[Debz]

I may be getting a couple of quail girls that were given to a family friend and they don't really want them.  I have an empty hen house and run but it is on chipped bark.  What do I need to make them as happy as possible?

[ANHBUC]

What type of quail are they?  Button/Chinese or Coturnix (Japanese, Italian etc.)

[Debz]

I don't know yet.

[ANHBUC]

They will have different needs so it is best to find out first.  The button/Chinese is a tiny quail usually kept to keep the bottom of an aviary free from dropped seeds.  I believe they can perch but the coturnix varieties are larger and lay lovely eggs.  These do not perch but can fly straight up when startled and sometimes die from knocking their heads on the roof.  You can put netting up to cushion it and stop them injuring themselves.

Be sure that they are both females as a one to one ratio of each would not be good.  I have one male to five females to stop fighting/injuries.  If they are both male you would be very lucky if they would not fight to the death. 

My recent hatch of 6 are now nearly five weeks old and I have taken one which I know is a male out. He is very vocal and I don't want him to get over excited and injure the females or others that might be quieter males.

I have 22 others that are nearly two weeks old and you can tell the sex of some already.  They grow so quickly at four weeks old they were bigger than the same age bantam chicks!   

[Sassy]

Good advice from ANBHUC - she is not overstating possible problems!

The run will need to be covered or they will fly away - they don't come back

[ANHBUC]

So true Sassy, it is one of the things I tend to forget to mention!     The other is don't keep them with chickens as they will end up as lunch.   

[Sassy]

Just a thought - wood bark not good as can harbour aspergillosis spores. A course I went on, run by a chicken vet, said not to use. Also may be a bit lumpy for quail. I used dust extracted shaving (horse bedding) and this is good for them and they can scratch about as they are meant to.

[Debz]

Many thanks for all your advice.  I do know they are both girls because they have been laying eggs.

[ANHBUC]

If the birds are smaller than a sparrow they are button quail and if they are like a fat black bird they are corturnix.   

[Debbieta]

Hi there,
As with chickens, make sure they have plenty of water accessible, we feed ours on chicken layer mash which is easily accessible.  We also feed them on many of the same 'garden' greens that you would for chickens.
Although they don't tend to go broody, ours do tend to make a dip in the indoor bedding or tend to lay outside  behind a piece of wood which is at 45 deg onto the run board.  We also have several potted plants which they enjoy flying upto and dust bathing in!
Great  fun to watch though, enjoy.
Debbie

[ANHBUC]

I feed mine on chick crumb as it has a higher protein content which quail need.  I did used to feed them on Marriages micro quail pellets but the supplier is a 60 mile round trip.

They also have budgie grit for digestion and a cuttlefish bone to peck on so their beaks don't overgrow.