Chicken boarders

[beach chick]

we got 4 quail last weds - my sil hatched them, but she is now undergoing chemotherapy and is not allowed to keep them. for the first couple of days, they were fine. however, it seems we have 2 males and 2 females, and the inevitable has happened...

the male with the bloody head has been removed to a cat box; the remaining 3 are in a rabbit ark til we can get the old eglu set up. my plan is to put the happy 3 into an eglu and run, move 'scab head' into rabbit ark, and then plan getting some more girls when cash allows.

I have read that you need 5 girls to 1 male; could I put 2 males and 8 girls in an eglu and basic run? or 2 males and 6 girls? I have all the feeding, basic care etc sorted out, just need some advice on numbers and how to introduce the new girls - slowly slowly I guess.

thanks in advance!

[ladyjulian]

2 males and 6 girls didn't work for us - the males fought. 1 and 3 in one area separated from 1 and 3 might work, but I'd ideally want a few more females. I wouldn't put 2 males in the same run again, even with 8 females. Don't know - maybe others have made it work and I'd be interested to hear any advice from those who have, but with 2 males in the same run we found that they weren't interested in the females as much as they were in attacking each other.

[beach chick]

thanks for that. sad update: Scabby, the pecked one, was found dead in the rabbit ark where I had isolated him (inside the electric fenced chook run). I think he died near the wire (well I hope so) because I actually found half of him through the wire, and think the chooks or maybe jackdaws had had a go. he wasnt a pretty sight, sadly, poor little thing - although half an hour before I found him dead he was eating/drinking/lively.

 

so, now I have 3 quail left. def 1 male (amorous) and 1 female (laying). the 3rd is a bit odd - I really dont know if she or he, but although eating and drinking is bottom of pecking order and not the focus of the male's attentions.

 

I think I need to add some more girls to the equation, so will have to find out where I can get some from, and work out introductions v-e-r-y slowly.

[beach chick]

weell, we have 1 def cock - he very amorous. 1 def female as we get an egg most days. the other - I have no idea. we did get 2 eggs 1 day, so maybe she is a she... however am desperately trying to get some more girls because both are being pursued like mad by the cock, we have bald heads etc, poor little girls.

quail are a lot more trouble than chickens it seems to me - I've never had a problem with adding more chook girls, or anything like what the quail do to each other.

[carole63]

hi, ive been keeping quail, well forever it seems. they are lovely little easy to please birds once you get the balance right which can be anything from one male to 3 fem up to 1 and 6 or more. as with the male of most species testosterone rules and some have a bit and some ooze the stuff. as an average id say 1 male to 5 fem is reasonably safe. my texan a & m white boy is happy with his 6 wives, my japanese has 4 and finds them to be more than enough thank you, and my italian has 8 and could be even happier with more, but then he is italian!!

[beach chick]

thanks for that carole. going to see a local breeder tomorrow, she is suggesting adding 1 more cock and 3 girls, I think because she doesnt want to be left with a cock. I will have to ask her what happens if there is a fight, will she take him back? I dont want 2 separate set ups, and anyway it would still leave me with the poor existing girls Pauline and Georgina having to put up with John's advances (Ringo having pegged it already).

 

can you advise me on intros? I was thinking of putting the new ones in the rabbit ark alongside the quail run so they can see each other for a week or so, then cleaning out the quail and moving to 'neutral' territory before putting them all in together, also adding more hidey holes/plant pots/tunnels etc and ideally letting them get on with it - or should I try and have them all in the same run and divide it up somehow? thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[beach chick]

ok, we now have: 1 male and 1 female (John and Pauline) in the eglu. 4 new females in a cage alongside. Ringo is in the rabbit ark recovering from John's attacks - am convinced he is a he, as I tried him in with the new girls and he was straight on top of them! plus appears to be foam in his run now.

 

so the next question is, do I try to integrate 4 new girls with 1 male and 1 female, and what do I do with the surplus male? ideally he would go in with the others, but I am not sure it will work. dont really want 2 quail set ups; aargh!!