Quail make great pets. You can tame them, they're wonderful to watch, they lay eggs and can also be kept for meat. When it comes to choosing the perfect quail for you, you should choose a healthy, active and happy quail which is cared for properly. You can learn the basics of a healthy, standard quail by reading below.
Steps
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Research your local laws and regulations. There is a common disagreement in which category quail come under. Some states consider quail livestock, while other consider them game-bird or aviary birds. Depending on which act they are under, it may be difficult gaining authorization to keep quail in your home. Suburban areas may have stricter rules and approaches on how to keep quail, while rural areas are more lenient.
- They aren't as large or as noisy as chickens, but male quails' still make a lot of vocal and consistent verbal cues that could annoy your neighbours if they are placed to close to your fence-line.
- While quail may not be banned in your area, your council could still have some strict rules that dictate how your look after your quail. This includes how many quail you can keep, and what housing requirements you need.
- If you're in a rental home, it's important to notify your landlord that you are keeping quail. You may have to place a pet deposit down, and could be fined if your landlord is unaware.
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Budget your money. Quail are inexpensive and easy pets to look after, however, they still cost money and come with a few monthly expenses. This includes money towards their food, bedding, cleaning supplies, and housing system. Don't forget that they also require a lot of your time and attention.Advertisement
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Consider the purpose of your quail. Whether you are raising your quail for eggs, meat, and breeding or as a simple pet, there are various breeds depending on which purpose you choose.
- Coturnix quail are the best starter breed, as they are easy to care for. Also, jumbo coturnix lay big eggs.
- Button quail make great pets but they lay little eggs that most people wouldn't consider worth eating due to the small size. Though they are great breeders and some have bright and colourful feathers that are great for show.
- Bobwhite quail are a common kept quail breed and normally kept for breeding or meat. They are also fun birds to look after and can be tamed.
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Decide whether you would like baby chicks, or adult quail. You can purchase fertile eggs to incubate your own batch of chicks, or you can purchase day-old chicks from a breeder. If you'd like eggs as soon as possible, purchase six week old pullets. This way you will also be able to determine the sex of your quail.
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Find out where you can purchase healthy quail in your area. You can normally buy quail from a breeder, online or possibly from a local pet shop.
- Keep in mind that you should always purchase from a reliable breeder or pet shop. It's also good to know how to tell the difference between healthy and unwell quail.
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Consider buying at least two quail. Quails' are social birds that will easily get lonely, which is why they are much happier when housed with a friend. Even if you plan on interacting with your quail quite frequently, your quail cannot communicate to you the same way they communicate in a flock.
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Set up the home of the quail before you bring them home. Whilst quail have a large choice of housing such as rabbit hutches, rodent cages and bantam runs, they do have a few requirements, but after setting up the housing you can bring your quail home!
- Each quail should have at least one square foot of floor space or more, depending how much you can or want to give them. Remember, the bigger the cage, the happier the quails!
- Place bedding in the quail's home. Most bedding materials are suitable to quail, but they do need hay or straw to make nests with.
- Provide a water container and a feeder for your quail. Fill the feeder with a high-quality feed, and supply fresh and clean water ready for your quail to come home.
- Place a few extra items in the housing for your quail such as hamster huts, plants and a sand tub. After this, your quail is sure to be happy!
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Make sure the quail you are choosing are healthy and happy. If you are going to care for quail the last thing you want to do is go through the trouble of caring for an ill quail and trying to raise it back to health. Some tips on telling which quail is healthy and which quail is not can be seen below:
- The quail shouldn't be huddled up. If it is so, this means that the quail is too cold or sick.
- The quail should have clear and alert eyes. If the quails eyes are cloudy or dull, then the quail has something wrong with it.
- The quail should be active. Quail are cautious and curious creatures that should also be quite afraid of you, unless tamed. The only time quail should be asleep is when it is night time, or when the room is very dark.
- The quail shouldn't be panting. If this happens, this means that the quail is hot or is dehydrated.
- The quail shouldn't be sluggish or slow. Unless the quail is sleeping in the night (or the room is dark) they should be moving at a normal pace and very awake.
- The quail should have feathers on its back, neck and body. If the quail doesn't have feathers on its back, neck or body it means they are stressed or have been fighting. Keep in mind that if the quails are bald on their heads this doesn't mean they have been fighting or are stressed, it also means they have been mating which is mostly common during the mating season.
- The quail should be free of mites. Mites are little black bugs that live on quails. They are usually seen on the head or under the wings. If the quails have mites it means they aren't cared for properly or the cage isn't cleaned out often.
- The quail shouldn't be bleeding, injured or moving funnily. This means the breeder is obviously very bad at taking care of quail and doesn't pay attention to them very much. Also, you don't want to buy an injured quail that moves funnily.
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Observe the housing of the quail. The bedding, housing and feed and water bowl should be clean. The quail should also be fed a high-quality feed and the water should be clean and clear.
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Place the quails you have purchased in their home. Keep in mind that each quail needs at least one square foot of floor space, and males shouldn't be kept together due to fighting. They also need time to settle in, so if you don't get any eggs from your hens and the quails chase each over now and then, this is all natural and should soon be over in about a week or two.Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow soon do I need to feed baby quails after hatching in an incubator?Amy HarrisonTop AnswererProvide food and water for your chicks an hour after birth.
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Tips
- Quail don't do well with open cages on all sides, as they like corners to run to when frightened. They can also get stressed and frightened easily if they have no cover on the top of their cage, as many of their prey grab them from above.Thanks
- Make sure your quails home provides shelter from the wind, rain, hail and snow. It should also be cool during the summer and warm during the winter.Thanks
- Quails will fly away when frightened or if they have escaped. To prevent this problem, it is best to clip their wings.Thanks
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Warnings
- Because quail have such small feet, they don't do so well with wire floor grids as their feet; they can slip through the gaps and cause discomfort and possible injury.Thanks
- Try not to house more than one male quail together, as they can seriously injure or kill each over.Thanks
- For bedding, do not use cedar shavings, cat litter, ground walnut shells or corn cob, as these contain toxins and may kill the quail.Thanks
- Do not feed quail avocados, tomato stems, parsley or rhubarb. Such foods are toxic to them.Thanks
- Don't give quail a deep water bowl, as they can fall in and possibly drown.Thanks
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