That Quail Place Forum
Our Member's Section => Members Pictures => Topic started by: kiaya611 on May 18, 2007, 11:58:39 PM
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Hi all,
I have many chickens and a peacock (soon to have a PR). I have turkey and Guinea eggs incubating and a PR or goslings on order, but I haven't had quail before.
My friend, had an overabundance of breeding stock and he know of my love for birds, so he is giving me 6 breeding PR.
Can anyone give me advice or point me to sites and books that would be a good source of information to their specific needs?
I am getting them tomorrow, so I need to know a few basics quickly. I am planning a group pen outside and will probably incubate the eggs artificially.
I have 28% protein gamebird feed already, but I don't know if the feeders and waterers are appropriate for quail. They are one gallon plastic waterers for poultry by Little Giant and the feeders are the 11 lb plastic feeders by Little Giant with the separators (so that chickens won't throw feed). Will these work or will I need other types of feeders and waterers?
As far as the housing. How many sqft will 6 PR of these quail require? Will a 1" chicken wire be small enough or should I go to a 1/2" for the pen especially if I end up with chicks? Does the coop need to be heated?
All of these basic questions I need answers to. I know them for other birds, but don't know the answers for Quail. I just know enough to know I need to ask.
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
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You will find that quails are as hardy as chickens.
Those feeders and waterers will work fine. Only thing to becareful of is chicks need drownproof waterers.
Depending on your weather. You will need to give them somewhere to hide in/under during the winter. If it snows etc., you may need to put plastic/etc. over the pens to preserve the heat. Im here in So. Cali and don't have to worry much. But heated pens are a bit extreme...unless you have the means.
I would go with the 1/2" wire if you have predators lurking around.
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I live in Oregon and it doesn't get all that cold (at least not to me compared to Baltimore where I moved from), but it can snow on occasion...very little though. I did run electricity to my chicken coop so I could heat it if need be, but I am finding I might have "overbuilt" when I built that coop...it was my 1st attempt at a coop and I wanted it to be really nice. I plumbed water into it as well. Here are some pics:
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/BYC/frontview1.jpg)
FRONT VIEW
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/BYC/chicken_yard_sm.jpg)
VIEW OF COVERED PEN
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/BYC/finished_coop_and_pen.jpg)
COMPLETE VIEW
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/BYC/interior_toward_roost.jpg)
INTERIOR VIEW FROM NEST BOXES LOOKING TOWARD ROOSTS
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/BYC/interiorview2.jpg)
INTERIOR VIEW FROM ROOST LOOKING TOWARD NEST BOXES
The coop is 6.5'X32' and the pen is 10'-16'X32'. I currently have 42 chickens in it although I am planning on getting rid of a few. My original plan was to have 12 LOL
My latest addition is a peacock rescue (he was going to be shot) and then a subsequent "6 hour pen".
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/Charlie_sm.jpg)
CHARLIE my RESCUE PEACOCK
(http://home.centurytel.net/kiaya611/peacockpen_w_cover_sm.jpg)
THE PEACOCK PEN THAT TOOK 6 HOURS TO BUILD (by myself)
I will have a bird zoo very soon. If my property were bigger, I could have 4-legged critters as well, but I am only on 1/2 an acre and the limit is 1 acre for larger animals.
Anyway. I thank you for the info. If you can recommend any books on Quail (raising, health, etc.), I would appreciate it.
Thank you,
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Wow them are nice pens, and coops. I think those will do fine. :laugh:
The only resources i've used has been on this here forum and on the internet so I really cant recommend any books. But there are some great books here on the homepage of our here site: http://www.thatquailplace.com/index.htm Perhaps others can chime in.
It's good to be safe and go by the book etc. But you'll come to find that quails are very easy to raise and maintane just like chickens. Good luck.
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My experience with Bobs is that they would rather hang outside in the rain, shine, snow, or cold, day or night, than hang out in an enclosure. In other words, I wouldn't get too elaborate with an enclosure such as your chicken coop, you may be disappointed when they don't use it.
Nice chicken pen by the way...........you been hanging around Reeves? LOL! :angel:
If you ever get rid of the chickens, you may be able to rent that as a motel room?
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you been hanging around Reeves
:laugh:
That building is a lot nicer than mine ! I may have to come up with a new design ! Too bad it has chickens in it though :laugh: