4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[MadMitch]

Although OH chose the colour of the cube and the type of chickens we are getting he said that they are still really mine and that he would quite fancy getting some quails.

Does anyone know if you can keep quails and hens in the same run, and if so what do they sleep in?

Do you look after them in a similar way to chickens?

[bronze]

You wouldnt be able to keep them together but a quail set up is a lot easier than that for chickens. I keep mine in a two storey hutch with run and they seem happy in there.

[Mirkwood]

i have quails and wanted to do the same but after seeing the size of my girls the quail wouldnt stand a chance. they also have different habits to the chooks

[daj198]

How big are quails?

[Mirkwood]

i have japanese quails and they are about the size of a blackbird without the tail. but there are some that are really quite small. When they get scared they fly upwards and it matters not whether there is a roof so they can hurt their there heads quite a lot.

[MadMitch]

Thanks for the help. We will look at getting a seperate area for them.

I have to agre with OH though, they are very cute.

 

Do they lay eggs frequently?

[Mirkwood]

well mine did but i have had no eggs since sep/oct they have been poorley though but every other day is what i was getting, my OH eats the eggs i am not an egg lover Which are you thinking of getting?

 

UPDATE MINE HAVE STARTED LAYING AGAIN

Edited April 20, 2008 by Guest

[fluffygrue]

How much do quails eat? Reason for asking is really.. how long can you leave them without needing to top up food/water - are they more holiday-friendly than chickens?

 

Just curious!

[Willow]

The problem is more needing to check on animals every day or so than whether you can leave enough food for a week or more.

 

My next door neighbour greeted the news that we were planning to keep quails now with 'Oh lovely quails eggs' I had just dropped over with a spare half doz eggs so I suspect he will be happy to check on our quails and chickens regularly as he'll get to keep all eggs laid whilst we're away.

 

Seriously the answer to the holiday problem is to give away enough eggs to neighbours that they get the taste for fresh eggs and they will be happy to help out. One of the things I love about my girls is having spare eggs to give away - people appreciate them so much !

 

I'd do up to 2 nights away with plenty of ffod and water without getting a neighbour to check (probably just one night in summer), any longer and I'd get help.

[MadMitch]

Not sure what Quails to get as we don't know alot about them, I will have to get some books first and do a bit of research.

[Guest]

You can see mine on my www link below - the adults are Japanese Quail. Martin has some too. Look for them under categories section on the right hand side. (Don't let my 'what a shock' post put you off

 

They are said to be the easiest to look after when you are starting out.

[sillymummy]

i saw some italian quails yesterday and thought i might llike to keep some. (my father used to keep hens when i was little, and these seem a smaller alternative) however im finding information short on the ground. i have read some of your posts and noticed dilly has some quails which from her photos, look very happy! i read that when startled they fly upwards, so would need a tall pen. i really like the one you have, but cant find anything like it. could you tell me where you got it from? do they need a raised bar to roost on like hens? (do i need to teach them to roost like you have to with hens??) what about egg boxes (for laying in) are they necessary? what do i feed them? (do i feed them something different if i want their eggs, than if i want to eat the quails- not sure whether i would be happy doing this yet - i may get a bit too attached!) how long do they live/ lay for? i read that they are susceptable to the cold, can i leave them outside in the winter if they have a warm hutch with straw etc? i have ordered a book, but im getting really excited and would like to know something about them right away! please can you help? liz

[sillymummy]

which are the easiest species to look after?

[bronze]

Italian/Japs are the easiest. Italians are a colouring of Japs, theyre also known as goldens.

[Lesley]

I have an aviary from these people http://www.riversideaviaries.co.uk/aviaries.htm

- a panel aviary and safety porch - near the end of the listings.

 

I added a mesh floor as we had a rat problem and they use a small guinea-pig box to sleep and lay in.

 

I'm planning tp raise the box from the floor but leave enough space underneath so that i can collect any eggs as they like to lay anywhere!

 

They like to have greenery to creep about in.

[sillymummy]

thanks for all your help with the quail, ive ordered a cage like dilly's and im getting 6 japs at the weekend. can anyone tell me where they order their quail pellets from as this seems much the easiest way of feeding them.

[sillymummy]

oh yes, and ive seen loads of lovely coloured egg boxes for chickens but only transparent plastic for quail eggs. does anyone know where i can get pink quail eg boxes?

[Lesley]

We feed our quial with Allen & Page Organic layer's pellets - the pellets are quite small and the quail manage perfectly well.

 

I've not yet found any coloured boxes..........

[Lewis]

Have you got the quail yet and any pics?

 

My quail died last week it lived with the guinea pig, they got on fine. Im not sure if we will replace it to live with the guinea pig, or keep them separately.

[hils78]

These are my OH's quail...

[sillymummy]

i have 3 japanese quail now and in the last couple of days ive noticed one of my ladies limping and stumbling and falling over sideways. ive had a good look at her legs and feet and cant find anything wrong with them. she doesnt flinch when i touch them. and the toes and legs are all in the correct positions when shes standing. she sits alot in a corner with her feathers fluffed up but shes still laying. i got my quail a week ago and one was laying soft shelled eggs. this has stopped since i gave them oystershell grit. they are fed on poultry layers pellets and and small handful of meal worm a day their run is on paving slabs to stop rats with bark chippings underfoot and their indoor bit is up a ramp with straw for bedding. they have a conifer to hide behind, a flower pot to sit in and a sand bath that i added today (theyve all had a good wash in it straight away except the limper.) what could it be?

[sillymummy]

she was worse today so ive returned her to my supplier because i'd only had her a week. i now only have 2 lady quail and would like to introduce 4 more - how do i go about this - i presume that if i just put them in, they will fight?

[Guest]

It can be quite difficult to introduce quail

 

The best way to do it (told to me by a very experienced poultry keeper) was to put the new ones in a cage and move them around the aviary for about a week then they should be accepted.

 

When I had problems with the quail I bought - I took them all back and bought another batch of hens - and introduced them to two of my hatched males.

 

The 2 males I selected I put in a box overnight and the females I bought I collected them in a box.

 

I then put them into the empty aviary all together - and they were too busy looking around it to think about fighting as it was new to all of them.

 

Hope all goes well for you. Keep us updated won't you

 

As an afterthought - perhaps you could keep your original two in a box or cage for a couple of days. Completely clean out the aviary they were in - and put in new bedding and conifer etc. And maybe leave out the flower pot for a few days - this is so that it looks and smells different than before.

 

Then when you get the new ones in a box you could them introduce them by putting in a couple of new ones and then one of the original and repeat the exercise.

 

I did mine late in the afternoon and had sprinkled mixed corn on the floor, and a little bit in the top 'penthouse'. I also put them all in through the penthouse door.

 

The mixed corn had them all scratching about pecking at it contentedly.