Do not worry about the pros and cons, just give it a try, whether its a bad or good experience you have raised the bar of your general knowledge experience and patience and ability. The larger the variety of your experiences the more indepth and interesting you become...
I have had a wild Quail female lay eggs in my yard. They all hatched, 12 baby chicks!! They have been following their mom and dad all over my yard for the past few days! Adorable! Excited to watch them grow!🥰
They will lay on their eggs if they have a safe place to, I believe. In a crowded cage they will just get stepped on or eaten but in an aviary where they can find shelter and nest, they will protect them. They nest in the hot summer months with higher humidity. They don’t sit on them constantly like chickens do. It’s really cool.
@@wardrobelion Thanks for the input. We do have an angled bottom on the cage to help the eggs move away so that they do not get stepped on which is helpful
I've just started raising quail and we live them. I find them easy to raise and the cons you've mentioned are not issues. Every animal has waste. But the right cage and pan capture with pine shavings make them easy and their waste is fabulous for your garden. Their waste is a pro because it can be sold as well. They're noise is minimal, it's just the male that roos but a ratio of 5 females to one male is ideal. Doing research as to raising any animal is necessary and your pro/con was very informative. Thank you.
Raising quail is so much fun, but kind of stressful. Definitely try it out if you own your land, the noise they make is very tolerable, especially if they’re not super close to your house, And Honestly turning the eggs when they’re in the incubator and watching them hatch is the funnest thing to do
I've heard the issues with quails getting lost or escaping when kept out of cages is really due to quails being much stronger fliers than chickens. Clipping primary flight feathers and using a covered wire pen outdoors would be a good way to let them scratch in the grass without them getting lost as often.
As long as they can safely graze due to being prey for everything from rats to hawks to opossums to cats and dogs…not to mention snakes. A cage for home and a small pen or run during the day would be good and gives them the protein and scratching in…
@@Erewhon2024 you wouldn't need one if you build the outside cage well and use rat wire instead of chicken wire around and on the top of the cage as well as dig about half a foot and lay rat wire down to prevent predators that borough and then fill what you dug back in with the soil that you dug out. Doesn't 100% keep them safe but it works pretty damn well compared to other options.
I just picked up some chicks for the second time from somone here in town and I think I might try raising them as a supplimental food source for some of my snakes as well as maybe eggs for myself at least. Maybe I need to get an egg eating snake now too lol
I’m surprised she didn’t mention the con that quail are very short lived birds. They will start laying in about 8 weeks, but they slow down to a crawl once they are a year old. So restocking regularly is important.
I love those cages. My friend got me to try quail. Never having raised any animals wanted something easy. Bought one level. A few months later bought a 5 tier and started incubating. I cut out the dividers so they can roam between sections, just left one section as my hospital wing.
They are the BEST! I love the idea of cutting the walls out to make it bigger and roomier. Did you do that on each level? This might be something that we have to try out now. Thanks, Josh.
@@splitarrowfarm On the bottom level I left one section intact as my hospital wing. You just have to be careful not to take out too much and risk structural integrity.
I stuck with chickens after giving a hatch of quail a try and buying an expensive 3 tier cage. I felt like the quail were trapped in a small space and didn’t have much of a quality of life compared to my chickens. They ate a lot compared to chickens who could forage and come back to the coop on their own. Plus, they pooped just as much as they ate and at the end of a week that tray covered in pine shavings would be full! That metal cage I had started rusting with all the poop on it and it went everywhere. Trying to pressure wash it off wouldn’t even work. Trying to keep them inside during winter months meant poop flying everywhere requiring a tarp around the cage to catch flung food which they loved to fling it and poop. While we know there are good nutrients in the quail eggs I’d still rather crack one chicken egg rather than snipping the tops off three quail eggs to get the same result, plus my chickens have a lot more freedom and the hens aren’t trapped in a small cage with a rooster wanting to breed them every five minutes either resulting in them loosing all feathers on their back. That can happen with chickens too but I’m small cages it will be a guarantee.
If I raise quail in my backyard would they be scared of things like lawnmowers or dogs barking? My neighbor’s are pretty noisy. I worry it would make them stressed. Also do they do good outside all year around? It gets cold in the late fall,throughout winter,and early to mid spring where I live. And It gets below freezing sometimes. Or should I move them in doors or something when it’s cold? Sorry for all the questions.
I've notice that most of the quail farmers have their birds inside. Are quail hardy enough to have outside year round or do they require an indoor setting. In the wild they are not indoors so I find this somewhat surprising. Thanks in advance for taking some time to explain this.
Great question, there are a few different breeds and some are hardier than other and will be able to take on pretty cold weather. I know that Bobwhite quail are hardier but they do take a bit longer to lay. Something to think about!
Indoors often means the poop is drier so less smelly and predators are less aware of them. (Raccoons can defeat some poorly designed cages.) Coturnix are native to North Korea as well as the Japan from whence our domestic stock came, so given insulation and sheltered areas, they are probably fine in the cold.
Hi, i’ve heard that if you want just for eating eggs, you can even do it in your apartment but my question is if the quail need sunlight to make eggs? how do make it work?
The quail will need light to lay more but you can do artificial lighting. I will warn you that they are a bit smelly so having them inside an apartment could get stinky depending on how often you are cleaning your cage
I seen another video on UA-cam where someone said they put them in a small cage that was above their chicken areas so that any feed that the quail were wasting would drop down on the ground and their chickens would eat it.
Rabbits taste similar to white meat chicken (as do Bobwhite) whereas Coturnix are like a slightly more flavorful dark meat chicken. I would prioritize them. Turkeys eat a LOT (esp. the dominant Tom) and to my tastes, not a huge taste improvement on chicken. But tastes (& space available) differ.
I found this channel cause of the bobwhite egg hatching. I noticed you did it in the nurture right 360 which i just got for button quail eggs so hopefully it turns out good
We had poor results with the nurture right 360. ONLY 2 hatched. Did everything by the book. Sold it to someone who said they would have no problems with it. Well they only had five or six hatch out.☹️
@@ajalicea1091 I've realized the nurture right has inaccurate humidity and temp. Also I highly recommend dry hatching in it if you use it again. Makes the biggest difference
Not a fan of the treatment of keeping chickens and quails in cages for their whole lives. I love the idea of trying to give as much of a balanced perspective. Channel not for me, but I really appreciate you sharing your experience
You could try a big, planted aviary if you want them to live more natural lives, but you need a cage. In the rare chance that the survive, non-native quail would become another invasive species. Most likely 100% would be swiftly eaten by predators.
North American quail can hatch their own. Coturnix, like other domesticated birds, have often lost the instinct (and will stop laying once sitting on a clutch if they retain it).
Oh yay I love that! And yes they should either be in an atrium setting with very high ceilings or something with a short height because they tend to pop when they get scared and could break their necks. So make sure you either do very high ceilings or keep it low.
Hello! I have an extremely loud dog, and I was wondering if that might be a problem? I plan on hatching chicks as soon as it gets warmer and they would probably grow up around the noises.
Can they be kept in a 50 gallon storage tote or in a large chicken coop? And how many can I fit in a large chicken coop that can house up to 6 chickens or in a 50 gallon storage tote from Walmart? Also can they be kept indoors? What food do they eat and are they omnivores like chickens? I live in a zoning area in Southern California that doesn’t allow us to keep crowing fowl like chickens and ducks… so if they are truly quieter than they are that would be awesome.
A 50 Gallon tote is not that large. We do keep our baby quail in there. You might want to go with the chicken coop option. It also might be easier to clean than the tote. If you can fit 6 chickens you will be able to fit a good amount of quail! In regards to feed, you can feed quail a gamebird feed. The key is to pick something high in protein! Best of luck!
@@splitarrowfarm I raise dubia roaches for my reptiles. Can the quail have them in conjunction with their game bird feed? Also, during fall and winter, can they go without a heater for them? I live in Southern California, USA. Our temperatures can drop to 20*F im keeping them outside in my backyard.
If you are raising them for meat, you may want a low ceiling on your cage because when they fly it uses a lot of energy and the more room you have the leaner they will be.
Maybe I missed it but I’m curious where you get your cages from? I’m trying to talk my husband into doing qual this year and I think if I can make it easy he’ll be more into it
@@splitarrowfarm what do you do with the birds when you spray down the cages? Do you consolidate them in fewer cages or leave them inside and spray around them? Thanks.
@@InnerCircleUS Great question, we will usually just put them in a separate cage that is consolidated. We 100% take them out before cleaning it just so that we don't hurt the birds or get them wet.
Good question, we are off the beaten path so it is pretty quite here. I would say if it is a consistent sound then you should be fine but definitely worth checking out with a small number of birds and see how it goes. Best of luck!
Like chickens or ringneck pheasants, they are monogastric omnivores and typically would eat about 1/3+ seeds, 1/3 insects/etc, and during the warm season, up to 1/3 vegetables/greens in the wild. However game bird rations are an easier choice than raising/mixing your own feeds.
Our cat climbs out quail cage like King Kong. I locked her up in the cage but nothing stops her from climbing it. Mine are in 2’x4’ by 5’ with three shelves
Have yet to make the leap, but I'm thinking of raising rabbits, quail, and ducks. Glad to find the resources out here on YT, as this is how Millennials research.
@@splitarrowfarm ducks need a pond- I hear they are far less dirty when they have a pond to make a mess in instead! I am heavily considering getting ducks for my pond since it is spring fed and constantly moving water…
@@akatsukiawsome13 I have four ponds and too many ducks. Ha. Mine our free range, which I would not recommend. They poop all over my verandas and everywhere else, and it’s runny! If you can keep them in your pond area, do it. I enjoy watching them swim and waddle around. But even though our ponds are receiving fresh water and getting rid of water, the ducks make them filthy with poop and feathers. Before I had ducks, my kids would swim in one pond, but afterwards, no more. I also don’t hear many frogs anymore. I guess they eat up the eggs and tadpoles. I do feel like we have less mosquitos, though.
@@hollyp9811 I’ve tried ducks and found that hunting the eggs down when free roaming was a challenge. Do you have any tips for that? I plan on getting some when we have a pond in the future ❤
@@Shayzshitshow Ha. I do not. So many times, I just find out they’re sitting on eggs. I will say they tend to like spots with a little more covering. Maybe if you set up a little cozy, covered hatching spot, they might tend towards using it. They like to be hidden when sitting on their eggs, so maybe think of how you can create hiding spots for them around the pond.
Supermarket eggs are usually refrigerated (which tends to kill them though it slows decay of the food itsrlf) in the USA, and (everywhere) are often unfertilized. These birds will lay without mating, and if only the eggs are sold (rather than raising chicks to become meat animals), why have a cock around? Buy from a hatchery or other business (or friend) who is actually trying to produce birds, not eggs.
As smaller animals (more surface area per volume), they doubtless lose heat faster and need sheltered areas. But Coturnix (& Bobwhite for what it's worth) are native much further north than Red Junglefowl (the ancestral chicken). They aren't tropical.
Great question, I would think about how many eggs you are looking for. Each female quail will lay around 1 egg per day so if you are looking for a dozen a day then you would want 12 hens. Knowing that they can be fragile and some might not make it to the egg laying stage, as well as some might be makes you will want to get extra. What is great about Coturnix quail is they will start laying ~8 weeks so you can go for a smaller number and always hatch your own. We got 4 dozen to start and it was a great number for us.
Hi Gabriella we have tried to raise them free range and they all disappeared within a day. We have a lot of predators and no way to help protect them. I’d love to hear how you are free ranging cause it is 100% a possibility if we could find a good setup for them
@@splitarrowfarm I fortunately do not have a lot of predator's near me. Just the occasional hawk. A lot of farms use mobile "chicken homes". It's a large enough, covered space for quails since they are small. And since it is mobile, you can move it to a fresh patch of grass. The area soiled with poop is then great for growing crops. Or you can double fence in an area, with chicken wire over the top. So the quails are getting sunlight but predator's cannot jump into the enclosure.
Our cage is basically a miniature version of a chicken coop/run. It's on the ground all sides are wired in with flaps on top to gather eggs, refill water/food bowls. They are use to the dogs coming up to the cage. So they are protected from dogs, cats and hawks. They also have hiding places in there in case they give frightened. But our birds are pretty fearless. They let us know if the water/food bowl is low. They definitely know how to whine and it's pretty funny.
No, but you can keep the ducks cleaner if you have the right waterer, which I haven't found yet lol. But the one that looks like a big egg with 3 tall receptacles works a bit better. They are on half wire and the water is caught in a paint roller tray under that. So my bedding lasted all week for weeks 1 and 2, and I was able to turn them our early due to my climate.
Thank you for all the information. I love animals and raising and taking care of animals. I live in California and a part time worker and wanting to raise a few quail for my own eggs because it's very pricey at the market and not as healthy like raising your own. Do you think it's possible to have them and work???
Yes you can definitely raise some and work full time. Both my husband and I work full time and raise multiple animals successfully, just make sure that you have automations setup to help cut down on manual tasks and time! Best of luck!
Love the idea of quail but the idea of keeping an animal in a small cage like yours with no enrichment doesn't sit well with me. I love to see animals displaying natural behaviour
We have an egg drop so they can not hatch out their own. Instead we will incubate and hatch them. But I did find a great article on this details below: "Each day, the female will discreetly make her way to the nest to avoid detection by a predator. She deposits an egg in the nest, and then leaves moments later, leaving the nest and eggs unattended. She does this each day until she has finished laying all of the eggs that will make up the clutch. When she is completely done laying all of the eggs, she then begins the incubation process." You can read more here: www.jaysbirdbarn.com/the-marvel-of-development-inside-an-egg/
Quails can get broody but you need at least roughly about 50 square feet of space for 10 birds. I'd say that's the minimum space requirement for the birds to be happy.
They also make great pets. They are very smart, affectionate, & you get free eggs considering the price of eggs these days. It's better to just keep the birds around for the eggs.
Great question we usually will cull herd and hatch new ones a few times a year so I am not too sure but I have heard that people will keep them for a few years.
We have not ever vaccinated our quail and have not had issues. But we also have not sold quail, so that might be something you want to think about if you are selling them.
It's 18 gays to hatch she keeps saying 15 and those 3 days do make a difference you put them in lock down on day 15. Easy mistake. I'm not bashing just making sure newbies to quail are aware. Some do start to hatch early but rule of thumb is 18 days. For coturnix quail. Bob white are even longer.
U can free range quail, i saw in Instagram there is this lady who kept 13 quails as PETS and her quail back to their box to sleep. Quail eggs are really high in cholesterol, u should check ur health if u often eat them
Good call, I have heard of 1-2 people that have had a lot of success with free ranging we did try and didn't have much success but wish we could! And yes, really any eggs in a large amount are not great good call out.
Eating cholesterol has now been proven not to raise cholesterol. Other factors are implicated! Eggs are an important source of protein (especially for those who do not eat meat) and dietary cholesterol is very very important for brain health.
My family comes from a long line of butchers and cattle farmers. Calling slaughtering/butchering "harvesting", "dispatching", etc. comes across as minimizing. Own what's going on and the life exchanged for yours. It's more honoring, respectful and honest.
Yeah and don’t say PTSD bc it’s SHELLSHOCKED, the English language is a dead language and we should never evolve language over time. End of sarcastic rant. Harvest is fine, and it’s what nearly all homesteaders use bc they don’t take their animals to a slaughterhouses they harvest them 😏
Do not worry about the pros and cons, just give it a try, whether its a bad or good experience you have raised the bar of your general knowledge experience and patience and ability. The larger the variety of your experiences the more indepth and interesting you become...
Love this! Very true Chris!
This
True words of wisdom
It's illegal in some states.. So people have to check to make sure if they can
I love this ❤
I have had a wild Quail female lay eggs in my yard. They all hatched, 12 baby chicks!! They have been following their mom and dad all over my yard for the past few days! Adorable! Excited to watch them grow!🥰
Wow Curious Lass, I LOVE this! Thank you so much for sharing!
That’s wonderful! Your yard must be a safe place from predators to them.
They will lay on their eggs if they have a safe place to, I believe. In a crowded cage they will just get stepped on or eaten but in an aviary where they can find shelter and nest, they will protect them. They nest in the hot summer months with higher humidity. They don’t sit on them constantly like chickens do. It’s really cool.
@@wardrobelion Thanks for the input. We do have an angled bottom on the cage to help the eggs move away so that they do not get stepped on which is helpful
Sounds good, two quail sandwiches and 24 baby wings 🤤
I've just started raising quail and we live them. I find them easy to raise and the cons you've mentioned are not issues. Every animal has waste. But the right cage and pan capture with pine shavings make them easy and their waste is fabulous for your garden. Their waste is a pro because it can be sold as well. They're noise is minimal, it's just the male that roos but a ratio of 5 females to one male is ideal. Doing research as to raising any animal is necessary and your pro/con was very informative. Thank you.
Glad this was helpful Connie. And great to hear that you have not had any of these issues on your end :)
Raising quail is so much fun, but kind of stressful. Definitely try it out if you own your land, the noise they make is very tolerable, especially if they’re not super close to your house, And Honestly turning the eggs when they’re in the incubator and watching them hatch is the funnest thing to do
Thank you!
We had three quail hatch. ☺️🥰 We expected more but we are thankful.
3 is still very exciting! Make sure that you have the humidity up during the lockdown stages and that should help the hatch rate!
I've heard the issues with quails getting lost or escaping when kept out of cages is really due to quails being much stronger fliers than chickens. Clipping primary flight feathers and using a covered wire pen outdoors would be a good way to let them scratch in the grass without them getting lost as often.
Great tip. Thanks for sharing!
As long as they can safely graze due to being prey for everything from rats to hawks to opossums to cats and dogs…not to mention snakes. A cage for home and a small pen or run during the day would be good and gives them the protein and scratching in…
I think you would need at least a modified "chicken tractor"--some sort of cage. Predators abound and these are tiny, nearly defenseless animals.
@@Erewhon2024 you wouldn't need one if you build the outside cage well and use rat wire instead of chicken wire around and on the top of the cage as well as dig about half a foot and lay rat wire down to prevent predators that borough and then fill what you dug back in with the soil that you dug out. Doesn't 100% keep them safe but it works pretty damn well compared to other options.
ALSO; for my fellow snake owners, quail eggs are good to feed!! They're small enough for most snakes and are more likely to be a reliable food source!
Great tip, Motiv!
I just picked up some chicks for the second time from somone here in town and I think I might try raising them as a supplimental food source for some of my snakes as well as maybe eggs for myself at least. Maybe I need to get an egg eating snake now too lol
Thank you my friend
@@Wulfgeist Haha
Great to raise for monitor owners also! The monitors love the eggs and the birds also. A lot of monitor breeders feed their lizards alot of quail
I have those same enclosures for my quail, they are awesome! I love all the noises they make
Yes they are! thanks for sharing!
That enclosure was way too small for them!
Great little prison for the birds
I’m surprised she didn’t mention the con that quail are very short lived birds. They will start laying in about 8 weeks, but they slow down to a crawl once they are a year old. So restocking regularly is important.
Good call! Thanks for sharing
I love those cages. My friend got me to try quail. Never having raised any animals wanted something easy. Bought one level. A few months later bought a 5 tier and started incubating. I cut out the dividers so they can roam between sections, just left one section as my hospital wing.
They are the BEST! I love the idea of cutting the walls out to make it bigger and roomier. Did you do that on each level? This might be something that we have to try out now. Thanks, Josh.
@@splitarrowfarm On the bottom level I left one section intact as my hospital wing. You just have to be careful not to take out too much and risk structural integrity.
Makes a lot of sense, thanks for sharing all these details!
@@splitarrowfarm you know it's actually good that the bird poops a lot, so that anyone can use that lots of poop for the compost or biogas.
@@marcoandresrosario8474 This is all very true good call!
I stuck with chickens after giving a hatch of quail a try and buying an expensive 3 tier cage. I felt like the quail were trapped in a small space and didn’t have much of a quality of life compared to my chickens. They ate a lot compared to chickens who could forage and come back to the coop on their own. Plus, they pooped just as much as they ate and at the end of a week that tray covered in pine shavings would be full! That metal cage I had started rusting with all the poop on it and it went everywhere. Trying to pressure wash it off wouldn’t even work. Trying to keep them inside during winter months meant poop flying everywhere requiring a tarp around the cage to catch flung food which they loved to fling it and poop. While we know there are good nutrients in the quail eggs I’d still rather crack one chicken egg rather than snipping the tops off three quail eggs to get the same result, plus my chickens have a lot more freedom and the hens aren’t trapped in a small cage with a rooster wanting to breed them every five minutes either resulting in them loosing all feathers on their back. That can happen with chickens too but I’m small cages it will be a guarantee.
Thanks for sharing all these details of what you saw when you raised quail, I 100% agree that quail can be hard and they definitely poop a lot haha
Thanks for confirming! I have no experience but those cages look miserable for them!
thank you so much for this information! I really appreciate you taking the time to explain this in a video. I'll subscribe!
Happy it was helpful and thanks for the subscribe!
Quail are so awesome. They are so so good fried.. Their doo makes great fertilizer
Yes they are!
Personally I love boiled quail eggs over normal eggs because I don’t like the yolk that much and quail eggs are just perfect
(Subbed btw)
Hi Max, thanks and happy to hear that you are also a big quail egg fan! Thanks for joining along in journey!
you should try cooking kwek kwek (filipino style battered quail eggs.)
If I raise quail in my backyard would they be scared of things like lawnmowers or dogs barking? My neighbor’s are pretty noisy. I worry it would make them stressed. Also do they do good outside all year around? It gets cold in the late fall,throughout winter,and early to mid spring where I live. And It gets below freezing sometimes. Or should I move them in doors or something when it’s cold? Sorry for all the questions.
Great video thanks for sharing. I love this content.
Thanks!
My neighbor got quail and I got chickens. We're both first time flock moms, and now I'm wondering if I picked the wrong bird lol. Quail sound amazing!
Both are fun and interesting birds and just cause you got chickens doesn’t mean you can’t have quail too!
Thank you so much for the all the information! 🙂
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for a very informative video 💚
Thanks!
This is helpful. My dogs get very loud when the kids wind them up, the rabbits seem to have adjusted, but maybe they'd benefit from sound proofing
Happy to hear, Heather!
Pickled quail eggs are amazing.
Great idea!
I've notice that most of the quail farmers have their birds inside. Are quail hardy enough to have outside year round or do they require an indoor setting. In the wild they are not indoors so I find this somewhat surprising. Thanks in advance for taking some time to explain this.
Great question, there are a few different breeds and some are hardier than other and will be able to take on pretty cold weather. I know that Bobwhite quail are hardier but they do take a bit longer to lay. Something to think about!
Depends on where you live and what type of quails you have. Native species usually do better outside.
Check out slightly red neck you tube channel. He shows quail outside even in super cold temps. 😊
@@moonprints There are a wide variety of quails that are hardier than others I agree!
Indoors often means the poop is drier so less smelly and predators are less aware of them. (Raccoons can defeat some poorly designed cages.) Coturnix are native to North Korea as well as the Japan from whence our domestic stock came, so given insulation and sheltered areas, they are probably fine in the cold.
Hi, i’ve heard that if you want just for eating eggs, you can even do it in your apartment but my question is if the quail need sunlight to make eggs? how do make it work?
The quail will need light to lay more but you can do artificial lighting. I will warn you that they are a bit smelly so having them inside an apartment could get stinky depending on how often you are cleaning your cage
Yes they need 14-18 hrs of lite it can be artificial lite to
I think I like this channel. Well done👍
Thank you very much!
I seen another video on UA-cam where someone said they put them in a small cage that was above their chicken areas so that any feed that the quail were wasting would drop down on the ground and their chickens would eat it.
Bro, you can incubate so many quail I actually think it could be a main food source for me lol
100%
NEW subscriber . August/2023 ..JB / Canada. Thanks for the info here!! Im THINKING of raising them. I LIKED commented AND I clicker the BELL!!!
Welcome! And yay, best of luck!
I raise meat rabbits and I love it! Looking to expand on quail and turkey
Love this!
Rabbits taste similar to white meat chicken (as do Bobwhite) whereas Coturnix are like a slightly more flavorful dark meat chicken. I would prioritize them. Turkeys eat a LOT (esp. the dominant Tom) and to my tastes, not a huge taste improvement on chicken. But tastes (& space available) differ.
I found this channel cause of the bobwhite egg hatching. I noticed you did it in the nurture right 360 which i just got for button quail eggs so hopefully it turns out good
We have had such amazing success with the Nurture Right 360, you have made an excellent purchase! Good luck with your new hatchlings :)
We had poor results with the nurture right 360.
ONLY 2 hatched. Did everything by the book. Sold it to someone who said they would have no problems with it. Well they only had five or six hatch out.☹️
@@ajalicea1091 I've realized the nurture right has inaccurate humidity and temp. Also I highly recommend dry hatching in it if you use it again. Makes the biggest difference
Gonns try raising some quail in the backyard. Just trying to figure out what kind of coop i need and what not. Eventually want to do rabbits too.
Love it and best of luck!
Not a fan of the treatment of keeping chickens and quails in cages for their whole lives. I love the idea of trying to give as much of a balanced perspective. Channel not for me, but I really appreciate you sharing your experience
Happy to hear this was helpful
You could try a big, planted aviary if you want them to live more natural lives, but you need a cage. In the rare chance that the survive, non-native quail would become another invasive species. Most likely 100% would be swiftly eaten by predators.
Same thoughts, how depressing
You certainly enlightened me!
Happy to hear!
I am picking up 40 celadon chicks tomorrow (I have never even touched a quail before) I have lot of chickens and other poultry but never quail
Love to hear this Ruthie, good luck!
I love raising quail
Love to hear it!
Love it! What a natural beauty. Just what I wanted to know. Subscriber from NW Florida.
Thank you for joining the journey!
Question: Will the quail hatch their own eggs or do I have to incubate the eggs? Thanks for responsiveness:)
Yes, quail can hatch out their own eggs :)
Incubator them
North American quail can hatch their own. Coturnix, like other domesticated birds, have often lost the instinct (and will stop laying once sitting on a clutch if they retain it).
Thanks so much 🎉❤😊
🎉
I also raise quails but in a heavenly place,watch my baby quails in my page just hatched 2 wks ago
Oh yay I love that! And yes they should either be in an atrium setting with very high ceilings or something with a short height because they tend to pop when they get scared and could break their necks. So make sure you either do very high ceilings or keep it low.
Thank you for the info
Happy this was helpful!
Love it. Thanks
Thank you!
Hello! I have an extremely loud dog, and I was wondering if that might be a problem? I plan on hatching chicks as soon as it gets warmer and they would probably grow up around the noises.
Also, is there a better breed to get? I don’t plan on eating them, just getting a few eggs and enjoying their company
We love Coturnix quail cause they lay early and often. And I don’t think the dog should matter at all! Best of luck :)
@@splitarrowfarm okay! Tysm
I have a question 🙋. I've heard bob white quail do hatch their eggs themselves. Anyone have any thoughts?
Both Coturnix and Bob white will hatch their own eggs!
I really enjoyed your video. Great information 👍
Thanks!
Can they be kept in a 50 gallon storage tote or in a large chicken coop? And how many can I fit in a large chicken coop that can house up to 6 chickens or in a 50 gallon storage tote from Walmart? Also can they be kept indoors? What food do they eat and are they omnivores like chickens? I live in a zoning area in Southern California that doesn’t allow us to keep crowing fowl like chickens and ducks… so if they are truly quieter than they are that would be awesome.
A 50 Gallon tote is not that large. We do keep our baby quail in there. You might want to go with the chicken coop option. It also might be easier to clean than the tote. If you can fit 6 chickens you will be able to fit a good amount of quail! In regards to feed, you can feed quail a gamebird feed. The key is to pick something high in protein!
Best of luck!
@@splitarrowfarm I raise dubia roaches for my reptiles. Can the quail have them in conjunction with their game bird feed? Also, during fall and winter, can they go without a heater for them? I live in Southern California, USA. Our temperatures can drop to 20*F im keeping them outside in my backyard.
Could you do a video on good incubators
We use the Nurture Right 360 and love it: amzn.to/3G4lo1X
If you are raising them for meat, you may want a low ceiling on your cage because when they fly it uses a lot of energy and the more room you have the leaner they will be.
Yes, you are 100% correct there. Thanks for adding in this note!
That's helpful to know
Quail are not meat birds.
@@chickensquailandbirds5650 sure
@@chickensquailandbirds5650They sure taste like meat birds.
Maybe I missed it but I’m curious where you get your cages from? I’m trying to talk my husband into doing qual this year and I think if I can make it easy he’ll be more into it
We have a hatching time cage and it is so easy! Amazon sells them in a bunch of different sizes but we have the 3 tier one amzn.to/3I6cfny
@@splitarrowfarm Are these easy to clean as well?
@@thelifehegaveme4579 we have found them really easy to clean but you will just need a good hose or powerwasher to help!
@@splitarrowfarm what do you do with the birds when you spray down the cages? Do you consolidate them in fewer cages or leave them inside and spray around them? Thanks.
@@InnerCircleUS Great question, we will usually just put them in a separate cage that is consolidated. We 100% take them out before cleaning it just so that we don't hurt the birds or get them wet.
awesome thanks again
Thanks again!
What kind of incubator is it?
We use a Nurture Right 360: amzn.to/3iiJsoN
Thank you
Happy to help!
Will traffic from highway spook them too much. I live off busy highway.
Good question, we are off the beaten path so it is pretty quite here. I would say if it is a consistent sound then you should be fine but definitely worth checking out with a small number of birds and see how it goes. Best of luck!
Where did you get that quail cage setup
We have the hatching time quail cage: amzn.to/42OuBER and it is a great setup. You can also make your own DIY setup too!
@@splitarrowfarm wow thats cool. thank you!
Sounds like a very fun bird to raise, what do that eat?
We feed them a high protein game bird feed. There are also plants and veggies you can send them too
@@splitarrowfarm Thanks, I was thinking a lot of Sunflower seeds.
Like chickens or ringneck pheasants, they are monogastric omnivores and typically would eat about 1/3+ seeds, 1/3 insects/etc, and during the warm season, up to 1/3 vegetables/greens in the wild. However game bird rations are an easier choice than raising/mixing your own feeds.
Our cat climbs out quail cage like King Kong. I locked her up in the cage but nothing stops her from climbing it. Mine are in 2’x4’ by 5’ with three shelves
Oh wow that’s wild!
Have yet to make the leap, but I'm thinking of raising rabbits, quail, and ducks. Glad to find the resources out here on YT, as this is how Millennials research.
Great to hear it and yea, we don’t have ducks but have heard some great things about them. But watch out I have also heard that they are very dirty!’
@@splitarrowfarm ducks need a pond- I hear they are far less dirty when they have a pond to make a mess in instead! I am heavily considering getting ducks for my pond since it is spring fed and constantly moving water…
@@akatsukiawsome13 I have four ponds and too many ducks. Ha. Mine our free range, which I would not recommend. They poop all over my verandas and everywhere else, and it’s runny! If you can keep them in your pond area, do it. I enjoy watching them swim and waddle around. But even though our ponds are receiving fresh water and getting rid of water, the ducks make them filthy with poop and feathers. Before I had ducks, my kids would swim in one pond, but afterwards, no more. I also don’t hear many frogs anymore. I guess they eat up the eggs and tadpoles. I do feel like we have less mosquitos, though.
@@hollyp9811 I’ve tried ducks and found that hunting the eggs down when free roaming was a challenge. Do you have any tips for that? I plan on getting some when we have a pond in the future ❤
@@Shayzshitshow Ha. I do not. So many times, I just find out they’re sitting on eggs. I will say they tend to like spots with a little more covering. Maybe if you set up a little cozy, covered hatching spot, they might tend towards using it. They like to be hidden when sitting on their eggs, so maybe think of how you can create hiding spots for them around the pond.
Hi how can I buy some eggs for hatching I live in California? Please let me know.
Thanks
We currently don’t have any ready but I would check out Etsy and EBay there are a lot of fertile eggs for sale there!
I have loved to raise quails, can I buy eggs from supermarket and give them to my chicken for hatching?
You most likely won’t have much success. You will want to try getting fertilized eggs
Supermarket eggs are usually refrigerated (which tends to kill them though it slows decay of the food itsrlf) in the USA, and (everywhere) are often unfertilized. These birds will lay without mating, and if only the eggs are sold (rather than raising chicks to become meat animals), why have a cock around? Buy from a hatchery or other business (or friend) who is actually trying to produce birds, not eggs.
Can you help me for a good Incubator the hatching including chicken egg i will pay?
Yes, Ugonna, here is the one we use and love amzn.to/3VfArvA
Your so pretty:) thanks for the info
You're so welcome! And thank you :)
Did you ever see two female quails sit next brew ther eggs and hatch there own eggs? Mine did so do you think this is really strange I think so
I haven't see it with our quail but quail can hatch out their own eggs.
One more con I think is that they are not as hardy as chickens in cold weather
Thanks for sharing!
As smaller animals (more surface area per volume), they doubtless lose heat faster and need sheltered areas. But Coturnix (& Bobwhite for what it's worth) are native much further north than Red Junglefowl (the ancestral chicken). They aren't tropical.
When you mentioned the taller cage I wasn’t sure what is considered a good height , what is a good safe height for them ?
I recommend researching around this but I believe +6ft
@@splitarrowfarm 🙏 thank you
@@Indianaparadise Happy to help!
Can i get the Bobwhite quail? That would be the coolest
Do it!
Nice 👍
Thanks for the visit
You mentioned that quail aren't broody, but could their eggs be hatched by a small broody bantam?
Not sure but could be worth trying!
Do the quail need to have a dust bath?
It is just good to have one for them to keep clean and free of parasites
Love your videos! How many quail do you have or how many would you suggest for beginners focusing on the egg production?
Great question, I would think about how many eggs you are looking for. Each female quail will lay around 1 egg per day so if you are looking for a dozen a day then you would want 12 hens. Knowing that they can be fragile and some might not make it to the egg laying stage, as well as some might be makes you will want to get extra. What is great about Coturnix quail is they will start laying ~8 weeks so you can go for a smaller number and always hatch your own. We got 4 dozen to start and it was a great number for us.
Lindo seu canal adorei, muito sucesso para seu canal, obrigado
Thanks!
Barking dogs wouldn't stop them from laying?
They haven’t yet!
No. Once they get use to the environment they have no problem.
@@binnie1801 I agree with that, they definitely would get used to the noises
What’s the price breakdown?
Looking to do a full price breakdown in a future video!
Those cages are so small and those bars probably hurt their feet. Why not raise them free range? Free range eggs always sell for more.
- same thoughts 😕
Hi Gabriella we have tried to raise them free range and they all disappeared within a day. We have a lot of predators and no way to help protect them. I’d love to hear how you are free ranging cause it is 100% a possibility if we could find a good setup for them
@@splitarrowfarm I fortunately do not have a lot of predator's near me. Just the occasional hawk. A lot of farms use mobile "chicken homes". It's a large enough, covered space for quails since they are small. And since it is mobile, you can move it to a fresh patch of grass. The area soiled with poop is then great for growing crops.
Or you can double fence in an area, with chicken wire over the top. So the quails are getting sunlight but predator's cannot jump into the enclosure.
Our cage is basically a miniature version of a chicken coop/run. It's on the ground all sides are wired in with flaps on top to gather eggs, refill water/food bowls. They are use to the dogs coming up to the cage. So they are protected from dogs, cats and hawks. They also have hiding places in there in case they give frightened. But our birds are pretty fearless. They let us know if the water/food bowl is low. They definitely know how to whine and it's pretty funny.
Right wtf
THANK YOUUUUU You are amazing ... are quail dirtier than ducks?? 🦆
We have not raised ducks but I would take a guess that they are a lot cleaner from what I have learned about ducks thus far!
No, but you can keep the ducks cleaner if you have the right waterer, which I haven't found yet lol. But the one that looks like a big egg with 3 tall receptacles works a bit better. They are on half wire and the water is caught in a paint roller tray under that. So my bedding lasted all week for weeks 1 and 2, and I was able to turn them our early due to my climate.
@@KKIcons Love these helpful tips, thanks for sharing!
What are those cages called?
They are the quail cages from Hatching Time here is the one we have amzn.to/3MqIVKQ. And it also comes in bigger and smaller sizes
Thanks
Thank you for all the information. I love animals and raising and taking care of animals. I live in California and a part time worker and wanting to raise a few quail for my own eggs because it's very pricey at the market and not as healthy like raising your own. Do you think it's possible to have them and work???
Yes you can definitely raise some and work full time. Both my husband and I work full time and raise multiple animals successfully, just make sure that you have automations setup to help cut down on manual tasks and time! Best of luck!
Love the idea of quail but the idea of keeping an animal in a small cage like yours with no enrichment doesn't sit well with me. I love to see animals displaying natural behaviour
Hi Debbie, you can raise them in an atrium type setting! Good luck :)
I thought of the same. Seems like torture to me, not much better than battery farming.
Do they hatch their eggs?
We have an egg drop so they can not hatch out their own. Instead we will incubate and hatch them. But I did find a great article on this details below:
"Each day, the female will discreetly make her way to the nest to avoid detection by a predator. She deposits an egg in the nest, and then leaves moments later, leaving the nest and eggs unattended. She does this each day until she has finished laying all of the eggs that will make up the clutch. When she is completely done laying all of the eggs, she then begins the incubation process." You can read more here: www.jaysbirdbarn.com/the-marvel-of-development-inside-an-egg/
@@splitarrowfarm thankq so much for your great information 👍
Happy to hear that this was helpful!
Quails can get broody but you need at least roughly about 50 square feet of space for 10 birds. I'd say that's the minimum space requirement for the birds to be happy.
@@rephaelreyes8552 Thanks for these helpful details this is all great to know and learn!
How long do they live?
Great question Beowulf, the average lifespan of a quail seems to range from 1.5 years to 4 years.
@@splitarrowfarm thank you for the quick reply
Thanks cheers Ricky 🎸💥🔥🇺🇸👩🏻🦼💦🥷🏼🙏💦🐈⬛🐬🧉
😊
There are only two cage options? Maybie a humane cage, a bigger one will do tgem good
True!
Mulch baths are cleaner than sand
Interesting thanks for sharing!
They also make great pets. They are very smart, affectionate, & you get free eggs considering the price of eggs these days. It's better to just keep the birds around for the eggs.
So true!!
i would hate to have a quail as a pet they look so cute i would never eat them!
They are very cute when they are baby chicks too!
@@splitarrowfarm super duper true!
How long do they live if you just keep them? Will they get real fat after a year?
Great question we usually will cull herd and hatch new ones a few times a year so I am not too sure but I have heard that people will keep them for a few years.
Hi Homertalk, I did some research and it looks like quail have a 2-3 year lifespan. Hopefully this helps!
Some people comment that the lifespan for their pet quail is up to 10 years, but for sure productive life is less.
@@KKIcons Good call thanks for adding!
I heard they were not as noisy as chickens
They are a lot different and a quieter sound for sure
Bahh, screw the incubator, just add a single silkie and boom, brooding needs solved:p
Haha love it
What type of incubator do you use for your quail? We are looking to get one. Thanks
Nurture Right 360
Yes, we use Nurture Right 369 (amzn.to/3s5WYyd) and it has worked so great!
If you have a garden...the poop is a bonus!
Yes, good addition!
Do you vaccinate your quail or it is not necessary
We have not ever vaccinated our quail and have not had issues. But we also have not sold quail, so that might be something you want to think about if you are selling them.
@@splitarrowfarm if you haven’t it’s probably not needed. Thank you so much!!
Wait whaaaaaat??!! Can I feed quail eggs to my dumerils boa?
my white lipped likes day old chicks as a treat
There ya go!
DIY Intensive farming for quails. Plastic crates with no stimulation.
I love quail and quail eggs but I love Guinea eggs better. That said, quail are way quieter than guineas and there's a lot to say for that.
Oh really, we just got Guinea and are excited to try their eggs now!
@@splitarrowfarm the eggs are small but very rich. Not good for recipes but great for breakfast!
do you really need to eat them? you could just eat the eggs?
We actually do primarily eat the eggs and share with friends but always good to have sustainability practices in your back pocket
“Rabets and Qwel” I swear this is the first time I’ve struggled with the American accent. 😅
Haha, you will get there!
It's 18 gays to hatch she keeps saying 15 and those 3 days do make a difference you put them in lock down on day 15. Easy mistake. I'm not bashing just making sure newbies to quail are aware. Some do start to hatch early but rule of thumb is 18 days. For coturnix quail. Bob white are even longer.
Hi Real Cookin, good catch and thank you for adding!
My quails are built different they attack me on sight when I clean their Cage every Day
Oh wow that’s intense!
Probably because they're stuck in a cage? I'd do the same to you if you locked me in a cage
😎🐦
Thank you!
U can free range quail, i saw in Instagram there is this lady who kept 13 quails as PETS and her quail back to their box to sleep. Quail eggs are really high in cholesterol, u should check ur health if u often eat them
Good call, I have heard of 1-2 people that have had a lot of success with free ranging we did try and didn't have much success but wish we could! And yes, really any eggs in a large amount are not great good call out.
Eating cholesterol has now been proven not to raise cholesterol. Other factors are implicated! Eggs are an important source of protein (especially for those who do not eat meat) and dietary cholesterol is very very important for brain health.
What kind of cages do you have your quails in?
Hatching Time from amazon. Premier 1 fencing sells the best quality plastic cages though.
Yep, we use hatching time! amzn.to/3Kzzzvn
My family comes from a long line of butchers and cattle farmers. Calling slaughtering/butchering "harvesting", "dispatching", etc. comes across as minimizing. Own what's going on and the life exchanged for yours. It's more honoring, respectful and honest.
Hi C Philips, thanks for the notes and yes I for the UA-cam audience we do try to be conscious of our words so thank you for the details.
Yeah and don’t say PTSD bc it’s SHELLSHOCKED, the English language is a dead language and we should never evolve language over time. End of sarcastic rant. Harvest is fine, and it’s what nearly all homesteaders use bc they don’t take their animals to a slaughterhouses they harvest them 😏
@@polish2x91 Actually, butchers come out to farms, even hobby farms. Terminology has to do with respecting the animal in the food chain.
Imagine being triggered by this.
@@ibeamy
Imagine thinking every adult conversation is triggering.
Pros: they are quiet.
Cons: they are loud.