[coughdrop]

Morning all,  my quail chicks are four weeks old tomorrow, and are in a brooding box in the kitchen at the moment, they have had the lamp on all the time up to thursday, when i left it off all day, i put it back on at night, yesterday it was off all day and night, they have plenty of kitchen roll in to cuddle up in and the were fine this morning. I was just wondering when it would be ok to put them out in their hutch, or should i give them a few more days without the lamp first, and would it be ok to put some hay in  their bed for them to snuggle up in on a night  so they keep warm ?? sorry for all the questions but it`s my first lot and i would hate to kill them for the sake of waiting a bit longer, i have only had them a week and i love them to bits, also how do you sex them, i have four speckled and three yellow.
Thanks chris

[daisy1990]

Six weeks old is the normal recommendation to put them outside.  A lot obviously depends on the weather and if it is warm they can go out sooner, but remember the temp drops at night and they are ground dwelling birds so dont benefit from cuddling up on a perch and fluffing up like chickens do.

They should be fine without the heat lamp during the day now (presuming they are in a sheltered place free from draughts)  If birds are cold they will go under the lamp, if too warm they will move away from it, so watch their behaviour to get a clue how they feel!

No idea how to sex quail (I bought girls) but I'm sure someone else will come along and help

[daisy1990]

Just found a video on You Tube which shows you how to sex quail (people film everything dont they??)
A male quail has a sac behind the vent which stores kidney waste.  If you press on it a white foam comes out.  As I think not all of my six quail are laying I may try this when daughter comes home to help hold them (just in case I have been sold a male!)

[Mulberry1990]

I do not like that suggestion mum! They're all girls just leave them be!!! x

[daisy1990]

Aren't you meant to be revising for your last very important exam tomorrow???

[Mulberry1990]

I am.

[coughdrop]

Lol, good luck with rhe exam Mulberry.
Well i put them outside today, because they were a bit cramped in the brooder, and everytime i opened the lid i nearly got one up my nose, they have gone into a 4ft rabbit hutch, with  a lot hay in the sleeping quarters to keep them warm, and i have half covered the front to keep the cold out, and i must say for all it has been windy and i am full of cold i have been sat out watching them nearly all afternoon, i thought they were supposed to be jumpy, as soon as they were in the hutch they started eating and haven`t stopped si nce, the dogs went to have a look and they have come to the front  and looked at them, not bothered one bit, one of the little yellow ones even pecked the dogs nose a couple of times, i expected them to go and hide, they are so nosy ( pardon the pun ).
I won`t sleep tonight worrying that they will be warm enough and nothing will try and get them.
Thanks for the replies.

[Sassy]

If they are Italian quail it sounds it is likely that the speckled ones are female and the yellow are male but it is difficult to be sure without a photo and, of course, they may not be of the Italian variety.

Your quail will use the hay to hide in but do not use a nest like hens. Hay is not ideal as it contains spores, I am not sure whether or not quail will eat hay? If they do it may not be good for them as the strands are very long and may cause a blockage.

[daisy1990]

we put ours on hemcore in a cat litter tray, which also stops them kicking it out.  They are very clean and only need the hemcore changing weekly (unlike our chicks who can poo for Britain!)  hemcore is also nice smelling as the Quail do have a bit of a smell to them

[coughdrop]

I will have a look for hemcore when i go for some feed, not seen or heard of it before, thanks for that. Well they were alright over night, never went in or near the hay by the looks of things, when i got up this morning they were all snuggled up asleep in the empty food dish, they have a feeder and a dish, just gone to feed and check them and that is where they are again, until they saw the food coming, (do they ever stop eating) at least i know they are warm enough, so not so worried about them tonight.
Sassy they are supposed to be japanese quail, but i can`t remember if he said they were mixed or not, the yellow ones are a little bit smaller than the speckled ones.

[Sassy]

Sorry I don't know about Japanese quail. Suggest you Google them