Quails
Good stuff mate!
Nev
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the.fee.fairy
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farmerdrea
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Dendrobium
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In fact my own cat seems very interested in them too.-
red
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hey Kev - you still got the quails? I wanna keep quails...
Red
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theabsinthefairy
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We got some quails to keep alongside all our other livestock out here in France.
We got them from the local livestock market so no idea what sort they are, but four females and a male - very easy to identify as the male is the only one with a band of colour around his neck.
They were 4 weeks old when we had them, and where told that they would start to lay at 8 weeks - and they did - bang on 8 weeks. So far they lay an egg a day EVERY day. And some days we get 5 eggs from the 4 hens - very impressive.
They make lovely chirrupy noises and occaisionally the male calls to his harem but certainly not loud and offensive noises.
They are kept in a large rabbit hutch outside bedded down on sawdust and straw, they like to burrow down to lay, but immediately abandon the eggs - not a broody breed at all.
In terms of return on investment, they eat hardly any food, adore catching flies and other insects unwary enough to fly through the cage doors, and are really excellent layers.
I would recommend quail to anyone - particularly if you want fresh eggs and dont have the room to keep chickens.
We got them from the local livestock market so no idea what sort they are, but four females and a male - very easy to identify as the male is the only one with a band of colour around his neck.
They were 4 weeks old when we had them, and where told that they would start to lay at 8 weeks - and they did - bang on 8 weeks. So far they lay an egg a day EVERY day. And some days we get 5 eggs from the 4 hens - very impressive.
They make lovely chirrupy noises and occaisionally the male calls to his harem but certainly not loud and offensive noises.
They are kept in a large rabbit hutch outside bedded down on sawdust and straw, they like to burrow down to lay, but immediately abandon the eggs - not a broody breed at all.
In terms of return on investment, they eat hardly any food, adore catching flies and other insects unwary enough to fly through the cage doors, and are really excellent layers.
I would recommend quail to anyone - particularly if you want fresh eggs and dont have the room to keep chickens.
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red
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sounds great - so you dont think the noise is too much then?
thats good
i was thining of building an avery sort of thing.. in one of our old pigsty bays - so outdoors, on concrete, prolly something made out of weldmesh or similar. do you think that would be appropriate?
I am having trouble finding out what is a 'good'way of keeping quail, that still keeps them safe etc...
thats good
i was thining of building an avery sort of thing.. in one of our old pigsty bays - so outdoors, on concrete, prolly something made out of weldmesh or similar. do you think that would be appropriate?
I am having trouble finding out what is a 'good'way of keeping quail, that still keeps them safe etc...
Red
I like like minded people... a bit like minded anyway.. well people with bits of their minds that are like the bits of my mind that I like...
my website: colour it green
etsy shop
blog
I like like minded people... a bit like minded anyway.. well people with bits of their minds that are like the bits of my mind that I like...
my website: colour it green
etsy shop
blog
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Silver Ether
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theabsinthefairy
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Hi Red
Sorry for the delay in replying - we have had a house full of guests this last week.
I don't know how many quail you are intending to keep, nor how well sheltered the pig sty is, but quail whilst living together are not sociable and won't huddle together for warmth.
You can keep them on bedding of sawdush, small wood chippings or straw, and they will create little nests that are individual to each hen. About 6 to 7 hens to one cock is OK, but two 'harems' wont live together, the cocks will fight and attack each other's hens. I hope you follow that - as I am probably not explaining it too well.
Grid fencing of about 1 inch square is OK, leave it reasonably high for access, they do have a tendancy to fly straight up if startled, ours did it a couple of times, bonked their heads and don't bother now. Hence their pet name - bonkers.
They are also little escape artists, however once out in the open their natural reaction is to cower before flying away - and they can fly well, but they give you enough time to catch them - ours have done so far anyway.
A pig sty may be too big an area to keep them in - but you could always mark out a couple of smaller areas. They don't really like to get wet, they are not very thickly feathered and suffer from cold and damp - not good for this summer then, so some form of over head weather protection would be essential too.
Hope this helps - sorry its an essay, pm if you want any more advice etc.
Monika
Sorry for the delay in replying - we have had a house full of guests this last week.
I don't know how many quail you are intending to keep, nor how well sheltered the pig sty is, but quail whilst living together are not sociable and won't huddle together for warmth.
You can keep them on bedding of sawdush, small wood chippings or straw, and they will create little nests that are individual to each hen. About 6 to 7 hens to one cock is OK, but two 'harems' wont live together, the cocks will fight and attack each other's hens. I hope you follow that - as I am probably not explaining it too well.
Grid fencing of about 1 inch square is OK, leave it reasonably high for access, they do have a tendancy to fly straight up if startled, ours did it a couple of times, bonked their heads and don't bother now. Hence their pet name - bonkers.
They are also little escape artists, however once out in the open their natural reaction is to cower before flying away - and they can fly well, but they give you enough time to catch them - ours have done so far anyway.
A pig sty may be too big an area to keep them in - but you could always mark out a couple of smaller areas. They don't really like to get wet, they are not very thickly feathered and suffer from cold and damp - not good for this summer then, so some form of over head weather protection would be essential too.
Hope this helps - sorry its an essay, pm if you want any more advice etc.
Monika