3 Myths About Raising Quail

[@ryan85208]

i have 55 Bob whites in a flight pen that is 1100 sqft with native grasses, sorghum, Prickley pear, 5 quail houses, small scrub oaks and a large bush. They all pack in a corner and sleep under the bush huddled together. You are so right on all of these myths. Thanks for the great video!

[@brightantwerp]

Thank you for debunking the neckbreaking thing. I am starting quails and thought I need a low or high cage. Wanted to make an in between size, now I will.

[@verabundy1082]

I have been raising Pharaoh / Coturnix quail for more than 30 years, and what he is saying about these 3 myths is true. And they are so easy to raise ! I tell my customers hatching and raising this species of quail is easier than hatching / raising chickens (but that is my own experience and opinion), and I have been raising chickens for almost 56 years. I also raise the California Valley quail and the Texas Blue Scale quail. Now THOSE are true "wild" birds, and a different matter. Those two species are not as easy to raise as the Pharaohs. If you want a nice-sized,, early-maturing bird with good egg production, stick with the Pharaohs.

[@UrbanAviary]

Thank you for that Vera! It's good to hear someone with much more experience than me back me up.

[@Spark_Iskra_z_Polski]

It is interesting. From my only 2 yr experience with possibly all quail colours, the easiest, sturdiest, most reliable are the Manchurian/Italian (the only problem being all males live them way more than any other colour and hence their poorer condition and feather breaks, but I learnt to separate the problematic birds and heal the wounds), the pure reds, and the craven black quail. Tibetans and Rosettas and Whites are my buggest birds, good for meat production, but I cannot reach this point so I have 30 males roaming semi free in their quail house on the floor, while other birds are in larger houses with wooden floors and space to jump and fly a bit. I hope to build them and outdoor aviary and chicken tractors this winter. In Poland it was/is hard to but good quail feed. They sell quail feed tgat can have as little as 13-17% protein. I noticed that food and greens/herbs/probiotics and enough space and quiet are key in quail health and lifespan. There is a 2,5 yr old Italian/Manchurian that has had mant accidents and went kind of blind but still lays eggs, is found attractive, and manages around quite well even tho she walks with her eyes closed. Whereas all my bought pharao hens lived less than a year in general and die suddenly. I finally have my own pharao eggs hatched and will be able to compare. I mix my qual my own feed made of diff overnight soaked grains and protein concentrate, and home made probiotics and vitamins. They like it more than granulated feed. I think it is because of the diff sized grains and tge many types of grains, which adds colour to their lives. The grain mix I biy is sold for pigeons. I also feed it to my Runner Ducks, without the concentrate. Greetings from Poland!

[@peterw7951]

I greatly appreciate the info. I am just getting started with quail and have visited some quail farms. NOWHERE did I see quail housed 1 sq /bird. I found severely overcrowded and also relatively spacious. From my observation (depending on variety) was that 3 to 4 birds /sq ft is just fine. That is what I am doing with mine. As always, young can have more per sq ft and as they grow they will need more space. For adults 3 to 4 /sq ft is just fine. Again, many tks.

[@HumesLittleHomestead]

We just started raising quail last year and have found them to be pretty hardy- and they are so much fun to raise!! We have really enjoyed it!

[@dakopix]

The neck-breaking is something I've never seen, but I will say that I have a skittish button pair that gets panicky and can bean themselves to the point of blood on the top of the head. That can be dangerous if they bleed out, but I've only had that happen once and the bird is fine. He's just a little more brick headed than before.

[@learnTableTenis]

Very good video with a lot of good thought. I've hatched my 4 batches of quails and have never worried about those "restrictions" people made up. I had no previous experience, and my quail and I are just fine. From my experience, quails are very social animals, they'll cry a lot if you pick one out of the group, especially the girls, they like to huddle together. As long as they have good food (they also like treats like green leaves and apple core) and water, can do sand bath, they'll be happy. I put about 20 in a 3 x 3 cage with no issue so far. Quails are the easiest bird if you want clean egg. I got my first egg when they were only 42 days old. And their eggs are very nutritious and can be used as food supplement, better than any other eggs, only after guinea fowl eggs. My seasonal allergy and ion deficiency symptoms go away this year after I turned to quail eggs. I definitely will keep raising quails for safe food. For people who wants to try out, get some eggs and start to hatch, you can put them anywhere without predators after hatch. Put them under a heat lamp for 21 days, and give them clean water and food and wait for your first egg to roll out in about a month. You'll have a lot of fun, even just watching/listening to them as your pet bird.

[@UrbanAviary]

+Tom Huang all of that is very good info!

[@Spark_Iskra_z_Polski]

You managed to hatch them without the incubator? Wow

[@crzynrs100]

I always thought the cage height thing was to make folks feel better about having them in tiny cages.

[@UrbanAviary]

I think there's something to that

[@enricopallazzo3244]

I’m getting into quail raising this week. Thanks for the info and especially speaking on the height requirement of the pen.

[@mathieudefour5629]

Great info. Greater beard Keep it up

[@willdwyer6782]

I live in Michigan where a DNR permit is required for most game birds. However, the only quail variety specifically listed in the regulations is bobwhite quail. Does that mean coturnix is exempt from permit?

[@Sagewolf1975]

I agree about the number of quail per foot not being a firm number. The reason you can do double the number for a short time as new birds grow up and replace the older birds that graduate into good meals. It is all about how many and how long.

[@PopleBackyardFarm]

Quail are awesome I noticed a lot of people don't cage them and they run away or they don't feed them good and they attack each other... because they are newer to quail. Great information. I really enjoyed this we keep quail but like you know it all takes time. Quail are actually really easy to raise and aren't complicated at all like you said :) great video - Quail are probably easier than chickens in some ways :)

[@MisterMitchMM]

CAGE HEIGHT. My belief is that "old wives" tale came from the commercial breeders fending off complaints from animal rights advocates. People complained about cramped living conditions etc. etc. and the powers that be came up with the 9 to 12 inches to justify the restricted space issues. It is founded on complete nonsense like you said. The only quail I have encountered with a broken neck has been a result of me dropping a tiny chick or an adult that was destined for the pan. Great information as always. Thanks.

[@UrbanAviary]

Very good insight, and I believe you're dead on with that.

[@ratedmark4704]

I like the 12 inch rule to discourage flight. Id also like to add dbl stacking cages is the problem for higene reasons. Even roaches love clean enclosures.

[@ellenj9969]

Good vid, thank you. It is true that cage height doesn’t seem to be a factor in deaths. I’ve had Bobwhite in a 6 foot high outdoor enclosure with zero problems, and I’ve had them indoors in a 3 foot high enclosure with no problems. I’m about to try raising Coturnix for egg laying and I am guessing they’ll be similar. My feeling is that anyone who owns animals for whatever purpose (meat, eggs, pets, etc) has an obligation to house and care for them them humanely, and when they are put down, to do so as humanely as possible. We don’t need to treat them as unfeeling objects. I like your vid, and appreciate your info, and I look forward to venturing back into the world of quail.

[@karenowens2390]

I have 3 week old bobwhite quail and read that they mate for life. If that's true how many males and females did you keep together in a pen

[@AlohaQuails]

Never had a quail break its neck, Did have one jump up in a brooder and get its head wedged in to the chicken wire over the top of a brooder tho. Luckily i was their and just pushed it back through, Changed the mesh size after that.

[@ocloud7389]

Aloha Quails yeah I've had extremely skittish button quail wich would always hit their head and n3ver broke their neck

[@kbbacon]

19 young birds in 4 square feet and they are loving it. Thank you for dispelling the rumors.

[@Pengous01]

I had two quail out of 70 jump up and hit the top of the cage and then died. It happened when I transported them into a new and taller cage, 16 inches in height. Their necks didn't look broken but we're foaming from their mouth. They seem to have died from brain damage. I have also had quails jump up and hit the top of the cage and survive.

[@UrbanAviary]

What did you transport them in? They foam at the mouth when they are hot. When I transport mine short distances in a cardboard box they foam at the mouth by the time they get to their new environment. I can see them hitting their heads and dying from head injuries as an anomaly. But yeah, a broken neck would defy physics as they simply don't have enough power in their entire body to create enough force to break their neck. I can't break a quails neck with the strength of my own hands and I have a lot more muscle mass in my arms than a quail does in its entire body.

[@HerrWade]

Looks like they mean "transferred".

[@stephendekoning5689]

Yeah.. many quail actually are made to jump up through tall grass brush and weeds. Males as part of common wild behavior, jump up straight eight feet on average or more once start flapping and flutter, to impress females. I break my quails necks when culling with just one finger..

[@rickeyauthement7253]

great excuse to have baked or fried quail that night!

[@machinegreen1911]

Great info Thanks. Just picked up my first 18 chicks last week. So far, so good.

[@elenanguyen7721]

We've freshly started having a few quails in our flat here in Switzerland and we love it! They are happy and surprisingly social birds, really easy to look after, not smelly at all and a great way to safe some money for eggs and rarely even meat. I really love your videos! They all were a great help as we started and always kind of a reassurance that we're doing it right. After this video i finally subscribed (should have done that from the beginning)! Thanks for your work here on KZbin!

[@deaboos1]

I actually SAW one of mine - a healthy young quail, in a 24" high cage, startled and jumped - slammed into the top of the cage. I picked him up immediately and he couldn't hold his head up. Thinking he was just stunned, I put him back in the cage and, 20 minutes later, he was dead. I didn't check with a vet but I feel sure he broke his neck!

[@LilSixy]

Or just aheart attack or shock.

[@ssjgogetadbzgt]

Hand it happen to me too

[@averageoutdoorguy2737]

Thank you I just got 30 chicks and I have been watching other videos and not sure what size cage to build or should I build 4-5-or six of them you have helped me a lot thank you

[@vwsrcool]

ive had quail shoot up and hit the wire on the top of the cage and knock them selves out before with 12 in high pens, they didnt die or break their neck, but they were fucked up for a few minutes

[@awesomekoga7848]

Thank you for the info. I'm a newbie and just got coturnix. 5 female 1 male. 1 female was mean. She pecked 2 of the others eyes. One got better, one is blind. She fought with all the others. I ended up putting them in 3 cages. They finally aren't fighting. I also have 2 buttons. They are sweet. I have them in bird cages right now. I keep 1 male with 1 female, 2 females, and in the last cage, 1 coturnix and the buttons. They have been laying eggs which I have on a heating pad in a Styrofoam box with a cup of water. I have hatched a few buttons this way but they later died due to my mistake. I am trying again. I try to find everything I can to learn about raising quail. They are so cute. I live in a tiny 1 bedroom condo, so this is perfect, space-wise. They are in my room, on my dressers. They are quiet, too. My buttons are noisier than all 5 coturnix but they hardly vocalize. I believe they are happy. They get fresh veggies or fruit daily, starter diet, shelled sunflowets & meal worms for treats. They coturnix also get egg maker since the previous owner gave them that. They have lots of hay, sand, water and hiding places. I'm learning so much from all these videos. Thank you! Wish me luck! Good luck to all who need it!

[@heatherwatson8273]

I had quails for 6 years, they are the easiest birds I've ever owned, I had pairs in every aviary to clean up the seed my parrots dropped on the ground. They gathered rubbish on the floor to make a nest and layed their eggs, and when their chicks where old enough I sold the young. Next time I have quails I will make sure there is grass and dirt in the aviary for them to scratch in and have more nesting places instead of just the concrete floor. I've NEVER had a quail break it neck and I used a butterfly net to catch the birds. The aviary was big enough for my 6'8" husband to stand up in and enough room for the two of us to stand side by side. We had one pair and their chicks per aviary which I kept with both New Zealand and Australian parrots, the birds lived long happy lives!

[@graftedbranchhomestead]

My eggs are 9 days in the incubator and documenting and excited! I have backyard chickens but can't have a rooster and they can be very loud and tend to become dinner. Thanks for these videos, they help :)

[@nathanwilliams8222]

thanks for the tips. I have just begun to look at getting Quail and the reason given for the height restriction always bothered me.

[@danieljordan2442]

oh my gosh they get excited for treats?? 😭😭😭 that is sooo cute I cant wait for my incubator to arrive

[@cookinqueen1]

Thank you for all of your knowledge and incouragment. I live in a very urban setting and I'm going to try raising quail.

[@LeoBarr1968]

You have alot of good info. I have watched many videos of yours. Thanks for sharing. But, when others talk about cage height requirement that is true but only in one situation. If a bird is startled and senses danger, it can jump/ fly to get away with a force to injure the bird. Again there is no hard rule but if cage top over about 20 inches up to about 40 inches they can create momentum enough to injure themselves badly. Under 20 the idea is they dont have enough momentum to hurt themselves and over 40 they feel high enough to evade the danger. And, 1 square foot idea is good guideline. Everyone has their own thought on matter depending on how you view the animal. Thanks for info you share.

[@5herpsandadog]

I don’t keep quail, not yet anyway, and I would think a taller cage would prevent neck breaking, not decrease it, if it is a problem. The most momentum a quail would have would be closer to the floor of their cage, not higher. From what I have seen they aren’t the greatest flyers, as they are ground birds. Even if they could jump hard enough to break their necks, the higher cage would be better because the higher they get, the less force they will hit the roof with....

[@UrbanAviary]

My thoughts exactly

[@jgblack21]

Nice information....I just hatched a bunch of buttons. I mostly wanted a hatching experience and found buttons were the smallest. I am glad you cleared up the issue of space. I live in a condo and was hoping to raise a few on my porch, but I had 16 hatch! My GF and I area already attached and do not want to cull any if they are healthy. I was thinking we may have to find homes for some but I know males would be harder to get rid of. We may just try and stack up several cages and keep them as best we can..thanks

[@dianneshoenfelt5873]

The myth that makes me crazy is that quail can't be raised on the ground? Where the hell do they live in the wild!?!? I have been "winging it' with quail and ignoring a lot of the "rules", and so far so good! I have a 130 sq ft aviary this year for my laying and breeding birds (and a few for meat) and next year I'm going to try raising meat birds on a larger scale, on grass. I've got it all planned out for next year, keeping my fingers crossed that it's a success!

[@UrbanAviary]

That's awesome! And I agree. Pastured quail are incredible.

[@daniellesunley4807]

I have 5 8x4 runs that I have over my raised beds. I sow kale lettuce and carrots and onion in them in march and pick them through spring. I run my quail in them once the plants are tall enough not to get trampled. They love eating the leaves as much as we do and the ground cover makes them very happy. In winter they live in the chicken shed so they don’t freeze to death. I love that they eat bugs and fertilise the soil for me. The beds are 1ft tall. I find and taller is hard to reach into to harvest crops.

[@UrbanAviary]

That's not a bad idea, I like that.

[@ratgrl81]

That's probably for people who have more than one kind of poultry. Chickens can spread disease to quail easily. Mine are caged for that reason, we have free range chickens that are kept completely separate.

[@stephendekoning5689]

Quail actually do sometimes given hight, do break necks, scalp selves/scrape tear or damage faces, popping eyes out, break beaks legs wings and other bones,and damage organs..some strains are different and that is where people think myths are true or false based on limited experience with only one or two strains. I've tried many different strains of wild "pharoh" and other color morphs, and found ones that even brood their eggs and young allowed to free range and many became feral flocks perching digging nests ect, others so off they need to be kept on only wire because they wouldn't perch or clean beaks feet ect and would die of simple issues like feet getting caked crap and iinfection ect. I was a vet assistant btw and done necropsies on quail having seen them jump up and break necks.. more often than not they die of head trauma or internal bleeding, but just saying with some strains it happens a lot.

[@susansmith5205]

LOL, I know it’s a fluke, but I literally had a quail kill itself about an hour ago by hitting her head.

[@samljer]

With a hammer?

[@wendy70ish]

What’s so funny about that ????

[@hortoncreekgardensllc1670]

wendy70ish the timing of events.

[@briansimon2891]

I live in a HOA area but I am looking to raise quail in my house! "What Momma don't know won't hurt her." I will do as much as I can to protect my family! This country has gone to shit, but we will survive!

[@fish_hunt_trap_outdoorsore7201]

not to put myth 2 down or anything I just want to share my experience I had a big Quail Run it was about 12 by 24 feet and 6 and a half feet tall and this happened to about 4 different quail of two different types Snowflake Bobwhite and Japanese quail two of each what happened as they flew up and hit the netting at the top and then hit the wall and they got paralyzed neck down all four of them but thank you for the video

[@janetadams3443]

It isn't so much to do with the height of the cage as the material. The quail will fly up if scared. If the roof is made of hard wire there is a danger they will harm themselves. A layer of fine netting a few inches below the roof will prevent any damage.

[@ocloud7389]

janet adams or some foam at the top

[@thebamlife1775]

Thanks for the encouragement!!! Bought 10 chicks and giving it a try in the garage!!

[@UrbanAviary]

Heck yeah man! That's exactly how I started out...except with 50 of them. This is the fun part, watching how fast they grow. They nearly double in size every day for the first couple of weeks.

[@ooatv2150]

Urban Aviary You grow a serious beard! Nice

[@UrbanAviary]

Ohioutdoor Addicts TV I do try, thanks!

[@williamcoker4967]

Great video I'm just getting started raising quail and this helps.

[@v.j.l.4073]

What I heard was that the jumbo brown quail are bigger because they were bred over many generations for larger size, breeding biggest males to biggest females. Perhaps you could do that with any quail variety, if you wanted to make a breeding project of it.

[@Spark_Iskra_z_Polski]

True. I am seeing this with all possible colours. I bought really small sized Bentam-like crow black quail and now, after muxing with larger quail they reach the same sizes as my bigger birds.

[@Ohcgfghg]

THANK YOU for taking the time to do this video!~ I was questioning the bird per sq. ft. thing! Am about to get my first quail eggs and am raring to go! :)

[@UrbanAviary]

That's awesome!!

[@Ohcgfghg]

I just got word that my eggs JUST shipped! Gonna get the incubator plugged in and await their arrival! WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@fishingqld]

I have had a quail that got startled as i walked around to the cage. He hit the roof of the cage and Knocked him self out, as far as i could tell he didn't break his neck, he sat in the corner for about 2 hours but he didn't pull through and died. And my cage is under 1 foot. My mate keeps his quail in Avery's and has never had any problems. Cheers Pete

[@heatherwatson8273]

To those just starting if you put sand on the ground it easier to keep clean than dirt.

[@shermdog6969]

How about raising birds on the ground vs cages?

[@robinhill2018]

Thank you so much for all you’re advice especially quail housing can be higher than 18”. 😊 I have 3 pens of birds bc if I put them together they fight. I put cages beside each other so they can see each other for about a wk. then I’ve had no problem combining them.

[@Syntella]

Lmao, I giggled when I heard the #2 myth.. I'm not sure where people get their information from. It's funny.. definitely shouldn't be a deterrent from getting Quail. I'm just starting out with Quail , we got two from my father in law. We put them in behind the chickens , at first in with , but didn't turn out so great, the chickens wanted to peck and kill the Quail so we sectioned off a portion in the back of the run, and that's where they are staying. And seem to be doing just fine. We'll be winterizing their area when it gets closer to the start of fall. Not even sure how winter hardy Quail are, so it's all a learning experience and fun. So I'm digging around for information , where ever I can find them. We've had them 3 weeks now, We've gotten 2 1/2 dozen eggs so far, great little birds. Thanks for doing little video's like this , it helps debunk , ridiculous myths that seem to circulate and scare people away from trying out a really rewarding part of raising your own game.. :)

[@maddknadd9019]

Elinor Forrester how’s it going now 2 years later

[@Charliefulle]

You keep it real man. Thank you kindly sir! Kaley

[@SixDrops]

I tried to keep a small bundle of quail in the busy city of Columbus, Ohio, in a condo garden. It was going great until, to my horror, a neighbor's cat got to each, one by one (I blame this on the sweet & trusting nature of these birds). One hen left behind a single egg to which I incubated it, and keep it as an "indoor quail" in a large finch aviary, at the floor where she seem so happy. She is a virgin hen that lays an unfertilized egg almost every day. I named her "Lil Pecker". Point being, she is the sweetest bird ever owned. She always seems so happy to see me & SO affectionate. PS: Loved the video....agreed with every syllable of it.

[@UrbanAviary]

+SixDrops That's a bummer! I'd do it again and keep a live trap set for the cat. Once you catch it take it to the owner and tell them the next time you will take it directly to the shelter or just release it 2 counties over. That's the nice way I would do it if I liked my neighbors. Let's just say that if I didn't know the owner, and it killed ONE of my birds, that cat would flat out disappear.

[@nataliebutler]

How did the cat get to them? There are several cats near me and I want to make sure my cage is cat proof.

[@nataliebutler]

@@UrbanAviary That's cruel. A cat can't be keep inside unless they have been their whole life. Legally in the UK they are considered 'semi wild' animals and have a right to roam. You just need to make sure your pens are preditor proof.

[@SixDrops]

@@nataliebutler Believe it or not, my neighbor repeatedly went to the trouble of opening up the enclosure by destroying it in the area closest to her (I actually caught her once and yelled at her through my window, asking her what she was doing & she quickly jumped up and scrambled back into her own home with no reply), so her cats could have their way with my birds. 😶

[@nataliebutler]

@@SixDrops oh wow. That's an unbelievably terrible neighbour. I'm so sorry.

[@ChickenWired]

While I can't speak for quail breaking their necks, but have seen it with a pheasant and two chickens. In those instances they were spooked and flew up into either a solid topped pen or a 2x4 brace. So, while I'm new to quail I can state for certainty that it can happen in other domestic species. Regardless, I enjoyed this video!

[@DaybirdAviaries]

I love common sense advice. Thank you.

[@edwardleffler7738]

I’m starting quail raising on my yacht, and I wanted to know about how long can you Raise quail without without over breeding and not introducing new strains of quail?

[@Icantbuttons]

Edward Leffler I typically reintroduce new genetics every 2nd-3rd generation.

[@ZedreaOffGrid]

I just started quail in September. Mostly it's easier then I thought but definitely not cheep like everyone says. At least if you feed them well

[@maddknadd9019]

How much money

[@ZedreaOffGrid]

@@maddknadd9019 let me look at my records tonight. I get my feed from tractor supply.

[@ZedreaOffGrid]

@scott wallace I actually grow worms, meal worms and they seem to love rolly pollies (potato bugs. I do Mico greens as well as feed. I really enjoy keeping them and that started to lay eggs I am tickled pink. It is definitely worth the effort and cost. Every day is like an Easter egg hunt lol such a joy really.

[@ZedreaOffGrid]

@scott wallace I have done both. I buy a game bird feed but also add a little of my homemade love to the mix. I also have grit and oyster shells that I grind just a bit more for the tiny birds lol they seem to enjoy the effort I take. Mostly sprouted sunflower seeds is their crack. It has to be said. I do believe I have spoiled them but they have also spoiled me so I think that is fare

[@ZedreaOffGrid]

@scott wallace they are jolly little fluffs. At night I say to them it's bed time and they all go into the run. I did a video of it anyway but the same two birds every night will pop out of the hutch back into the run and do zoomies. So I pick them up give them kisses and put them down and they walk into the run. It's like they need just one more snuggles before bed. Anyway I wooooves them.

[@aliciamcnamar8203]

lots of people show how to raise quail and building cages, but I haven't found anyone to tell or show how to clean and cook them. could you show or tell this subject?

[@nanasplace3217]

Found you because I was trying to learn about quail I'm getting in a few weeks

[@whynot2047]

Congrats they're amazing

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

WAIT!!!!.... I thought 20 people in a crowded room was a party,lol. Great information. Thank you for your time.

[@FieldTechIV]

Haha, your reaction to the height of the quail cage was great. I agree with you completely. I heard this myth when I was building my coop but decided to ignore it because I thought giving them more space would contribute to their happiness. My quail sometimes fly up a little, but have never hit the ceiling. One of the arguments for low ceilings is that quail can get scared easily and fly up and hit the ceiling, but I haven't noticed quail to startle easily (myth #4). My quail are calm and relaxed, When I open the coop door they don't try to walk or fly out. I can leave the door open for 15 minutes and leave and they stay in there.

[@UrbanAviary]

You're absolutely right! These birds are very domesticated, they do not scare easy at all.

[@verabundy1082]

Yep - I can reach in and touch / pet my Pharaohs....Not so with the Calif. Valleys and the Blue Scales. As I said before, those other two species are true wild birds....and more of a challenge to raise and keep happy. I raised them all with the same amount of handling. The Cal's and Blue Scales also LOVE fresh veggies and fruit. My Pharaohs don't seem to much care for the fruit & veggie treats.

[@stephendekoning5689]

It depends on your strain.. many say ect but apparently do not get out into the real world off computers hardly. Some strains extreamly tame and wild bred out, hence why they lay daily all year if given right conditions but do not brood, but I've had one strain go feral such good instinct raising babies in avairy in winter, another strain would in open cage till babies started getting feathers and they'd lay again, another would lay and hatch but just let chicks fend for themselves using her for a heater, and another would brood but her eggs never hatched so I don't know if she would have cared for. Some would spooking jumping eight feet needing fine netted top of pens not higher, some would flutter or bate around crazily, some would run away smashing into everything. Many other strains did non of these wild behaviors. Your good didn't make everything a tame pet that today is.. your ancestors had more brains to observe and breed traits desired.

[@Ricky53Bobby]

I want to start a quail colony to get eggs to eat do I put both male and female quail together sorry if I'd a dumb question

[@UrbanAviary]

If you want eggs then you only need females, you only need males for reproduction. Not a dumb question at all, it's a question I had when I first got started with quail.

[@Ricky53Bobby]

Urban Aviary thank you now to get started any type you recommend

[@UrbanAviary]

Any variety of Coturnix will do great!

[@patriciabowman9792]

Great video, and I agree with you 100%.I'm working on my fourth hatching and it has been great fun.

[@UrbanAviary]

It becomes a borderline habit. Some people have alcohol...I have quail and an incubator that can hatch 1000+ eggs at a time.

[@floot6799]

Jaren, you are a legend. Through that whole video, you didnt mention once 'coturnix quail'. Most muppets on youtube only have 'coturnix quail'..... They are the ONLY QUAIL, one should own.. Coturnix quail are some how different to all other breeds of quail.. Thankyou for recognizing the different breeds of quail, I think you did. Interestingly, I am an aussie that adore budgies. I read they myths about budgie breeds and breeding world wide. Glad, I was never threatened by those muppets... Cheers, keep up the good work...Floot

[@UrbanAviary]

+floot Thanks so much for the kind words! I really do appreciate it.

[@clawhammer704]

Will quail stay around like chickens if turned out to be a yard bird. I live in the country and my chickens roam the backyard and woods but come back to the pen to roost in the evening.

[@UrbanAviary]

No, they won't home to a coop like that. And they will just go wherever they want, they won't stick around. And even if you they did stick around it would only be a matter of time before a Cooper's Hawk decided to make a living off of them.

[@ThirdLawPair]

Two questions I have that I would love to hear more about. First, how old are your laying quail when you replace them? Second, is it true that is difficult to introduce new birds into you an existing pen of quail? This would influence how large I would want to make each individual pen.

[@UrbanAviary]

It depends on weather you plan to eat your birds. If so, I'd replace them every year as the meat gets tougher the older they get. If not, they can gonna couple years. And from my experience, Quail are often not friendly to newcomers. Particularly towards other members of the same sex. Introducing new hens to an existing rooster isn't as big of a deal though. But that's just in general, there are always exceptions.

[@ThirdLawPair]

Urban Aviary So you don't notice any decline in the quality of the meat between 8 weeks and 1 year old quail, but after that you do?

[@anatoliy8212]

Thanks for honest video!!!

[@elizabethdunn843]

How many per square ft. for the larger quail breeds such as the Jumbo or texas A&M coturnix? Would you raise them in stacked cages?

[@UrbanAviary]

I wouldn't hesitate to do that, and I've done 2 birds per square foot without any issues.

[@addiewolgemuth9892]

Also I feel like keeping 4 birds in a 1foot by 1 foot is a lot diff then keeping 16 birds in a two foot by two foot the birds only take up so much room at one point in time

[@jimyoung144]

Thank you for the information

[@preparedbrad5736]

I agree with some of the stuff you said. Mostly the problems that people have with birds breaking their necks are in larger flyways. If you are flight conditioning quail like bobwhite, it is important to use the plastic netting for the sides and top. For a small cage, I don't think headroom matters. As for birds per square foot, you are correct. Internationally accepted standards are up to 5 birds per square foot. As for breeds, there are some differences. Coturnix are better egg layers than bobwhite because they are not seasonal layers. Jumbo quail are also bigger, but you have to be careful because not all of them are bigger. Runes exist in every breed. I wholeheartedly agree that raising quail isn't that difficult. I thoroughly enjoy it. Thanks!

[@preparedbrad5736]

*runts

[@Bella-y1o9h]

I have some quail hens and one got spooked she jumped up and hit the bars on top and hit her head she started breading from the mouth I separated her from the flock for a few days so they can hurt themselves, But She is a very big bird and that is why I feel she was the only one that got hurt. Otherwise, I agree it really could be a myth about them breaking their necks unless it has to do with the jumbos. I started working with her and taming her down and she has stopped hitting her head on the top and actually comes up to me when I open her cage, she is my bird that lays dark green eggs like an olive egger in chickens. (But the egg is blue inside in color. when my birds are in a pecky mood at each other I dim the lights and pet them, and they stop pecking each other but that is when it is mild aggression like over food or water, when they are this way. But I have had to separate a bird once because when I bought her from a back yard breeder the quail had a broken toe when I got her. I kept her alone but near other quail and she made a recovery and was able to put with another bird after she healed. But I'm still new to quail.

[@dbbd9890]

I agree completely. From what I have seen, the more space they have they seem to be more aggressive and possibly territorial they are.

[@Spark_Iskra_z_Polski]

My experience is contradictory. The more space, the fewer issues with territory. I have ab 30 males in 2m by 2m space with many hiding places and run away options, the males ran a lot initially but when I picked them and told them off, or put in a cage for a while, they are great friends now. They occasionally let steam off but it resembles sports classes and testosteron release :) No harm at all.

[@MamoruMoon666]

can quail be raised in a shady area in Florida? I mean, we pretty much have 14 hour days year round, and it rarely gets to freezing, but i keep reading they need a ton of sunlight, and I had this spot picked out in my yard but it has a lot of overhang from big trees, i mean it gets a few hours of direct sunlight for a little bit each day, but for the most part it's shady and nice and cool and safe in my backyard where there are 4 dogs and a fence

[@UrbanAviary]

That will work just fine. they don't need direct contact with sunlight, they need ambient light so that they feel like it's spring or summer. It's not direct contact with sunlight that is important. I give my bird supplemental light inside a shed through the winter and they lay just fine

[@VaughnMalecki]

New subscriber. Thanks for sharing and encouraging others to be self sufficient and self sustainable.

[@FedoraNinjas]

thanks for all the information, I am picking up my hens today!

[@UrbanAviary]

+oftenimmature That's great!

[@lagthical9867]

At first i thought it was complicated as people online made it sound very complicated but once i started i realised how easy they were to raise.

[@gn-r6934]

I feel more confident in my quail now I just got some hatching eggs today and just seeing your video put me to ease. I got out of surgery Wednesday and was told to start eating healthy and get my exercise in once I heal up and quail was the only source of clean safe meat and eggs I could think of to raise in time with my healing process, thank you for your video and making me feel more confident!

[@UrbanAviary]

You're very welcome, hope you have a quick recovery!

[@gn-r6934]

Urban Aviary thank you!

[@justtinkering6054]

FYI I have had juvenile pheasants jump and hit their heads in the brooder and die. Granted, they are not quail. Some varieties of pheasant are really, really flighty, but it is possible. My brooder ceilings are 9" tall. I have had it happen two times that I was taking birds out of the brooder and watched birds jump up and hit their heads and flop around dead. I don't mean to take away from your message. This is just my actual experience. You are putting out some great videos. Please keep up the good work. Thanks.

[@UrbanAviary]

+Danger Berne Thanks you sir! Yeah, head injuries in a birds like a pheasant I can totally see happening. VERY strong flyers with strong legs. I don't see them breaking their neck still but defiantly doing lethal head trauma damage. Thanks for the kind words.

[@hdcoker]

I've been raising these quail for 10+ yrs. 3 birds per sq foot has always been my rule and other than the occasional unruly bird they've got along just fine.

[@mmangla5575]

Thanks For The Information

[@lindsaynorman9323]

I raise Quail in rabbit cages in my apartment 2ftx4ft and 1.5ft tall. you can totally do it. we dont need to buy eggs at the store anymore they really are pretty easy to raise and it is quick to learn things.

[@robinhill2018]

How old do quails need to be before moving them to regular housing. My 3 babies are 3 weeks old now and seem to be doing very well without heat lamp. They are inside for now. 😊 Thank you, Robin

[@UrbanAviary]

If they are fully feathered out then they should be fine in regular housing, but not on a wire floor until about 5 weeks.

[@Benjibean1978]

Super excellent information. Sent an email idea for new video. You are getting me excited to go and build a few in my garage, but most likely on the side of my house in AZ.

[@UrbanAviary]

I would love to see your build once it's complete!

[@UrbanAviary]

+Benjamin Petersen Hey I tried to email you back but it says delivery failure, like it's a bad email address?

[@nareea]

I've had chickens for awhile and I watched this video with an interest in starting a small quail flock (Great video series bye the way). On the topic of cage size, do you NEED to keep them in small cages? I keep my birds strictly for pets only and would really like to have more of a run/coop setup, perhaps maybe smaller than used for chickens? Thanks! Subscribed.

[@UrbanAviary]

+SocietyPuppet You bet! I built a 100 square foot aviary for mine and they love it. It's fun to watch them when they have the space to bahave the way they do in the wild.

[@nareea]

Funny, I started watching all your videos and found an answer! I couldn't find this post to delete it. lol..thanks though dude, they seem like awesome little birds.

[@UrbanAviary]

SocietyPuppet No problem man, I'm glad I could help. Have fun with your birds!

[@markdandeneau2904]

If the cage is too tall the quail will expend more energy having fun. That leaves less energy for the production of eggs. Around a 12” height is optimal for production.

[@JaredHempfield]

Just got 17 three week old quail and not one has broken it's neck when the morning comes and they fly into the firmament 24 inches above their domes.

[@logunder4597]

Hi, I’m looking into raising some quails and making kind of a mini farm for some quails, do you have any tips on raising button quails and coturnix/Japanese/pharaoh quails? Also, do you have any tips on how to clean a coop or how to build one? Any advice would mean a lot.

[@UrbanAviary]

Not super familiar with Buttons. Biggest piece of advice I can give is get started and don't overthink it. If you have specific questions I'll be happy to answer them.

[@logunder4597]

Urban Aviary hi so, do you have any tips on building an outdoor coop for quails? Like what kinda of wood would work the best? What kind of metal wiring to use as kinda windows?

[@UrbanAviary]

Pressure-treated 2 x 3 or 2 x 4 framing. 2-3 inch gap spacing on the cage wire/metal. And 1x2 wire for the floor, preferably PVC coated.

[@logunder4597]

Urban Aviary alright, thanks, I’m just worried about like squirrels getting in because we have a lot of squirrels in my area. Also, one more question, how do you clean out a coop or a tank/cage? Do you throw out all the bedding? Or is there a different way?

[@UrbanAviary]

I use that wire flooring so that the poop falls through into a tray and then I slide the tray out and clean it out. If you're doing a betting system it can get a lot messier, but yes I would wait until the bedding has absorbed all it can and then compost it. And I don't see squirrels giving you any trouble.

[@regrob16]

New subscriber to your channel and I'm glad I found you. Thanks for posting this video and I plan on catching up with your other. I just started growing my own veggies in raised beds and now plan on adding meat sources. Quails were going to be my first bird attempt with possibly some Bantam chickens to hatch the quail eggs. Would you recommend that combination or do it differently? Thanks again!!

[@UrbanAviary]

Bantams are great for hatching quail, and they're cheaper than buying an incubator. Plus they do all the work.

[@stevestanley5183]

Thanks for sharing

[@nicynodle2]

I think a better equivalent for space is 30 people in a nightclub, some people might get moody but its mostly a social space.

[@UrbanAviary]

I like that, great analogy

[@JakeDogg-RIP]

i think the big problem for any animal is just hygiene, like mentioned as long as they are healthy and happy it doesn't matter =)

[@eldunariheart6145]

My uncle just sent me an incubator and he's going to give me 40 quail eggs to hatch. My stepdad doesn't want me to keep them in a pen he wants me to set them free to build up quail population. At what age can I let them loose in the wild?

[@UrbanAviary]

What kind of Quail? Coturnix are domestic and won't survive in the wild. And native quail are illegal to set free in many places so check with your state to verify.

[@pattyclarkson3]

Thank you very much!

[@matapegheata7257]

What's the feed per weight gain ratio compared to chickens?

[@UrbanAviary]

+Mata Pegheata Ya know I haven't done all the math on that. But I can tell you it takes about 2 pounds of food for me to get a quail from hatch to slaughter. So it's astronomically better than a chicken.

[@matapegheata7257]

Urban Aviary Good to know.

[@carlacavazos6231]

I needed to hear this..thank you

[@reyaazpathan2358]

Very honest opinions

[@1rstjames]

Best thing I've watched today 👌

[@johnpaulkeller5450]

I have had a button quail peal open the top of its head by jumping too hard into the top of its enclosure. that's no where near breaking its neck, but it requires force to do something like that. I do have photos and videos to prove it if you want to see urban aviary.

[@SouthWestIron]

Thanks for dispelling much of the none sense out there!

[@mackenzieross5604]

Thank you😊

[@jenniferdonnelly7120]

Thanks for the advice great video

[@cynthiacullop4943]

I was told quail will fly away like other birds...to be careful because they will get away. How true is this?

[@UrbanAviary]

Coturnix are poor flyers. I've never seen one that can get over a four foot fence. Now Bobwhites, California Quail and other native species are a different story.

[@dustunvanderbilt2121]

I had one that couldn't hold its head up from hitting the top of the cage but it lived for a year after with what I guess would be a broke neck I has in the cage when it happened but thats 1 bird in 4 years

[@far-maracreshomesteadingan7777]

Love this video. The people who are saying this B,S, about quail should take the time to enact myth #2. They need to jump up and break their neck and go away.