# Quail



## vonnie (Aug 20, 2007)

We're planning to get some quail in the near future.

Just wondering what everyone on here has got and what housing you use? Any pics would be appreciated. And what ration of M:F you find works best. There seems to be such wildly varying advice on that depending where you look!

Do you bring your quail indoors during the colder months? Even though the housing would be on the patio and sheltered by the house it gets pretty cold here!

I really like the Mountain and Gambels quail, but I thought I'd probably start off with some CPQ.


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i have gambels - they`re probly better in an aviary tbh. those i bring in the shed in winter - but i`m rural and theres mink etc around here.

the other i leave outside and just make sure they`re dry and have plently bedding

cpq are very nervous and like to smash their skulls in on the roof of theri house.
coturnix/japanese are probly better to start off with - more sturdy and calmer, come in some funky patterns and colours too and lay lots of eggs.

cpq/japs are fine in a rabbit hutch and run combo.


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## tony4k4 (Mar 30, 2009)

i keep all my japs and cpq in a 6x4 shed with a little run shed is heated so i leave mine out all year round got some babies hatching soon i get about 13 eggs daily most are fertile so my inc is fully stocked atm lol quail eggs hatch for round about the 17th to the 19th day. also got me some muscovy duck eggs hatching soon and aylesbury duck eggs also got some milfluer chicken eggs hatching soon too lol cant wait


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## adamntitch (Jun 17, 2007)

i keep mainly japs and have a male to 4 or 5 females mine are mainly inside and lay all year round

i keep them in 6 by 2 by 2 cages and there fed on quail layers


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## Denise aka Martini (May 27, 2009)

*cpq so cute*

I have cpq and yes they are alittle nutty as has been said they are a nervous breed and will boing straight upwards bless em, but are so sweet, would love the bigger breeds but dont have the room at the moment


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## duffey (Mar 1, 2012)

Vonnie,

CPQ are a good starter quail - you can keep 1 cock and a number of hens together. There are also a wide number of colour varieties. They do have the (typical quial) habit of flying straight upwards - but a "rabbit hutch" type of enclosure with foam padding on the roof solves the problem.

Jap Quail - never kept them so can't realy comment!

European (Common) Quail - migratory instinct kicks in twice a year. Tend to be nervous, but even worse at migration time. Definitely need a padded roof to their pen!

Californain, Gambels & Scaled - all beautiful and easy to keep. The best quail pens I have seen ( & used) were baed on the WPA Quail pens (described in detail in Garry Robbins book Quails). Unit 4' x 4' ground area, solid roof, back and sides with a wire front. 

Mountains - beautiful (and expensive) - but not not for the novice. 

Hope that is of some help!


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## ljb107 (Nov 16, 2008)

Just to add a few things.

Best to start with Japanese or Chinese first. Then maybe move onto harlequins and bobwhites.

Californians, gambels, blue scaled, elegants, mountains and jungle bush (if there's any still around) can all be a bit strange sometimes and everything has to be correct otherwise it will end up in disaster.

Main thing to remember is, dry conditions, no draughts and most importantly keep stress to a minimum.

Lloyd :2thumb:


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## bloodpython22 (Feb 19, 2010)

We keep cpq and italian in the bottom of a couple of our
Aivarys floor space of 8ftx8ft. They have a box yhey go
In but are kept out all time they just run around eating all
Spilt seed lay eggs every day and have no bother from them


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

i found bobwhites extreemly nasty and vicious evil little :devil:`s, even as hatchlings.

some of the cpq colours the males dont have the bibs on, and it can be very easy to get stiffed by someone selling you loads of males that`ll slaughter each other in a few weeks...........


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## ljb107 (Nov 16, 2008)

pigglywiggly said:


> i found bobwhites extreemly nasty and vicious evil little :devil:`s, even as hatchlings.
> 
> some of the cpq colours the males dont have the bibs on, and it can be very easy to get stiffed by someone selling you loads of males that`ll slaughter each other in a few weeks...........


You're right about both. 

We used to get a batch of bobwhites every now and again that would de-beak each other and would peck each others feet. We used to occasionally have fights break out on the colony with adults but found it better in quartets or quintets.

The cpq to look out for without bibs are blue breasted (males dark chocolate with blue breast, females dark chocolate), pieds, whites and sometimes slates - hope i haven't forgotten any lol.

Lloyd :2thumb:


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## slugsiss32 (Nov 14, 2010)

Can you keep Quail in the aviary belonging to other birds? Like I've seen places that have birds that use the perches then quail on the floor? Does that work?


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

depends what the other birds are - they have to be one that arnt likely to munch the quail.....

i`ve kept them with small parakeets and lovebirds with no issues in the past - took them out eventually because having feeders on the floor was encouraging vermin.


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