Over Wintering.

[DesONeile]

I have been training Pointers for almost exactly thirty years but only recently had access to quail for training. Whereas in theory all types are available we use Courtnix and Bobwhite. The courtnix, up to now at any rate, don't return to the Johnny House so we toss them into the cover, let the young dogs find them and when we think either the pointers, the quail or we have had enough, get a spaniel to bring them back to hand. We have had no bother to date rearing young each year, or keeping the Courtnix over the winter.
We use the Bobwhite out of a portable Johnny House mainly because as they aren't an indigenous species we can’t release them permanently but we use them very much the way you folks do in America. Our problem with the Bobwhite is keeping them over the winter. Last February all our breeding stock died. To keep when over the winter they were paired off in songbird cages and kept in the mews in exactly the same conditions as the Courtnix yet over about a week in February the Bobs died one by one.

Your Advice please.

[CharlieHorse]

I'd repost this in the "brooding and raising"  or "health" section.

 I'm guessing that pairing them off may be your problem, I don't know how cold it gets there, I know nothing about cortunix, but bobs covey up in order to stay warm. Two isn't hardly enough to stay warm depending on the temp. I'd go with no less then 10 to 20 in a covey.