Coturnix quail, require no more care than chickens ...but they mature faster, produce more eggs, need less food and space, make less mess, are much quieter, and have more uses than virtually any other kind of domestic poultry!
Below is some information on the Coturnix quail that I hope you find helpful.
HISTORY
Coturnix coturnix or common quail are migratory birds of Asia, Africa and Europe. Several interbreeding subspecies are recognized, the more important being the European quail, Coturnix coturnix coturnix, and the Asiatic or Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica. One subspecies that commonly migrates between Europe and Asia was eventually domesticated in China. These birds were raised as pets and singing birds. The Japanese call the birds uzura, and have raised them for centuries. The domesticated coturnix were brought at about eleventh century to Japan from China across the Korean bridge (Howes, 1964). In any event, coturnix were first domesticated in the Orient and not in the Middle East as has been claimed by some authors. Although European coturnix migrating south in the fall across the Mediterranean Sea were, in their exhausted condition, easily caught or trapped the available Egyptian and Biblical records do not indicate that these birds were ever bred in captivity. Later, Early American colonists called them "Bible quail" and found them to be economical providers of protein. They helped many in time of famine by supplying a constant supply of eggs and meat. Through the centuries these little birds have been kept, bred, eaten and enjoyed.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
It takes 16-18 days for a coturnix quail egg to hatch. Turn eggs at least 2 to 3 times a day. Stop turning when they are 4 days away from hatching. Read and follow the directions on the type of incubator you have for heat and humidity settings. Once all chicks are done hatching and dry, remove them to a brooder. Brooders can be made of almost anything, from simple cardboard box to store bought hundreds of $$$. I use 2 different kinds depending on what I'm hatching. 10 gallon fish tank with a fine mesh screen top, and I also use a large cover cat litter box and have cut out fine screen that covers the entrance. Baby pools work well if you have a screen cover, as quail can jump very high. I have different type of bulbs, and just depends on time of year for which one I use. Here in Florida we have good weather and I keep my brooders in our lanai were I can keep an eye on them, feed, and temperature at almost all times. You'll just have to find what works best with you. If you see chicks with there beaks open and panting they are to hot, if they are trying to make a massive pyramids , on top one another they are to cold and neat heat fast. These mass climbing's, can cause death by suffocation for those underneath. Once they have most there feathers around 3 weeks old, I move them to grow out cages outside (again Florida, nice weather use common sense in your location) were they are kept till I can determine sex, set up pairs, or cull out. Don't worry about keeping them on wire floors, they do not perch. **** Important***** do not use anything slick for bedding, use some paper towels for the first few days to avoid leg sprawl. No newspaper as it's to slick and holds droppings were little toes can get to them and dry on to make it difficult to walk. Clean feet are healthy happy feet!!!!!!! Also whatever you use for water, you must marbles or small stones to keep these little chicks from drowning or getting to wet and chilled.
Chicks are mature at 6 weeks, start laying anywhere from 6-8 weeks and ready to process about 6-8 weeks.
We feed and recommend Purina Game Bird Chow. They have a type for every stage of development from starter crumbles, flight conditioner, layena, and maintence. If you want the best growth and development pay the few extra $$$'s and get the best. Purina is a complete feed on it's own which means you don't need to feed anything else at all, but you can also feed them in small amounts:
Boiled eggs mushed up into a mush.
Mealworms, crickets, wax worms almost any kind of bug really. They are great to watch tring to catch a fly.
Grit for good digestion, oyster shell for extra calcium (just a small amount you don't want to fill there crop up with just grit)
Fruit chopped up make a great treat as well as clean chopped greens, chopped cucumber and finely shredded carrot. I have given them extra citrus fruit, quartered, as well (always extra on the trees here) and they really pick it clean to the skin.
They also enjoy all kind of breads and crackers.
Millet as a treat- it's not nutritionally complete
Processing Your Quail
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1554953#p1554953 - good link with pictures of the home process. Beware it does have pictures.
WHAT IS A COTURNIX QUAIL GOOD FOR?
I have been asked why raise coturnix quail many times. Before moving to Florida we lived in Virginia were I had a 50 acre licensed breeding facility farm, and licensed dog breeding kennel. We raised many different kinds of chickens, ducks, and geese. Moving to Florida meant giving up the farm, and moving back "to town". After a couple years, I got the itch again and had raise some kind of poultry. Quail fit my needs and can be productive even for the Hobbiers like myself now. We enjoy the quail so much that we plan on breeding them full time in our "retirement years". They are nice to listen to and have around, they can be a pet that gives you something useful back.
Other reasons may include:
Genetics- various colors it's a lot of fun
Eggs (sushi quail eggs are none other than coturnix eggs)! Boiled, pickled, omelet ex..... its after all its just a smaller egg.
Meat- DELISHIOUS are ready for culling at 6 weeks in normal and 8 weeks in jumbo! All are dark meat except the A & M which was bred to be a whiter meat bird.
*Dog/puppy training, flush and retrieval training. Working on Bob birds for this reason, as they environmentally safe.
If your interested in raising the Coturnix quail please take the time to do some research on your own. This page was only to give a basic understanding of the quail. I can't tell you how annoying it is when you ask the basic of questions to what is the breeder only to get a blank stare of unknowing. Save yourself the embarrassment of being educated of the basic's! This should be applied to ANY new adventure you are looking into! I personally don't bother with these people , if you cant answer simple questions, how are they able to provide safe sound basic care ???? ( I asked a local guy advertising on Craigslist quail once, just what kind he had, HE HAD NO IDEA EVEN WHAT COLOR HE HAD! and after I told him there was more then one color, he just said I don't know here's a picture of what I have you tell me. He sent me a picture to figure it out myself, Yeah this is someone that I want to buy from............NOT!) I don't claim to know it all, but have done all basic research and beyond over the years ( and refreshed again all the time) There is always new information and other breeders experience to read up on. How can you provide proper care and development if you don't know even the basic's?????
If you want to breed good stock birds, you need to be able to ask questions and know your buying good stock, that can't be done when the person your looking to buy from has no idea what they even have!
