Coturnix quail are small ground dwelling birds that are easy to raise. They do not require a lot of space, are content in small flocks(coveys) and their growth rate ensures you’ll have eggs in no time!

Quail scare easily, and when startled, will jump straight up to take flight. Because of this, their enclosures should be at or around 12 inches tall, but shouldn’t be any more than 15 inches, as any more than that gives them more space to jump and gain momentum and potentially injure themselves, or worse, cause them to break their necks, on the roof of the enclosure. If you still want to use a taller enclosure, I recommend at least 4 feet in height.

The enclosures should allow at least 2 sq feet of floor space per adult bird. A wire floor is recommended for adult birds(wire floors are NOT recommended for chicks under the age of 2 weeks as it could cause leg injuries). Quail produce an incredible amount of waste and the wire floor will help to keep the enclosures cleaner and make your birds happier. You can use hay or pine shavings for the bedding. ** DO NOT use any kind of cedar for their bedding as it is toxic to the birds.

Chicks should be kept in a brooder box with soft bedding such as pine shavings, a heat lamp, water. They should be kept at 96-98 degrees from hatch to about 2 weeks old. Lower the temp by 5 degrees each week thereafter until they are fully feathered. At this point, the chicks are ready to go into their enclosures. From hatch, feed them high protein starter feed for game birds or quail. Newly hatched quail are tiny, and so their feed should be also. If needed, you can put the feed in a food processor or blender and grind it down to make it easier for the chicks to eat. They should be able to eat the normal sized feed when they are about a week old. The water dish should be shallow to prevent drowning. As an extra precaution, I have put pine shavings in the water dish to help the chicks get out if they happen to fall into it.

A nesting box is not required for quail because they will lay wherever their hearts desire! The box would more likely be used as a hiding place. In the wild, Quail hide in bushes, tall grass or shrubs, so providing hiding places in their enclosures will make them happy.

If your enclosure is out in the elements, preparations should be made for the winter months and the extreme heat of summers here in the delta. Quail are hardy and able to withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees and a high of 120 degrees. However, it is good to at least provide cover on all but one side of their enclosures in winter to block the wind. In the summer months make sure they have access to fresh, cool water and food at all times. If you can shade the enclosures, that will help also. Fresh air and a good air flow in the enclosure is a must in the heat. If you have any of the sides covered from the winter, take the cover off. Adding a mister can be helpful, but make sure not to allow it to run all day and night. I would suggest turning it on for 30 minutes at a time every couple hours or so during the hottest part of the day. Just make sure their feathers are not getting completely wet. If so, back off the time the misters are running to about half. Tweak as necessary.

Most Quail are fully mature and will begin to lay at around 6-8 weeks old depending on the type. Jumbos are mature at about 10-12 weeks.