Quail Tales #15 Keeping Quail as pets and for eggs

It has been a while since I last showed you Quentin and his girls. Now Spring is here, Quentin is full of vim and vigour and the girls are lying.
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[@ellenj8896]

Very nice! I have at least a dozen coturnix quail and I give them a mixture of game bird food and layer mash. They love watermelon, and I grow trays of micro greens for them. I set the whole tray in their coop and they eat the greens, which consist of all the edible micro greens that humans eat such as sunflower, pea, broccoli, amaranth, and many others in the mixture. One thing you can do to get them to eat they layer pellets along with the mix of treat seeds, is to grind the pellets in a coffee grinder and mix the ground pellets in with the treats. I bring the whole coop into the garage for the winter, with heat lamps rigged to be sure they can’t start a fire (wired every which way, so they cannot be knocked down in any way).

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Your quail are very lucky. I love to feed a variety of food and healthy treats too. All the best. Mags

[@jacintaanderson]

Thank you for providing such a nice space for them. All the videos i watch they are just in crates and used for eggs. So sad. This looks much more like what i wanted to do

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Thank you. I definitely recommend the more natural approach. They deserve all environment that is stimulating. Healthy mind, healthy body. Al the best. Mags

[@Allotmentinthefield]

Always wanted to keep them. Lovely video, really enjoyable. 🤩

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hiya. Glad you enjoyed the video. They are fab little creatures to keep. 😁

[@kathleenmonsegue9700]

Love your accent 😊🥰 I’m gonna get some someday soon myself I live in a zoning area within the city I reside in that doesn’t allow any crowing fowl or poultry. So I’m getting them cuz they are more quieter than chickens.

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hiya. Quail definitely have very quiet calls so you should be fine. Good luck. Mags 🌻

[@kathleenmonsegue9700]

@@mygardenanddinosaurs are the male’s crowing quiet enough that they won’t disturb anybody or annoy them enough to report me to the city officials? I was thinking of getting two jumbo males.

[@stanley9060]

This is my favorite video on the internet

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Aaw thanks.

[@beverley1539]

Yay my fave wee feathered friends across the pond. Lol hello Mags Thankyou. Agree a branch,hollow bit of tree trunk,an interesting bit of rock,stone,pottery etc lol just some thoughts? Did like the seed mix reminds me of a hearty lentil soup yummy so must be good no wonder they enjoy! I do recommend to others catch up on their journey so far! Blessings Ontario Canada 🐝

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hiya Beverley. That’s some great suggestions. Thanks so much for them and also for your recommendation. All the best. Mags 🌺🌼🌻🌸

[@makola1970]

I love them - I have quail too - some your colour and some Italian and 1 white - so sweet

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hello and thank you. Welcome to the channel. Quail are funny little birds but cute as anything and sooo productive with their eggs.

[@ashnel7663]

Instantly subbed

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Welcome 😊

[@carolinegray3150]

Nice video

[@carolinegray3150]

Nice egg

[@Hijabigirl1]

Enjoyed your video

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Thank you so much.

[@carolinegray3150]

They have a nice home

[@Pavlovafowl]

Hi Mags you can free range them but they need to be bonded to you or if you raised them with a hen then bonded with her at the start when chicks. I take mine gardening with me and they are fine but you need to be in an area where if they get nervous, they can get under a bush, so they run for cover rather than fly up in the air and then run, which can be problematic. I made a film showing mine gardening with me and also I have some earlier films showing my quail chicks free-ranging up in the neighbouring meadow with their mother hen and also free-ranging with the hen in my garden. All these were raised by mother hens though, so they have the instincts to hide rather than fly off but it can be done and they love it. I think it is really important too from the point of view of them finding their own food. If you are worried, then train them to the hand fork or trowel and have them garden with you on a one-to-one basis and for short periods. The only problem you may have is with your cat though, if they get spooked?? All the very best and a big hug from Normandie, Sue

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hiya Sue. I know you free range. I am in awe with what you achieve. I don’t spend enough time with my little covey to get that sort of trust although perhaps one day. Yes, my cats would def be a problem plus we have neighbouring cats visit us too. Hope you are well. All the best from a fairly Spring-like Scotland 😊😊😊

[@jennyansell42]

Absolutely lovely to watch. I have just transferred my 6 quail into their hutch in the garden. They seem very happy, thanks for reminding me to give them plants to hide in.

[@mondraymondo]

Omg your channel’s name... I LOVE IT

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Thank you so much. Thanks for coming on board. All the best. Mags

[@carolinegray3150]

It’s interesting what you are talking about

[@canadian-gardening-Zone6A]

Nice hat!

[@canadian-gardening-Zone6A]

Cute little eggs too. :)

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Thank you 😆

[@pamelah2744]

Hello. About to collect 2 boys ( Black Quail ) in a couple of weeks. Hopefully to start two little families. Struggling to find female companions for them here in Glasgow or close by and will probably have to incubate eggs, which I am not keen on as i will probably end up with too many boys that will be difficult to rehome.

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hi there. I hope you manage to find some girls. If, by some miracle I do get babies and have too many girls, I will let you know. As for the boys, yes, usually half the hatch will be boys. At least they aren’t noisy like cockerels but they are a bit of a bother if you don’t have enough girls to go round. Good luck. Let me know how you get on.

[@Pixieworksstudio]

I've thought of keeping quail for some time now, and yours is the best video on the subject that I have seen so far. Thank you. I have kept hens for decades, but what is something you should never give quail to eat?. You said about branches too, but is there a wood they should not have? And do they eat fruit too? So many questions. Thanks again.

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Aaw thank you Jayne, that’s so kind. I’ll happily put in herb plants, carex grass, dead branches from the pine and sycamore trees in the garden, dry leaves for them to play in and look through for bugs. Most branches would be ok I think but I use what I have. They love live meal worms, watermelon, banana, lettuce, cucumber and prob most non citrus fruits. You can also sprout seeds such as alfalfa, wheat, rye, even beetroot, cress, etc and they love that. Main food is Quail layers pellets of course. As with chickens avoid avocados and potato and tomato plants. They are curious little creatures.

[@Pixieworksstudio]

@@mygardenanddinosaurs You are so welcome. Until I saw your video I thought I was going to have to get a good book. Everybody else wants to eat them! I want them for eggs and manure, but they will also be pets for life. Fabulous info. Thanks again. I'll keep watching. BTW I didn't know that about avocados, but maybe that is because I have an allergy to them and don't eat them anyway :) Take care.

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

@@Pixieworksstudio so glad to have a comrade that wants them for eggs and as pets. :)

[@Pixieworksstudio]

awww, thank you. I may also barter the eggs for veg. And I'm sure my dogs will love them too. I have always fed my rescued dogs one raw egg each a day. Onward and upward my friend.

[@szudy76]

What is your flooring? Not bedding, the actual floor

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hi. The flooring is hardboard. Thanks for stopping by.

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

The floor is plywood.

[@Giacobbo88]

U need to put them under nets bc they fly or I can put them in my garden without a net over them? Tnx

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

They are in a totally enclosed run so he flying away. 😊

[@TheNeskvik78956123]

How do you keep your quails water ? ❤ mine always step into their water and sometimes poop in it too, so I have to keep changing it, so they don't get sick 😊

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

I now use glass bottles. The sort used as rabbit waterers. No issues with mess although they do freeze in the Winter 😉

[@TheNeskvik78956123]

@@mygardenanddinosaurs so are they the ones with like metall ball in them? 😊 the ones you hang up?

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

@@TheNeskvik78956123 yes that’s them.

[@anthonywilson7304]

Very nice little home for the little guys. If you just want eggs, I'm assuming, you don't need the male bird. Having the little bloke doesn't stop having eggs to eat even though they may be fertilised. Do you have the option of collecting some of the eggs for incubation if you wanted. I would like to have a similar set up such as yours. It would be great in a small backyard. If you were to allow some eggs to hatch, that would be great. You could keep the females and use the males for meat but that's another story that I would have to deal with if I were to do so. So many questions, so sorry. Thank you from Australia.

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hi Anthony and thanks for getting in touch. I made a choice when I started keeping quail to have a boy as well as girls. It is absolutely not necessary (the girls lay whether a boy is present or not) but I wanted to have the option of selling hatching eggs and of hatching my own. I have done one hatch and got 4 males and 6 females. All the females are in the new big run with my existing male and one of the new males. I gave one of the new males to a friend who set up her own group with four females. The remaining two boys I have in a small run together. I don't want to butcher them (I'm a softy) and don't want to sell/give them away to someone who will use them as food for themselves or reptiles, etc. I'm moving house this year so when I get settled I will give the boys girls of their own and all will be good hopefully. They are great little characters, the more you interact with them, the more fun they become. You need to be uber careful when building a run for quail as just about everything wants to eat them. I imagine in Australia you will have 3 times the predators than I have in Scotland. Use 16 gauge wire mesh with quarter inch holes. That will keep out bigger animals as well as things like snakes too - I think!!! Good luck with your venture. Mags

[@anthonywilson7304]

@@mygardenanddinosaurs Hi Mags, thank you so much for your great advice and your story with your little darlings. I'm a softy too and would have to think hard on whether using the male birds for meat would be an option. Yes you're absolutely correct in regard to everything wanting to have a go at the quails. I would be extra vigilant in the design for a predatory proof home. I have much to learn and have been checking out many channels on you tube. I found your space very warming. It's plainly obvious you really care and love your animals. This rings a bell with me and would want to make sure the quails have a quality happy life. Thanks again for sharing your experience. Cheers and all the best for the 2022. I know the Scots love and celebrate the new year with a dram or 3 lol. Stay safe.

[@angelinegrows7765]

Are they noisy ?

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Angelina they are very quiet. The only negative I would say about them is they can fight amongst themselves and injure each other. Touch wood mine have been fine. They came together and the ratio of boy to girls is correct. I have heard horror stories of birds being scalped if there are too many boys or a particularly aggressive girl though. Many people keep quail in cages with cage floors and little enrich,ent because they have them for meat so I imagine this doesn’t help!!!

[@mweber5459]

What will you do with them when they stop laying eggs?

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

I just keep them as pets so it doesn’t matter to me if they are laying or not. I keep them for all their lives.

[@nl4064]

sems alot of money and efort for just a few egg returns

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hi. I keep them as pets first and foremost and the eggs are a bonus. Even so, I would always err on keeping quail in as an enriched environment as possible for their welfare.

[@markmarkmark1821]

They start laying early And lay an egg a day They lay for two years If you have a light on a four hour timer Starting at 0400 Hrs When the females are too old if you put them in brine They will not taste tough

[@teresatyldesley1745]

How old are quails, when they start laying? How often do they lay? & how many do I need?

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hiya. Depends what you want quail for. Mine are predominantly pets and for eggs. They will start laying around 6-8 weeks. I don’t keep quail for meat so can’t really comment on that. Thanks for watching.

[@markmarkmark1821]

To keep quail laying for two years If you give them extra light from a bulb for Four hours Starting at 0400 Hrs on a timer They will l keep laying for two years After two years they will be tough to eat So need to be brined in salted water Other vids will show how that is done