Making a safe nesting & brooding area for organic coturnix quail. Hábitat de anidación codornices

Last year due to predators my bonded pair did not go broody. We've now created a safe nesting area and this year have 3 bonded pairs of quail, who have just begun to sleep out in it. No nests yet but fingers crossed! Part One written article: holistic-hen.blogspot.fr/2017... and also a step-bu-step build of the quail greenhouse: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/202... My sites: The Holistic Hen: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/ which also includes written articles to accompany each film plus stand alone ones as well. simplyorganicrecipes.blogspot... Our favourite recipes from home and around the World including gluten-free, and homemade health and beauty. upcycledwardrobecostumeandclo... Projects for costume making, crafts and clothes. ko-fi.com/pavlovafowl - where you can buy me a coffee = $3 if you like my work and want to support it or www.paypal.me/Pavlovafowl
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El año pasado mi codorniz que crió pollitos no estaba en un pareja unida. Ahora hemos creado un área de anidación segura y este año tenemos 3 parejas de codornices unidas, que apenas han comenzado a dormir fuera en él. ¡Todavía no hay nidos, pero deséame suerte!
L'année dernière, ma caille qui élevait des poussins n'était pas dans une couple. Nous avons maintenant créé une zone de nidification sûre et cette année ont 3 paires de caille en couple, qui viennent de commencer à dormir dehors. Il n'y a pas encore de nids mais me souhaite bonne chance!

[@cRaZyLaMa84]

Finally someone who lets mother nature do the work thanku

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thank you for that lovely comment, it is so appreciated. What I really find ironic is that working with mother nature is so much easier than working against her. Birds know more about their health, food and environmental requirements than we ever will, all we can ever do is give them access to the materials they need and let them get on with it. My only problem with quail has always been predators, so they need to be safe but you can give them the illusion of being 'in the wild' and better than that, if you have bonded pairs or quail that will come to you in times of danger, then you can actually give them free-ranging time. I've also free-ranged quail chicks with their mother hen, this is an early film that I made before my quail began to raise their own: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKCXhGubjL1mo5Y All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@cRaZyLaMa84]

@@Pavlovafowl i couldnt agree more and thank you i will have a look at the vid. A big warm south african good night

[@tiffanewilliams82]

When she said oh it's a long story....I died....thank u ma'am from the bottom of my heart

[@Pavlovafowl]

You are so welcome! Sorry to be so long in replying, KZbin stopped informing me of comments and it has taken me some time to find them! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@RusticByNature]

Love your answer "It's a long story" Thanks for sharing.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and thanks! That's why live recording is so much better and we never rehearse anything but I guess you realised that! It was great to have our cousins to interact with too. When I realised they were coming on holiday, we saved the opening ceremony for them, it was such fun! All the very best, Sue

[@s.a.morris8625]

....BAHAHAHAHA.....!!!!.....

[@roovawal]

I loved this! So wonderful to see such a natural open space with plenty of room for the inhabitants. Very inspiring, thanks for sharing!

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there, you are so very welcome and I'm so happy you liked the space. I am able to let the quail continue into the adjoined greenhouse as well this time of year as everything as grown too high, hopefully, to be at their mercy. They do love tasting things, so I do get a few nibbled vegetables but that is a small price to pay to get all the aphids, woodlice and caterpillars kept a bay and above all see them so enjoying the room to skip, jump and fly as they do each morning when they wake. All the very best, Sue xx

[@chrislecky710]

What we are doing is essentially designing a new food production technology that will compliment permaculture and other similar sustainable projects. Its about learning whats possible and plausible again with new understandings and perspectives in play.

[@southafricanrhino]

Wonderful set up. I've been looking for such set up for my future quails. Thank you!

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and you are so welcome. I do have written articles to go with this film and I am in the process of writing up the third one which is on planting up the space. Here is the link if you are interested: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2021/11/creating-safe-quail-habitat-nesting-breeding.html - there's obviously a lot more detail in these. All the very best and good luck with your exciting quail adventure, Sue xx

[@southafricanrhino]

@@Pavlovafowl Very kind of you, thank you. I look forward to more of your videos.

[@billyrich7632]

It’s a long story!!! Love it. That’s my answer to my boys from now on.

[@RaquelBatEl]

My favorite quail video of all time! Thank you. A few questions please: 1. How do you clean their poop? 2. If they are broody and territorial, when you consistently collect their eggs, does it pose a problem? 3. What are the top 5-7 plants you suggest if I were to plant purely for their nutritional benefit/needs? 4. Do you have any tips many people make when creating this natural environment NOT mentioned in the video? Perhaps quail deaths/illnesses you experienced over time that could have been prevented if you knew better. Annual upkeep? Sorry for all the questions. This video is literally the ONLY video I've seen that has been created along the lines of what I'm looking to build. I live in an apartment and space is extremely limited, however, I don't want the birds to feel stress (about 3 total in a 2'x7' workspace). Thank you in advance! 🤗

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Raquel, I will reply to you tomorrow but in the meantime I have a more comprehensive written article (in two parts) to accompany this video, which you may find useful, here is the link to the first part, which shares details of design criteria and materials: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2021/11/creating-safe-quail-habitat-nesting-breeding.html Although obviously your situation will be different, the approach to working out the needs for the quail and the optimum use of available space should be relevant. Part Two deals with the build of this specific area. Your question has also made me aware that I have yet to write up Part Three which is about vegetation and the organisation of the interior space! Thank you so much for your comments, they are very much appreciated. I am sadly all too aware that quail keeping is still stuck in the philosophy that quail are fine in cages in small spaces, something I have never understood. You will also find on my site many more articles on quail, some of which have matching films on here but others which are stand-alone. All the very best, Sue xx

[@davescopes249]

WOW what a beautiful home for them. They might munch on the vegetation quite a bit but you can always plant more and even put some wire around it until it grows thick. You are very dedicated to your animals. And I love your answer at the end about the male quail pulling at the females feathers. Lol. Thanks for sharing your video 👍

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Dave you are so welcome and thanks for your great comments, they are appreciated. I've just got back from a two weeks holiday and the continued heatwave, in particular without me watering it, has left the quail area looking very like a desert. I do still have greenery from the tropicals - the edible passion flowers and the giant tobacco and of course the succulents but I do need to replant/reseed. I've bought some 'floral prairie' seeds so am going to give them a go as we usually have a long season, which extends Summer even into September and October, so hopefully the quail will have something to munch upon, as the mix includes some great edibles. All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@davescopes249]

Pavlovafowl - Organic Forest Garden Poultry I would love to have a big enough garden to make a large natural home for my quail. Like yours. Mine do seem happy though. I've got one of my chickens gone broody at the moment and she's sitting on about 13 Quail eggs. I can't wait to see how many hatch. They are due in a few days. Until next time from very hot sunny Canterbury. 😎👍🕊️🐣🐓🐤🐥

[@diversitylove5460]

❤. You made a home for them 😊. I wish I could have a feather hug 🤗

[@Pavlovafowl]

Aaww! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@qwilfish66]

Great set up for the quails,they are extremely lucky and look so happy and healthy

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thank you so much for your lovely comments - they are appreciated! All the very best from Normandie, Sue and the quail

[@awhalewatcher]

Well done 👍

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thank you!

[@LearningCurveAcres]

Thanks for yet another wonderful video. You've given me some great ideas. I finally have quail and would like to give them the best home possible. Lots of love from Eastern Ontario, Canada♡

[@mattrussell1212]

Great video

[@sanjanaabeysekera9240]

NICE VIDEO THANKS !!!😍😍

[@Pavlovafowl]

You are so welcome! All the very best, Sue

[@anofritz]

Lovely children and super awesome Quail jungle !!

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there! Thank you for your great comments. We had a great time with the 'opening ceremony' we saved it especially as we knew they were coming over from New York and they love helping out with the chickens and quail. I have an update here if you are interested - it's about the quail jungle in the Winter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmmXm6CfpNxsnpY All the very best, Sue

[@anofritz]

Pavlovafowl - Organic Forest Garden Poultry abseloutely, Sue Will check that link :)

[@blgndvlcu1257]

Oh, it's a long story 😂👏👍

[@charlesmartin7347]

Great video and,it's always a long story. Good luck with that one. 🤗🤗🤔

[@dobe762]

I was going to make a similar comment LOL. Great video Sue

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Charles thanks for a great comment! Oh how true and it starts with a song, a woodlouse or a worm, which is a the quail equivalent of soft music, chocolates and flowers! All the very best, Sue

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Stephen and thanks for your comment! Forest garden Birds & Bees. All the very best, Sue

[@MermaidLuvly]

Lovely video thx for sharing

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thank you for your lovely comment! All the very best, Sue

[@shanea595]

Awww i love them!

[@shanea595]

Great job on the house for them..

[@BrimwoodFarm]

Great video. What a wonderful new extension for them :D

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Geoff! Thanks for your kind comments. They are chewing their way through the greenery but as it is raining the plants are shooting up. Am also going to add some more vegetation as we go along, particularly aromatics like lavender and rosemary which they love to nest under and do not eat! All the very best, Sue

[@BrimwoodFarm]

What a lovely idea about the aromatics. I try to grow a few things in my aviary where the quail are but the zebrafinches nibble it away. The only thing that has survived so far is box plants that are in tubs...so they look pretty but the quail can't reach them. I'm going to try some rosemary and lavender too now you've suggested it. Thanks :D

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi, you are very welcome. I also have some boxes suspended off the walls with trailing plants and I have a passion flower, an edible one I grew from seed two years ago, so I've started it in a box but it will trail, so we shall see if they eat the leaves, which are a little leathery. However, my quail did eat courgette leaves last year, so it's a matter of trial and error as I'm sure you know! All my birds will eat lemon balm too when it is new growth but that is another great quail nesting choice if you can just get it started in a low container. All the very best, Sue

[@leleiskindofcool]

Love your videos! They are so calming. They give me a little bit of nature in my day. What do you do with all your chickens and quails since they are frequently reproducing? Are you a breeder?

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and thanks for your comments, appreciated. We do tend to have a balance here as the older birds die of old-age (quail only have a 5 year life expectancy) and we do eat any cockerels that cause dissent - they get a year to sort themselves out. I also sell a few birds now and then but it is rare and I don't sell to people who do not have free-range. My birds will not stay in runs, they will escape and do, if they are not happy. I also do not sell to people who will not feed organic because my birds will have little tolerance to chemicals and I would hate to think of them being put through that. However, everyone who comes here to find birds, does so because my birds are organic but I sell birds (or hatching eggs) very rarely. I love my birds, they are a fascinating study too and I'm very, very happy to share them through films! All the very best, Sue

[@kit2130]

Pavlovafowl - Organic Forest Garden Poultry my friend had a solitary pet bobwhite quail she hatched from an egg she named Bumblebee. It lived to be 9! I have one I also hatched that is now 5. I hope he lives much longer. I just went out & bought 3 females for him! I didn't earlier because he had a sibling for company but at 4 yrs old Chatterbox got a heatstroke💔. Twotoes (he has 2 crooked toes) is prone to a sneezing virus that I have to watch carefully for treating, but is doing well. They're just the cutest little round birds with such a variation of sweet vocalizations.

[@Ima184mm]

Beautiful nest

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thank you for your comment and yes it is a lovely nest. I am hoping to give them some new tall grassy areas because I would be interested to see if they make different nests according to the environment. All the very best, Sue

[@edgesam4958]

fantastic

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thanks Edge! All the very best, Sue

[@leonardoalfonso7080]

Beautiful video. Animal keeping done right. Would love to see an aerial shot of your forest garden someday. Also, have you thought about planting squash or radish in your new nesting area? Both of those would make a great cover crop for the quails to hide and nest.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Leonardo, thank you for your comments, appreciated as always! I have an aerial shot of this section of the forest on my blog holistic-hen.blogspot.fr/2016/09/chicken-food-for-free-part-5-rose.html#.WQxivDclFj5 (taken before the new quail extension was built). I've grown courgette (Summer squash) in the vegetable growing section of the quail area but they eat the leaves rather than nest under them! They also demolish radish pretty quickly. Flowering herbs such as rosemary are their favourite nesting areas, quail have a fine sense of taste and thus smell, so I believe they like the aromatic fragrance of the leaves both to confuse predators and just for pure pleasure. All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@uaeuae2941]

Usually quails just leave there eggs all around the place and not sit on them so they never hatch . Am very happy for you that you are able to manage such thing and that you could let them sit on eggs . Am sure it took you lots of work and effort to reach this stage of succes 😀 Please advise me if you have any solutions my quails wont sit on there eggs no matter what i do ?! Thank you very much a

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and thanks for your comments, they are very much appreciated. I wrote an article about this very problem on my site - holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.W4AYJhqYOkB My conclusions over the years have been that there are two key issues, food and environment and I go in to great detail in the article as to how both nutrition and surroundings have a crucial effect a quail's nervous system and thus behaviour. I also share how I established a safe site for nesting and sleeping , which gave the illusion of being outdoors in the 'wild'. I was contacted a couple of years back by an agricultural student who is/was doing a field study on this topic and he had come to the same conclusions, so I think it could be well worth a try! Read the article through and see what you think and do get back to me if you have more questions. Good Luck and all the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@andrewsharp3451]

wondering if rats have dug in as cant see vermin proofing on the ground thats a must for quail. Id use paving slabs first then cover with soil.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there, no the only rats that got in - until we stopped them were baby rats and they got through the space between the door and the frame due to the build up of the floor in the quail area over the years. I replaced the section with a piece of steel that caught all the debris and stopped it forcing a gap between the bottom of the door and the frame. In my experience with rats they are a) - pretty much opportunists, they are smart and can size up if a chance is worth taking and b) - they do not like being hassled, They like a nice quiet life with easy non threatening opportunities. I never leave food out, my birds are fed twice a day and they eat everything, the rest of the time they are foraging. My neighbours on both side have food available for their poultry on demand so are more interesting to the rats but they also both have dogs - spaniels and terriers. There are also bricks dug in all around the perimeter of the enclosure and the soil composition is such that it is not easy to dig into, it's rock below the top soil. I've never in 20 years of keeping quail ever had a rat bother to dig into a permanent enclosure, they will however get through an existing gap by enlarging it with their teeth but that is as much as they are prepared to do. I think if I lived in a different soil area - across the road the sand starts (we are 2 k from the beach) I would use a metal cloth and then cover it with deep soil. Hope this answers in full. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@andrewsharp3451]

@@Pavlovafowl if bare soil floor no wire or anything id rat proof asap. Goodluck. Its heart breaking finding them all dead.

[@Pavlovafowl]

@@andrewsharp3451 Hi Andrew, I totally agree, which is why I went back to putting them away every night, which is not ideal as they much prefer to dig little forms in the soil and my bonded pairs like to sleep as a couple with their wings interlinked but I was afraid after the baby rat episode. Thank you for your input it is really appreciated. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@roheljuarez7456]

Quails love to its woracres i recommend for you

[@Zienthaolung_daimei]

joined u , new friend here👍🙏.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and thank you so much! I can also be found on Odysee if you prefer - here is the invite link - odysee.com/$/invite/@Pavlovafowl-Organic-Forest-Garden-Poultry:d. All the very best from a very rainy evening in Normandie, Sue xx

[@HelenEk7]

Did I hear that right.. Do some of them go broody when giving them opportunity to pair up? I just read that quail is not very broody at all and got sort of disappointed..

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Helen, I was going to give you the link to my broody quail video but you beat me to it. It was a wonderful experience and one I hope to repeat this year! I've had several bonded pairs over the past few years and I know others have had this happen too. There are a couple of academic studies available which I refer to in my written articles but it is still quite a rare occurrence but there is no reason why it should be. Food and environment are key triggers and of course freedom of choice! All the very best from France, Sue

[@lynnhurst8331]

Im planning to do this since my lady started sitting. She'll be in the hutch I built for them for this round but plans are in the works to have something like this before winter.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Lynn, It was one of the best ideas we ever had. Keeping quail supplied with greenery, in particular flowering plants and tall grasses both for hunting for food and nesting/relaxing is so important. Also I think the illusion of freedom, which an open territory gives them is really good for them psychologically. The chickens like it too as it is sort of a living museum for them, although they get mad when they see the quail get ant nests and huge piles of compost and the quail enjoy sneering back at them heartlessly! Good luck with your build. I am making a much more detailed film of how we made this - it should be up shortly. All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@lynnhurst8331]

@@Pavlovafowl I look forward to seeing it.

[@DaleCalderCampobello]

Nice build and happy quail.That is a very long story Sue LOL.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thanks Dale! A long story and an old one! All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@ameliasmenagerie3350]

I am hoping to make an aviary for my quail. She does not live outside right now, but she has friends: two society finches. She lives in my room in a nice large cage, and gets to free range in my room. I wish I could give her better, but even if we have an outdoor covered run, we always have hawk or raccoon problems with quail. She is the only remaining quail from my original group, and someday I hope to have something like this for her and to be able to get her some more quail as friends. But for now, she enjoys her compost i bring whenever she runs out, and her mealworms :)

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Amelia, great to hear from you! Predators are a terrible problem with quail! Something I'm doing at the moment is training my new quail chick, who was raised with a mother hen, to stay with me in the evening when I'm digging in the garden. I have a little trowel and she follows this closely and watches to see what I dig up. She is still with her mother hen so often the hen comes along with us too. This way we have a second pair of eyes to look out for anything overhead. Mostly here the problem is hawks but my neighbour has rats and they are terrible predators for quail. Sounds like your quail is having a great life! All the very best, Sue

[@ameliasmenagerie3350]

Yeah, I got this quail from a farm to be a friend for my quail I hatched... but he died. Lol, I have pet rats and they stay right next to the quail :) sometimes they hang out together during free-range time (supervised, of course)

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Amelia, That's quite a combination! Although I have to admit that when we had wild rats here a few years back the baby rats would get in with the quail and they got on fine - not so the adults!! The jackdaw is getting in with the quail at the moment, I did put him in with some in the glass greenhouse when we first got him and like your rats, when they grow up together from the start I'm guessing they can get on - supervision is always a good idea though! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@almaraNZ]

When you say they pair off in the breeding season, do you keep them all as a colony together? A different channel mentioned keeping breeding pairs in their own enclosures, and also the challenges of males being territorial even with the chicks Do you find that because your space is large and well planted, you have less territorial issues? Do you keep them in 1:1 ratios of male and female to support them bonding? Thank you for all the inspiration!

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thank you for your great questions. In the breeding season, I've only ever had one pair at a time make a nest and this is also the case with the 1976 Cornell University Poultry Science Department study that I reference in my writing (one of the very few quail natural breeding studies). I need to have two separate spaces to have two pairs nest and I actually have that but I have had to turn one over to food production. Normally when the plants get big enough I can then let the quail through into it as it is an adjoining space. However, with the planting as it is, although the other pair(s) are prevented from nesting, they will lay in the same nest and I don't get fights, just a little ritualistic sparring. I do find the chicks get accepted but I do sometimes have them in a separate space within the quail area when they are very small. However, every situation is different, there really are no rules, all I know is that the (very few) academic studies all showed that only one bonded pair nested in a single space. I've had three bonded pairs in one area plus a few single males and females. I think it worked because they all made a cohesive flock in the Winter prior to them becoming mature in Spring, so the territorial issues were more 'for show' and not truly aggressive but I can imagine this could happen. There are no rules in this, in my experience, it's really uncharted territory and no real interests in funding such research. Here's the actual Cornell study - Orcutt Scott Jr, F. and Orcutt, A. B. (1976) 'Nesting and Parental Behavior in Domestic Common Quail', The Auk, Vol. 93, No. 1, January, pp. 135-141. It's in www.jstor.org/stable/4084840 I think you'll have to join JSTOR to access their library but it's free and they have loads of great material. Hope this is of use and all the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue xx

[@JJ-rz9nn]

Thanks for the video! Just wondering how you keep the run cleaned out?

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there JJ and you are so welcome. All the very best, Sue xx

[@Pavlovafowl]

HI again, I just realised I didn't see the second part of your comment and am replying now! I don't need to clean the run as it works as a sort of deep litter system, the quail are constantly moving the top soil and I do add extra material in the form of leaves and compost. This way there is a 'forest floor' created where invertebrates can thrive and multiply and hence the quail keep everything moving. If the soil gets too deep I will remove some but in general the leaf matter and compost are further broken down and unless I start hitting my head on the rafters, I tend to leave it! All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@rebeccahendricks698]

This is so lovely! I'm looking into building an aviary now because I have my girls in an extended hutch, and would like to give them a more natural life. You mentioned that you have a design and construction article, but I can't find the link! Could you post the link here again? Thank you so much in advance. :)

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Rebecca, I wrote up part of the idea in an article on encouraging pair-bonding and did intend to write a more detailed one and make a film. This is the general: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.X0zbZ3cv6V5 Thanks so much for reminding me I never finished with this project - I have all the footage and images - so will be writing it and editing it in the following days, so hopefully it will be up shortly. It is made of repurposed glass windows so just to give you an idea of design and materials in the other similar structures we have made and used for our quail, I'll give you the link here to Andy's greenhouse design and construction page: thegreenlever.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_28.html#.X0zcwXcv6V4 All the very best from sunny Normandie, Sue

[@derekdoan907]

You may say to your kids the male wants to give the female a hug.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Brilliant! I will remember that for next time! All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@Vimdaroca-nx9ch]

👏👏👏👏👍

[@ryanalexander3088]

Hi Sue, Love your videos and homestead. I recently acquired 14 quail and have them in a large 100ft x 100 glasshouse, I would like to replicate what you have done, do you have any advice? My main concern is keeping them safe from rats and them eating potentially posionous plants, as I am also growing organic fruit + veg in there too. They are keen flyers to their detriment! All the best from Guernsey. 😊

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there Ryan and thanks for your kind comments, appreciated. Greetings from across the water, on a clear day we can see the Channel Islands from our local beach! Firstly how bad is your rat problem because I did have this too some years back and found rats to be very clever at getting into quail areas. I believe they are attracted initially by the smell of the quail more than anything, so in a glass house is a much safer option. However, I always used to put my quail away at night and I recently stopped doing that, they are now all sleeping out in the two greenhouses but I have planted it up with tall grasses all around the edges and I did bury bricks around the outer perimeter. I've also seen people lay down a 'skirt' of metal cloth along the edge of greenhouses too. I found with rats that they like a quiet and an easy life, so anything you can do to make it harder for them to get an easy meal - this worked for me. I also board up the wired end of the greenhouse at night so any wandering cat can't look in and disturb them. I now have 3 bonded pairs (from my 11 quail) and they have become more territorial because of this, so putting them away together, which works well outside the breeding season, is no longer an option. With regards to poisonous plants, that is a very interesting subject. I have always found poultry to be very circumspect about what they will and won't consume, although even with hens there are certain plants which humans might find poisonous which they do not, mistletoe for example. However if you have chickens you've probably noticed that they will eat apple pips too and again this may be about dosage because both mistletoe and apple pips are medicinals and I've always thought birds are very savvy about their health and nutrition. Quail are even more resilient to toxins, you may have heard of coturnism, which occurs in hunters who eat migratory quail which have consumed hemlock seeds when they fly the North to South route! This however is quite rare and I'm not sure even now how much is actually known about dosage and/or how many quail are eaten at one sitting. Are your quail flying up to the ceiling or just flying for the fun of it? If you think they are being spooked and are more nervous than they should be then I have found that upping their amount of the amino acid methionine, through increase of invertebrate protein solves that problem. It also provides them with almost all of the B complex vitamins needed to maintain optimum nervous system function. What a fabulous glasshouse you have - my dream is to make one of those, we have a small one, 3m by 7m, we made from recuperated windows, plus it has one leaded light in at the South gable end. It doubles as a Summer house but I have managed to grow sweet potato, turmeric and ginger most years and have a two-year-old pineapple in there at the moment! All the very best and hope this is of use, Sue

[@botanik5866]

👍

[@christianchristian7294]

Can you tell us about the long story...

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there, I wrote up the first part here holistic-hen.blogspot.fr/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.WqPV2uZG2kC I still need to write up the actual construction but I will be doing this shortly. All the very best, Sue

[@sumeshathikkottil1485]

Very lovely.... What kind of foods are given their.. waiting for your reply

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and thank you. I actually made a film on a week of typical food for all my poultry including the quail - you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYucZqCChMibnaM I also raise meal worms for them and I incorporate a compost heap into their environment - so they can hunt for their own food and you can see that here: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.X_RPaHfk-V5 All the very best, Sue

[@sarahjane9517]

So I am in Australia... Do you think they would cope with the cold here without needing the covering?

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Sarah, Quail really don't like the cold and the younger they are the more they need to be protected from it. I think it will help you to watch the video I made on how to winterise this quail area kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmmXm6CfpNxsnpY because with the addition of a straw filled house and some removable panels etc.,. my quail are fine in here. Just to give you an idea the worst weather we have ever had here was -15 °C (5°F) but that is unusual. Last year for example it rarely got down to below zero. So if it is really cold during the day you would need to make a smaller area within the larger, so that they can keep warm through shared body heat - a sort of passive heating system for really cold days. Hope this helps and all the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@sarahjane9517]

@@Pavlovafowl Thank you so much for your reply! Yes Ill definitely watch it! I'm loving your channel its been amazing to see your journey. Have you written any books?

[@DerafsheKavian]

Hi, nice informative video. How big is the enclosure (SQFT) and for how many birds? I am guessing the quail here are the jumbo variety.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and so happy you liked the video! The footprint is 81 square feet and I have 12 quail. They are not jumbo just the coturnix japonica in various colours, so the Tibetan for example and the English White females are quite a lot larger than some of the other colours and the males. I have another (polythene) greenhouse attached to the quail greenhouse, where I grow vegetables and once the plants are established the quail have the run of this too, so they clear up pests. The vegetable green house is the same width but one and a half times longer. If you want several breeding pairs then it is better to have as much room as possible, as during the breeding season you can get conflicts over territory if the space is too small. The rest of the year my quail all get on together as a 'flock' and actually prefer to stay in the one glass greenhouse - it's warmer! All the very best and I do have many quail articles too here on my site: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html#.XljyVHfk-V4 Sue

[@DerafsheKavian]

@@Pavlovafowl Hello Sue, thanks for the reply. I am guessing it is pretty mild out in Normandie, and living inside the greenhouse your quail are rarely experiencing sub-freezing temperatures. I wonder, if they could endure temps around 20 F for 5-10 hours.

[@SustainableD]

Do you find that you have issues with predation? We have raccoons, possums & foxes that would most likely be able to get into an enclosure like that.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there, we have feral cats (left behind from holidays at the seaside) and a really big problem here in the past, rats. I do have an enclosed garden, so walled and hedged but technically both foxes and stone martens could get into our garden. However my understanding of why quail attract predators is because of their smell because otherwise they are really good at looking invisible amongst the planted areas and they do dig sleeping nests and get right down flat into them at night. Therefore with the glass windows all around, the scent of the quail doesn't seem to be an issue. I also have a run of bricks all the way around the area and our soil is very heavy clay and schist so not so easy to dig up as, for example, over at my neighbours who have sand and big problems with foxes. That said a really determined hungry predator might get in, though my experience so far here, keeping quail, is that most predators like an easy life, so the opportunity for a quick grab and hasty retreat, hopefully this structure prevents that. Good question, thanks for asking it and all the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@43sh240]

It's a long story 😂😂😂

[@Pavlovafowl]

..but a happy one! All the very best from Normande, Sue

[@adamstv4025]

Is this the same way for bobwhite quail?

[@Pavlovafowl]

I would think so because they are , like the coturnix, ground-dwelling and they sleep in coveys in long grasses. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@zh350]

I have a male pharoah quail. He is kind of aggressive always fighting and ambushing my big Alectoris male bird while they are together in open. Very informative videos regarding breeding. I hope one day you will give try to Alectoris (chukar) and grey francolins.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there and thank you for your comments, they are very interesting. You may find that you need to up the wild protein level in your quail's diet, he may not be getting his fair share of foraged invertebrates and if so he may be short of L-methionine the amino acid which has direct bearing upon behaviour and which when deficient causes aggression and feather pecking. I have information on this and other necessary vitamins which impact on social behaviour contained in this article, if you are interested: holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.XYzCgVcv6V5 With regards to raising other types of quail here, I would so love to but in France we are quite limited to the types of quail available, even the various colours of coturnix I have are rarely seen and I only got them because of the farm where I buy my milk, the son belongs to a quail club and he was able to get hatching eggs through them from the Belgium and German borders. Good luck with your quail and thank you too for your kind words on my videos, they are appreciated. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@zh350]

@@Pavlovafowl I usually give both of them (including 2 alectoris Patridge chicks) hemp seeds and sorghum. That little ninja only like hemp seeds and tiny snails. While alectoris patridges like fresh green leaves and insects while in open. Also my quail poop always covered with white foam kind of thing I don't know if it is same in all quails.

[@Azam_Pakistan]

Is your hexagonal wire mesh predator proof?

[@Pavlovafowl]

The stuff on the roof I made smaller, because although I love them, small wild birds were getting in and eating the quail food! However, so far so good with predators. All the very best, Sue

[@haseebsaqib9186]

Hello Sue! I've got a situation here! Apparently, one of my male Japanese quail flew away last evening. I thought I won't be able to see him again. But a miracle happened. Somehow he flew back to our house, I heard his call and I went outside and took him to his aviary. But then, when I woke up and saw him sitting on some eggs in the nesting box. I thought he's just tired but it's been hours since he's sitting on them. I tried to take him out but he hid in the bushes and just sat under them as if he was broody. Have you ever encountered such a thing? I have separated him from the flock since the other male has been a bit aggressive towards him lately!

[@haseebsaqib9186]

And yeah, the quail who had broken his leg is completely fine now and the fractured bones have joined in the correct position! Yaayyy!

[@chickensquailandbirds5650]

Well it is pretty rare that a male quail would be broody, but it could happen!

[@grayfrank9642]

I have two males and 5 females with almost bald necks ,should I get rid of one of the males to solve the feather problem

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there, I'm presuming that where you are in the World the temperatures are elevated and the breeding season has begun. Normally it is in this period that the quail would pair off, if yours haven't but are just indiscriminately chasing the females then this is where the feather damage happens. I have written a whole article on encouraging bonding in coturnix quail because once they pair off this behaviour stops and you also get the chance that your bonded pair(s) will nest and raise chicks. holistic-hen.blogspot.com/2017/05/ideas-for-encouraging-pair-bonding.html#.XG0WPblG2kB You may however need to separate the pairs because they then get very territorial as they protect their nesting area. The rest of the year quail should get on as a 'flock', if they don't and are aggressive to each other then that is a sign of nutrient deficiency, in particular the B complex vitamins and amino acids and in particular L-methionine, which as with B12 cobalamin is not available in grain diets. I keep a compost heap for my quail, where they can search for invertebrates, I also raise meal worms and I look for ants nests for them. Without a high proportion of invertebrates in their diet, particularly in the breeding season, quail get nervous and this manifests itself in feather pecking and depluming, also because feathers contain a high level of protein! So its up to you if you want to reduce your male population but personally I don't think that will stop the other male behaving in the same way. Food and environment are key, I've spent almost two decades studying my quail and am still learning. All the very best and do check out the article because having quail which raise their own chicks is a wonderful experience and your next generation has then the skills to continue. All the very best, Sue

[@filizhunters4452]

If people are using incubators then how did it work in the wild

[@Pavlovafowl]

It worked fine in the wild because those quail still retained all their natural instincts to pair bond, nest, hatch and raise chicks. Once it was realised that you could technically keep quail in tiny cages on wire and get them to lay like machines, then they began to lose both the physical means and innate ability to nest and raise chicks. Conversely if you provide them with that environment and their wild nutrition, then they will have a balanced nervous system, space, time and opportunity to do what comes naturally. It is the same with hens, plus poultry have been selectively bred and now genetically altered not to go broody, some of the latter hens are even incapable of laying if they are just being bred for meat. This way they just put on weight and only need to be kept for 41 days before they are 4 kilos (!) and can be killed. The next generation are bought as day old chicks from huge hatcheries - so no need even to have incubators on the farm any more. Hope this answers your question. All the very best from Normandie, Sue P.S. This might answer your question too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqi1ZIFtfceZsNk

[@filizhunters4452]

@@Pavlovafowl i believe its the greed of breeders to quickly quicken the pace. I see that cruel, i use to breed bantams, each hen would be klucky and sit on her eggs. This natural process is taken away.

[@Pavlovafowl]

@@filizhunters4452 Exactly! Quail eggs are a luxury product, so there is even more incentive to force them to lay and never be broody. Here in France the average life span of a caged quail is 6 months, which is why I'm always so happy to hear from people who care for their birds and let them live a natural life. Some of the bantams too are over-bred and have lost all their natural instincts. Sebright bantams, for example, their fertility has dropped considerably I believe due to the breeding out of the sickle feathers in the male. If you look at the original drawings of Sir John Sebright's own birds, they all have sickle feathers. However to get the required 'henfeathering', breeders have chosen the less fertile males. Hence the knock on effect on price, a show-bred Sebright will cost $50+ equivalent here in France. All the very best, Sue

[@filizhunters4452]

@@Pavlovafowl i have seen cruel production in France with quails, made me sick! Somebirds in the cages have died and left to rot. I loath humans..... animals have a instinct to nest and if not seen by their parents all they do is lay eggs. I kinda find this unusual that in captivity some quails dont brood.

[@NadyaPena-01]

fantastic video. Thank you for all the wonderful info. I will support on Patreon. I just started an instagram Backyard_quails for my own quail raising journey but I will link to your wonderful videos and blog whenever I can. Best!

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi there Nadya and thank you so much, I really appreciate your kind gestures re Patreon and links! This is a niche channel and even though it has been going for some time, it is still relatively unknown. I started it to help people who wanted to raise birds in a different way to the conventional and in particular to get quail out of cages. So, when I hear of others starting up with quail and using my videos and articles, it makes me so happy. It is really important to spread information about your own quail journey because it so encourages others and if you can mention this channel or blog on Instagram then that is very kind of you because it helps me a lot and encourages me to keep going. All the very best from Normandie, Sue

[@juanvillacis8811]

I loveee your videos. Do you have instagram?

[@Pavlovafowl]

Thanks Juan, that is such a lovely comment. I do but I don't post to it as I have no mobile devices. I do have a site though with loads more photos and articles: holistic-hen.blogspot.com

[@lemongrab6173]

For those who raise free ranging/semi free ranging chickens and quails be very careful if you plan on raising the two species together. Because all chickens are highly territorial and love soft meat. Especially shamo breeds which are lateral predators that hunt anything they can kill often hunting prey as large as rats to even small cats. Unlike common western breeds shamos are predators they’ll even lay traps for smaller birds like doves and sparrows by tossing grains with their beaks to their own attack range to lure prey and will hunt them. Many people who’ve never raised shamos think that is due to a deficiency but that is not the case. Shamos are just naturally aggressive predators and have a very different anatomy from Phoenix variants of chickens. Raising dwarfs and bantams with quails is somewhat safer but still be careful around them because if your bantams are bought and not your own generations there’s a chance their breeder might’ve raised them with other breeds which means they’ll be just as aggressive and gluttonous.

[@chickensquailandbirds5650]

I did not know much about shamo breeds I have never raised them but I heard they could be aggressive towards each other they used to be bred for fighting. I dont think they would be able to kill a cat tho ._.

[@lemongrab6173]

@@chickensquailandbirds5650 they will harass an adult cat but the adult cat can get away. Kittens and young cats are a different story. They’ll definitely kill and eat kittens especially if they mistake them for rats. Chickens love to eat rodents and especially shamos chickens in particular they’ll even fight eachother over who gets to eat the rat and it’ll be the same case with kittens. A young small cat isn’t safe either if it gets cornered. Because shamos don’t have the decency to suffocate their prey like felines they’ll just bite off and eat their prey alive. Especially as a hungry flock. If there are too many of them they’re smart enough to realize that one of them will eat all the food while the rest fight. So in large groups they don’t fight over food they just gobble up everything as a whole flock like a school of piranhas. I once had the unfortunate opportunity of finding out what happens to a grown ass rabbit if it escapes it’s own cage and winds up in shamo territory. Poor thing was still alive and had its entire face and both eyes eaten. I had to put it down worst part is it was one of my favorite young breeding bucks. It takes 6 months of training to teach a buck how to properly breed in captivity.

[@chickensquailandbirds5650]

@@lemongrab6173 Oh wow. I heard they were aggressive but not that aggressive! Are you sure it was them that attacked the rabbit?

[@chickensquailandbirds5650]

@@lemongrab6173 Also guineas can also be very aggressive. I used to have some, and they would constantly chase and attack my chickens. Then one day after they killed my bantam hen, I had enough so I got rid of them.

[@lemongrab6173]

@@chickensquailandbirds5650 yes they were the only animals around that could do that, their beaks were also covered in dried blood. Had I not noticed sooner they would’ve slowly killed it. The blinded buck somehow got itself stuck in a corner inside the coop and they eventually gave up trying to eat him after I went in and provided the feed for the hens. It must’ve been what distracted them, before that I heard something scream but I had my hands full preparing the feed for all the livestock, so I didn’t react in time. That’s how it got this messy. Eventually after feeding the hens and noticing the blood on their beaks I was worried they might’ve killed or bullied another hen but they were fine and eating their feed. That’s when i followed the trail of fur and blood all the way to the coop and found the young buck huddled in a corner.

[@happychicken]

I love your videos Pavlova! I would just point out that you are missing a subscribe button on the right down corner of the video. Go to Creator Studio -> Channel -> Branding ;)

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Anže! Thanks for your lovely comments. I'm not sure about the subscriber button. I could be wrong but I have read that you have to get 5% of your subs to watch in the first 24-48 hours, if you don't then your film doesn't get shared on youtube recommended videos. As the main point of making them is to share experiences that seems so counterproductive to me. So my reasoning is if people are really interested in my films they will take time to go and find the subscribe button, thus be more likely to watch, thus my films don't get downgraded to the bargain basement?! As I have written, I could be wrong and thanks for the information, I appreciate it. All the very best, Sue

[@happychicken]

Interesting information. I guess there is many factors and who knows what else is hidden under the hood of youtube. Cheers

[@Pavlovafowl]

HI and yes,.... talk about making things as difficult for everyone as possible....Their best, is the constant mantra about 'create more quality content and make it over 10 minutes' HA HA - then just look what is promoted as 'trending'. Big Hug from Normandie, Sue

[@far8]

with that kind of walls i can guarenteed sooner something like rodent or snake or lizard could easily dug underneath it and eat all your quails..

[@Pavlovafowl]

Not in Normandie you can't! Lizards are so tiny here it is more likely the quail will eat them. We haven't seen a snake for ten years and we only have two kinds of snake and neither of them can dig holes. The only rodents we have and again we haven't see these for many years either, are rats and they tend to like an easy life, so digging down under bricks and rocks would be a waste of their time when they can just go round to my neighbours' chicken run and eat grain. So far so good and I have raised baby quail in there too and no problems. Thanks for your concern but it really depends on where you live in the World as to what would constitute a predator safe area. All the very best, Pavlovafowl aka Sue

[@nikkirevasmrplus5313]

Spoiled quails! lol

[@Pavlovafowl]

Aaww thanks Nicole! They deserve it, nothing is too good for them for having cured Andy's hay fever and eczema! All the very best, Sue

[@GoldenFeedings]

Those definitely aren't "organic" Japanese quail and a vast majority of them will never go broody. Japanese quail also don't breed in "pairs", they're polygamous. It's dangerous to the females to have less than a 1:3 ratio of male to females in an enclosure. Japanese quails will also never "bond" and multiple males can decide to gang up on one female which is even more dangerous for them. That's why they should be in cages, with males in separate compartments. If you want "broody" quails, get Chinese Painted quail or wild caught Japanese quail. The common 'jumbo' Japanese quail has been bred in cages for over 800 years...

[@Pavlovafowl]

I'm not sure what you mean by 'not organic' and you are also wrong about Japanese quail, they do form breeding pairs and their are several academic studies that have been carried out and an Agricultural College dissertation for which I provided information, which prove that they do pair bond. Here is a reference to just one: Nesting and Parental Behavior in Domestic Common Quail F. Scott Orcutt, Jr. and Adrienne B. Orcutt The Auk Vol. 93, No. 1 (Jan., 1976), pp. 135-141 Mine certainly do bond in the breeding season. The key triggers are food, which should be high in invertebrate protein and a natural environment, where they have plenty of room to create their own territory. The fact that you are advocating raising birds in cages is why you are getting over-aggressive males and also why your quail are neither pair bonding nor going broody. Furthermore, if you are feeding them on a mainly grain diet with the protein content being legumes then that will be compounding the problem. Quails are omnivores and without essential amino acids and B complex vitamins, which are not found in a grain diet you will get feather pecking and abnormal behaviour. You can find many academic studies on how diet impacts upon behaviour, in particular with regards to l-methionine and cobalamin Vitamin B12. Apart from that, quail definitely do not deserve to be kept in cages, think how you would feel. You can find the referenced work on JSTOR. All the best, Sue

[@GoldenFeedings]

@@Pavlovafowl Your quail come from Japanese jumbo quail, which which bred in captivity for a very long time, and where further selectively bred to produce the colors that they exhibit. Organic Japanese quail in the wild today don't possess the colors that you have and they're about twice as small. You can call them "organically raised", but they're far from being organic themselves. Your study doesn't mean much because it doesn't take into account the genetic history of the quails in the study. Furthermore, Japanese quail in modern times have been extensively selectively bred for size and the males to be able to service as many females as possible. The genetic strain of Jumbo wild that I have average 360g for the males and nearly 500g for the females! The males can also reliably keep 5+ females fertile at a time, which lowers feed costs. Their eggs average 18-20g and females lay 300+ a year. Your quail, being color morphs, can very well exhibit different behaviors from the widely available wild color. Like I said in my last comment, they undergo different breeding standards. You claiming that all domestic Japanese quail can become broody or monogamous is disingenuous. Again, most domestic Japanese quail that exist today don't have the capacity to become broody and raise their chicks. My feed is comprised of grains, a soy filler and invertebrate proteins. It's also fortified with vitamins (including B vitamins), minerals and amino acids. The breeder feed (6+ weeks old) is also fortified with extra calcium and amino acids. The mass production of insects for animal feed has vastly improved in the last decade and can now cost effectively be mixed into poultry feeds. You have to realize that you're an enthusiast that mainly wants to keep quail as pets. A person that wants to serious raise them as a farm animals, small scale to large scale, will keep them battery cages, end of story. Battery cages, incubators and brooders are many, many more times efficient that keeping them in an aviary and expecting them to "organically" propagate. First of all, they're completely safe from predators in battery cages which will keep them alive and stress free. Second, you can keep a battery cage virtually anywhere (garage, shed, balcony, patio and etc.) Space-wise for small scale farms, you can keep over 100x more quail compared to chickens in just a 4-tier battery cage (that equates to 20x to 40x more produce). Third, quail battery cages can be cheaply built and you can also order them online at a reasonable price (some assembly will be required). Forth, the quail mature can be collected without disturbing the quail and can be used anywhere (garden, fruit trees and etc) or can be sold as fertilizer. Fifth, the eggs are much easier to collect and they stay clean. Battery cages have slanted floors which makes all the eggs roll to the front of each tier. This saves a lot of time (quail eggs are camouflaged and they lay them all over the place) and allows injured or handicapped people to be able to collect them. The eggs being clean saves time, reduces the chance of a person contracting a disease from them and improves the incubation success rate. Sixth, keeping them separate as breeding sets (4/5F to 1M), incubating the eggs, brooding the chicks and using grow out cages vastly improves the chance of an egg turning into a mature bird. A well-oiled farm (small scale to large scale) can have close to 100% of their quail eggs hatch and have at least 95% of the chicks grow to maturity (larger scale farms might selectively cull small chicks). Seventh, you can control how much light they get which will keep them laying all year (300+ eggs in a year). The last two are unfathomably more efficient to reproduce quail compared to your "organic" method. Eighth, the overall reliability and production capacity of battery cages creates a self-sufficient food source. With many starving people in the world and food shortages occurring in even first world countries recently, having a meat and egg source that you can depend on isn't something to be taken lightly. I can personally say that my local grocery stores were out of poultry meat and eggs during the pandemic, but it didn't matter because I was producing my own meat and eggs. I also supplemented lost income by selling quail to people on Craigslist. Simply wouldn't have been possible if I was raising them in an aviary. Ninth, you wouldn't own the quails that you have today if it wasn't for battery cages. Their compact and productive nature in cages is what made them popular and allowed them to be as widespread as they are today. Tenth, Japanese quail have been domesticated in cages for hundreds of years and they feel secure and stress-free in them. They're also old world quail which don't roost and spend most of their time hiding; that's why the low height of battery cages work. There's many more advantages that I can list, but I'll leave it at that for now. So do Japanese quail deserve to be in cages? Yes they do. Do they also have a place in an aviary or garden? Yes. I personally keep some of my "retired" quail in an aviary with berry bushes and in a completely enclosed raised bed garden. They help fertilize and aerate the soil and cut down on pests like beetle or larger insects (my green lacewings take care of everything else). I hope that you don't continue to be selectively ignorant from now on. And, like I said, as an enthusiast keeping them as pets you don't really have a leg to stand on when it comes to criticizing if they should be in cages or not.

[@Pavlovafowl]

@@GoldenFeedings Your arguments won't wash I'm afraid. Firstly these are not Jumbo quail. Secondly organic doesn't mean wild. Thirdly, the reason for poverty and hunger are politics and greed and are nothing to do with supply. If you had food shortages during the pandemic then that was the supply chain breaking and if you had small local producers, growing your food locally, as we do here, then that doesn't happen. Child labour and sweatshops have been with us for centuries but that neither makes them right nor would anyone advocate that it is a suitable way to treat children just because this way everyone gets cheap clothing. Your argument about there being few studies - did you read it by the way? The reason is because all research is funded and the only people paying for such are huge corporations and AgroChem and they are only interested in keeping the status quo and proving their way way is the right way. You carry on doing what you're doing but why come on my site which is absolutely of no interest to you and so obviously diametrically opposed to your own beliefs and try to start an argument? Normally I do not bother to reply to comments that seek to bait me, particularly from those who have no content on youtube but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. Good luck in your life, Sue

[@marlotdavid7305]

scary voice.

[@Pavlovafowl]

Mine or the quail's?