9, 2006)

Graham said:


> From what I've read I understood that Button Quail is just the American name for what we call CPQs, ie _Coturnix chinensis_?


That is true, USA call Asian blue quail, The Button quail.

But there is a button quail species, But there not really Quails :crazy::lol2:.

These are known as Button quail-(Turnix suscitator) species.
They are unrelated to true Quails.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Oh yes, they're quite different aren't they?

On the subject of Quail generally, roughly how long do CPQs live? I have read 5 years or more, is that right?

I was also recommended Japanese Quail as a less suicidal starter species, but they only seem to live a couple of years?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

japs are chunkier and better start birds imo.
less suicidal and the are more likely to survive a boinging, come in a load of differnt colours ans patterns too.

they live longer than 2, think its just that as they get older they lay less eggs so are usually replaced by younger hens.........


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

Well I've been to see the breeder, the Japanese Quail are very nice, very friendly, but he did confirm the relatively short lifespan which is a shame. I loved the CPQs, far smaller than I'd imagined and outrageously cute, I will be getting some of these as soon as I can!

I also loved the Pekin Bantams and will be going back for some at the weekend, going to keep them in the big freebie rabbit hutch that I got and build something more suitable for the quail.


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Whats the egg production like on quails?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

japanese start to lay at 8 to 10 weeks old and you`ll get an egg a day ( as long as they get enough light ) till they are 6 to 8 months old, then it can slow down a bit.
you get the odd one that`ll lay 8 eggs a week though.

mine are 2 years old and are still bouncing around fine.

i found chinese painted laid a few less and liked to die much more easily.


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