Quail?

[fiwen30]

Idle musing, does anyone here have experience of raising quail?

From the very scant research I’ve done so far, it looks like many people house them in tiny hutches, long considered inhumane for the likes of rabbits and Guinea pigs. I’m used to the 12x12ft enclosure for our rabbit, which dominates half the garden, and is the reason why I can’t persuade partner to let me get chooks or bantams for fear of a similar size enclosure taking up the other half of the garden.

But surely quail would still need a bigger space than some of these tiny boxes I’ve been seeing? Are they actually somewhat domesticated and friendly, like chooks can be, or are they fully wild and stupid? Are they the sort of thing that dies at the drop of a hat?

 

[Clodagh]

I only had them once and when I moved them into a big run they panicked when a pigeon flew over and all broke their necks. But they are dear little things. Not tame.
You can only keep one cock with the hens as they fight terribly. Rats can kill them.

 

[tallyho!]

My great aunt kept quail for quail eggs and had big runs for them - not especially tall but very spacious made by my great uncle. Very easy to keep. I remember collecting the tiny pretty eggs as a child. They don’t lay for long iirc I could be wrong but she had a new batch growing every year.

 

[smolmaus]

I had a friend raised them in Australia and they are tiny fluffy little heartbreakers, will die if there is a gentle breeze.

Painfully cute tho ?

 

[tallyho!]

I only had them once and when I moved them into a big run they panicked when a pigeon flew over and all broke their necks. But they are dear little things. Not tame.
You can only keep one cock with the hens as they fight terribly. Rats can kill them.

Ah this would explain why they were in an open shed then..

 

[fiwen30]

I only had them once and when I moved them into a big run they panicked when a pigeon flew over and all broke their necks. But they are dear little things. Not tame.
You can only keep one cock with the hens as they fight terribly. Rats can kill them.

That’s so sad, am I right in thinking they can fly, at least better than chickens? Perhaps that’s why they’re often kept in solid sided & roofed enclosures then, but perhaps a shed or large playhouse would be a better size.

 

[fiwen30]

I had a friend raised them in Australia and they are tiny fluffy little heartbreakers, will die if there is a gentle breeze.

Painfully cute tho ?

They’re so adorable. In my mind, they would be like tiny, friendly chickens, but I really don’t need to add to the list of things so desperate to keel over in our house!

 

[millikins]

There are several different types of quail, the really tiny ones are the Chinese painted quail. All are birds who live in undergrowth and need cover, their go to reaction when startled is to fly straight up, hence incurring broken necks if they hit wire or a solid roof. My neice keeps them in an aviary with budgies, she hatches eggs in an incubator as the hens rarely go broody.

 

[Dexter]

They never get tame, and are always looking for ways to die, but they do lay like absolute demons! Mine lived in a rabbit run with little houses in for shelter and lots of rocks and branches to hide behind. They were quite fun. Dont need the space chickens do, dont make any real mess, but they really dont ever get tame and dont really have personalities like chickens do.

 

[Skib]

We eat quail when we can get it, as a treat from the Hallal butcher. We developed a taste for it in a favourite bar in Moscow.

 

[stangs]

If you haven't seen it already, the RSPCA have a resource on this topic here. And this blog/youtube channel discusses more natural enclosures for quail as well.

Luckily I don't have the space for them, or I'd be very tempted right now. They're stupidly cute.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Had them once, never again. They laid eggs wherever they felt like and were either fighting with each other or b0nking each other. They were never tame even though we hatched them and handled them from birth, and they created a real rat problem, far worse than the chickens. The rats also killed and half ate them despite us putting in place loads of measures to protect them. They also have a distinctive quail smell - maybe it is because their runs are not so easy to clean and they need ground cover in the form of branches etc and different type of enclosures to chickens so that the run is compatible with their natural behavioural needs.

 

[druid]

We have them - usually about 25-30. They're in a 10ft x 20ft partridge panel pen with a netted roof, never really tame but funny little creatures. Make little to no mess.

 

[Clodagh]

That’s so sad, am I right in thinking they can fly, at least better than chickens? Perhaps that’s why they’re often kept in solid sided & roofed enclosures then, but perhaps a shed or large playhouse would be a better size.

They can fly like partridges. They are lovely.

 

[Karran]

I had quail - they are complete sex pests - I think I needed at least 4 girls to the one boy I had as it just wouldn't leave them alone!

 

[tallyho!]

I was asking for a photo from my mum I remember she had of me helping so while we wait... she said they were button quails. They do not fly - prefer to run. The pens were built high off the floor under a makeshift barn at the side of the house. I can't believe how much quail eggs are now... £3.50doz!! Not sure if it's worth the hassle lol

 

[druid]

I should clarify mine are all males so no sex pest behaviour.