Coturnix Quail Care Sheet
What are quail?
Quail are a small game fowl in the order Galliformes, along with chickens, pheasants, turkeys, and peafowl. Although there are several families of quail, coturnix belong to the old world quail family, Phasianidae.
How do I house quail?
Coturnix are generally kept in hutches or quail caging towers. These cages are usually not more than 18 inches tall (for the safety of the birds, because they can flush and hurt themselves) and at least 18 inches front to back, but range in length according to the keeper's plans for breeding or keeping. The highest cage in any rack should still be at a height where keepers can see inside without climbing a ladder, and the lowest should be at a level that is not inconvenient to see/reach inside of. These guidelines make caring for the birds easier, and good care more likely.
Quail can also be kept in an aviary environment, provided the ceiling is at least 6 feet tall. This allows them space to flush without hitting their heads. Aviaries can be nice for pets, but they are often more work to clean, and eggs can get lost/go rotten in them, so they are not ideal for production, or for places that experience intense weather. Aviary setups should include lots of cover for the birds to hide in/under, as they are often very open and open space can make the birds stressed. They should be built in a way that allows for cleaning, as the poop will remain on the ground where they can walk in it.
Caging can be made of most standard materials (wood, wire, plastic, metal), but there are so many different caging types that "what works best" is wholly dependent upon the keeper's preferences. You could have the most expensive caging in the world, but if it's a pain to clean and deters you from doing so, then it's worthless. The only major rule is that caging should be as safe as possible for the birds- wire they can stick their heads through means wire they can get stuck in or that predators can reach in through. Sharp raw wire ends are an injury hazard. Cages that can't be lit enough for them to get the light they need to lay won't work. Solid bottom cages are warmer, but require shavings or some other substrate that must be cleaned and disposed of on top of the waste created by the birds.
Here, I prefer to use homemade wood and wire caging towers outside for the adults, and guinea pig caging indoors for the babies. I prefer to be able to open the entire front of my cages, as it gives me easy access for cleaning and allows me to reach any bird in any part of the cage without having to lean into the cage around a barrier. I prefer using modified, solid-bottom J-feeders, to cut down on food waste. I prefer coated-wire bottoms in 1/2" size to allow droppings to pass through and ease stress on feet compared to uncoated wire, with trays underneath to catch droppings. I prefer to have an autowater system attached to the caging, so that I only have to fill a reservoir instead of bottles. I prefer 3-tier cages with rollout bottoms for adults, and flat bottomed grow out cages for young birds.
That said, I DO have an old hatching-time cage that we use to single-house extra males, to sex birds who cannot be sexed by feathers, to compare quality on our celadon layers, and to check old hens for continued laying. This allows me to see exactly which hen is laying what quality of egg and how often, and to hold onto the best ones for breeding, so we can offer high quality eggs for sale. It also gives me space to separate any bird that may be injured or ill, should the need arise. Hatching Time cages are good starting racks (if pricey), especially since they added removable dividers.
You can also thrift a "rack" fairly easily if you don't mine the aesthetic. A set of shelving from Menards (or similar store) that has adjustable shelf height + some guinea pig cages off Craigslist or Marketplace will do the trick. You can also use metal caging from places like Strombergs or Cutler Supply (they will be more expensive) set onto shelving, but be aware that since these kinds of cages are open on all sides, in the winter they will be drafty and the birds will require additional shelter from weather.
I will caution you against allowing quail onto raw ground (use thick substrate in aviaries), and against allowing them free range. Although they are considered domesticated because of how well adapted they are to living in caging in domestic settings, quail are not like chickens. They will leave if allowed free range (or get immediately eaten by hawks/cats/coyotes/literally everything). Giving them access to raw ground also means giving them free access to bacteria/viruses and parasites like lice, mites, worms, coccidia, etc. Treatment for these things affect the edibility of eggs and may in some cases mean a lifelong egg and meat withdrawal. Better to avoid the problem entirely, and keep them off the ground. You can instead offer them resting boards and/or dust bathing access.
Quail can also be kept in an aviary environment, provided the ceiling is at least 6 feet tall. This allows them space to flush without hitting their heads. Aviaries can be nice for pets, but they are often more work to clean, and eggs can get lost/go rotten in them, so they are not ideal for production, or for places that experience intense weather. Aviary setups should include lots of cover for the birds to hide in/under, as they are often very open and open space can make the birds stressed. They should be built in a way that allows for cleaning, as the poop will remain on the ground where they can walk in it.
Caging can be made of most standard materials (wood, wire, plastic, metal), but there are so many different caging types that "what works best" is wholly dependent upon the keeper's preferences. You could have the most expensive caging in the world, but if it's a pain to clean and deters you from doing so, then it's worthless. The only major rule is that caging should be as safe as possible for the birds- wire they can stick their heads through means wire they can get stuck in or that predators can reach in through. Sharp raw wire ends are an injury hazard. Cages that can't be lit enough for them to get the light they need to lay won't work. Solid bottom cages are warmer, but require shavings or some other substrate that must be cleaned and disposed of on top of the waste created by the birds.
Here, I prefer to use homemade wood and wire caging towers outside for the adults, and guinea pig caging indoors for the babies. I prefer to be able to open the entire front of my cages, as it gives me easy access for cleaning and allows me to reach any bird in any part of the cage without having to lean into the cage around a barrier. I prefer using modified, solid-bottom J-feeders, to cut down on food waste. I prefer coated-wire bottoms in 1/2" size to allow droppings to pass through and ease stress on feet compared to uncoated wire, with trays underneath to catch droppings. I prefer to have an autowater system attached to the caging, so that I only have to fill a reservoir instead of bottles. I prefer 3-tier cages with rollout bottoms for adults, and flat bottomed grow out cages for young birds.
That said, I DO have an old hatching-time cage that we use to single-house extra males, to sex birds who cannot be sexed by feathers, to compare quality on our celadon layers, and to check old hens for continued laying. This allows me to see exactly which hen is laying what quality of egg and how often, and to hold onto the best ones for breeding, so we can offer high quality eggs for sale. It also gives me space to separate any bird that may be injured or ill, should the need arise. Hatching Time cages are good starting racks (if pricey), especially since they added removable dividers.
You can also thrift a "rack" fairly easily if you don't mine the aesthetic. A set of shelving from Menards (or similar store) that has adjustable shelf height + some guinea pig cages off Craigslist or Marketplace will do the trick. You can also use metal caging from places like Strombergs or Cutler Supply (they will be more expensive) set onto shelving, but be aware that since these kinds of cages are open on all sides, in the winter they will be drafty and the birds will require additional shelter from weather.
I will caution you against allowing quail onto raw ground (use thick substrate in aviaries), and against allowing them free range. Although they are considered domesticated because of how well adapted they are to living in caging in domestic settings, quail are not like chickens. They will leave if allowed free range (or get immediately eaten by hawks/cats/coyotes/literally everything). Giving them access to raw ground also means giving them free access to bacteria/viruses and parasites like lice, mites, worms, coccidia, etc. Treatment for these things affect the edibility of eggs and may in some cases mean a lifelong egg and meat withdrawal. Better to avoid the problem entirely, and keep them off the ground. You can instead offer them resting boards and/or dust bathing access.
What do I feed adult quail?
The short answer is a crumble or mini-pellet feed that is 22-24% protein, 2.6-2.7% calcium, and 0.35-0.4% phosphorous. Scientific studies on all those values are at the links provided.
The slightly longer answer is: hardly anyone currently makes a quail-specific feed, so you will almost certainly be doing mixing or buying the closest match and supplementing as needed. Personally, we feed a 50-50 mix of 28% turkey starter crumble from Belstra and 16% layer crumble from Kalmbach. Any mix that gets you close to the above values in the linked studies will do, and the birds are fairly tolerant of variation in diet.
DO NOT feed Purina/Layena/Nutrena/Dumor/Producer's Pride (these are all Purina or milled by the same people, Cargill). Purina is well known for offering poor quality fowl feeds that often lead to organ damage (particularly liver), and often lead to reduced or ceased laying. If you are feeding this and having problems, stop feeding this and feed something better, and chances are good the problem will go away.
The slightly longer answer is: hardly anyone currently makes a quail-specific feed, so you will almost certainly be doing mixing or buying the closest match and supplementing as needed. Personally, we feed a 50-50 mix of 28% turkey starter crumble from Belstra and 16% layer crumble from Kalmbach. Any mix that gets you close to the above values in the linked studies will do, and the birds are fairly tolerant of variation in diet.
DO NOT feed Purina/Layena/Nutrena/Dumor/Producer's Pride (these are all Purina or milled by the same people, Cargill). Purina is well known for offering poor quality fowl feeds that often lead to organ damage (particularly liver), and often lead to reduced or ceased laying. If you are feeding this and having problems, stop feeding this and feed something better, and chances are good the problem will go away.
How do I water quail?
You can use a standard quail waterer quart or gallon jug, or use water bottles (either with a tube and ball or with an open reservoir), or set up an autowater system. Quail are VERY messy about their water, and will get food in it regardless of how far away you put the water from the feed. Whatever kind of waterer you choose, be prepared to clean it out partly/completely (or check it at least) daily, to prevent bacterial infestations.
How do I care for babies?
Hatch to ~5 days old: Solid sided brooder, with a heat LAMP, not a heat plate. The heat plates do not adequately heat the brooder space, and baby quail chill extremely easily. Chilling is the #1 killer of baby quail. When using a heat lamp, you will need to a) plug it into a WALL SOCKET not an extension cord, b) provide 2+ points of securing the lamp- DO NOT expect the clamp will hold on it's own. Zip tie it in place, and give it a catch chain to hang it if it somehow detaches from the first method of securing it. Check the bulb DAILY to ensure that it has not come loose, and is not dirty. Be aware that any heating element can malfunction, any wiring can fail- I have seen even heat plates melt and catch fire, so ANY time you are heating animals, you want to be as safe as you can about it.
You will want to provide water in a quail waterer base with a quart jar. Do not mess around trying to jury rig the waterer- no chicken waterer bases, no bowls, no plates- use a quail waterer base like the one linked. It's made specifically to allow them to drink from it without being able to drown in it or get into it to get wet and chill to death. The quail waterer base looks a LOT like the chicken waterer base, but you can see in the graphic below, the quail one has a very small lip- you should barely be able to fit a fingertip into that lip. This means a coturnix quail chick won't necessarily be able to fit their head in. This quail base is for a quart jar, and the second image is a gallon waterer with the same quail lip.
You will want to provide water in a quail waterer base with a quart jar. Do not mess around trying to jury rig the waterer- no chicken waterer bases, no bowls, no plates- use a quail waterer base like the one linked. It's made specifically to allow them to drink from it without being able to drown in it or get into it to get wet and chill to death. The quail waterer base looks a LOT like the chicken waterer base, but you can see in the graphic below, the quail one has a very small lip- you should barely be able to fit a fingertip into that lip. This means a coturnix quail chick won't necessarily be able to fit their head in. This quail base is for a quart jar, and the second image is a gallon waterer with the same quail lip.
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(<5 days continued) For food, you will want JUST a 26-30% game bird starter, unmedicated, with no extras.* The "medication" in medicated feed is a thiamine inhibitor called amprolium, and quail need the vitamin b it restricts. The parents likely were not on raw ground, and your chicks shouldn't be on raw ground, so there's little risk of coccidia (the thing amprolium treats)- even if they happen to show signs, dosing their water for treatment is a better option. You will need to buzz the crumbles into powder in a food processor of some kind, to ensure the particles are small enough for the babies to eat. Some people get by not doing this, but it is easier to just do it if you're new.
*Here, I add a little chili powder and a handful of suet nuggets (berry flavor) to my chick feed when I grind it. This is not necessary, but I like giving them the extra calories from the suet for the first few days, and there was a study done which suggested chili powder can help feed conversion ratio in broilers, and it seems to at least make the feed tastier, so the fresh babies seem to do better with it.
5-18 days old: Same waterer, but you can raise it off the shavings so they don't get it as dirty as fast. You can start grinding the feed less, and should no longer have to grind it at all by around 10 days old. You can start raising the heat lamp, and they should be able to handle indoor temperatures without heat lamp by around 16-18 days old.
18-28 days: They can be off heat at this age, eating crumbles with no grinding, and using a raised waterer. You can introduce whatever watering system you're going to use for them as adults. By 28 days, unless there is something wrong, they should be fine to be outside, even in freezing temperatures.
*Here, I add a little chili powder and a handful of suet nuggets (berry flavor) to my chick feed when I grind it. This is not necessary, but I like giving them the extra calories from the suet for the first few days, and there was a study done which suggested chili powder can help feed conversion ratio in broilers, and it seems to at least make the feed tastier, so the fresh babies seem to do better with it.
5-18 days old: Same waterer, but you can raise it off the shavings so they don't get it as dirty as fast. You can start grinding the feed less, and should no longer have to grind it at all by around 10 days old. You can start raising the heat lamp, and they should be able to handle indoor temperatures without heat lamp by around 16-18 days old.
18-28 days: They can be off heat at this age, eating crumbles with no grinding, and using a raised waterer. You can introduce whatever watering system you're going to use for them as adults. By 28 days, unless there is something wrong, they should be fine to be outside, even in freezing temperatures.
Are quail cold/heat tolerant?
Coturnix quail are more cold tolerant than they are heat tolerant. They do fine in Michigan winters outside with no heat, provided you can ensure they have unfrozen waters, and are protected from wind/rain/snow. They are less able to survive intense heat, and will at least need shade, if not other cooling methods (like misting) if it gets too hot.
How long do quail live/lay for?
Coturnix quail can live up to around 6 years, but average closer to 3 years. They are usually "done" laying by the time they are 2 years old- they may lay sporadically after that, but it will not be nearly the same as their first year.
If you intend to start breeding, plan to replace breeders yearly or bi-yearly, and to check second-season hens for laying; hens that lay more for longer should be kept on a second season, to give longevity in laying to your flock. You can check for laying quality by separating a hen by herself for a week, and noting the number and quality of the eggs she lays. Compare to the rest of the birds in your breeding group by doing this for every hen once a year at the end of breeding season, and cull the lower/worse half of the hens. Keep the other half on for a second year, or even a third if the hen is still laying well. Over time, your flock's productivity longevity will improve, providing you make sure you hatch and keep some from your better/longer layers.
If you intend to start breeding, plan to replace breeders yearly or bi-yearly, and to check second-season hens for laying; hens that lay more for longer should be kept on a second season, to give longevity in laying to your flock. You can check for laying quality by separating a hen by herself for a week, and noting the number and quality of the eggs she lays. Compare to the rest of the birds in your breeding group by doing this for every hen once a year at the end of breeding season, and cull the lower/worse half of the hens. Keep the other half on for a second year, or even a third if the hen is still laying well. Over time, your flock's productivity longevity will improve, providing you make sure you hatch and keep some from your better/longer layers.
How do I butcher quail, and at what age?
Science has actually studied coturnix quail growth and butcher ages! Generally speaking, if you are raising birds for the purpose of butchering them (as opposed to butchering older quail who are no longer producing), you should expect to process them at around 6 weeks for males, and 8 weeks for hens. Afterward, they do not add significant meat weight. This is because 6-8 weeks is when their bodies switch from focusing on growing to focusing on reproduction. You can wait longer, obviously, but your expense to feed vs weight gain significantly decreases past 6 weeks, especially for males.
For butchering, this is a good video on how to process them from living to whole carcass (skinned). You can also use hot water to boil/pluck a bird if you want to keep the skin, but it's faster and easier not to, and the skin does not significantly add anything to the bird when cooking, in my opinion. There are quail-specific pluckers that are gentler than chicken pluckers, but they have mixed results, and you will still be plucking some parts of them by hand.
For butchering, this is a good video on how to process them from living to whole carcass (skinned). You can also use hot water to boil/pluck a bird if you want to keep the skin, but it's faster and easier not to, and the skin does not significantly add anything to the bird when cooking, in my opinion. There are quail-specific pluckers that are gentler than chicken pluckers, but they have mixed results, and you will still be plucking some parts of them by hand.
Are Celadon quail a different breed?
Nope! Celdon quail are coturnix quail who are homozygous for the celadon gene. Birds carrying a single copy of the gene are heterozygous celadon. To be called Celadon, they MUST be homozygous.
What is the Celadon gene?
Many people mistakenly believe that the celadon gene "turns quail eggs blue"- this isn't the case! The ce gene actually reduces the amount of a pigment called "protoporphyrin" applied to the outside of the shell! This pigment is a red pigment that appears brown to us, and is responsible for the "splotchy" look on normal coturnix eggs. Once reduced or removed, the natural shell color can be seen. Coturnix naturally have variation in the amount of biliverdin (a green pigment) in their shell color that ranges from pale (almost) white to blue to green, but it's usually only visible on the inside of the eggs. Removing the protoporphyrin coating allows us to see the true color of the shell!
Can hens without the celadon gene lay blue?
Yes! In fact, many folks in Australia - which does not have the celadon gene- find that they can breed birds that lay blue shells with splotching over them. This is because the biliverdin pigment is separate from the protoporphyrin pigment.
There are also instances where a normal hen lays a clean "blue" egg (or green, or white) as a one-off instance. In this case, her shell gland "forgot" the outer coating. This is usually a fluke, not a difference in the genome.
Read more about egg coloration!
There are also instances where a normal hen lays a clean "blue" egg (or green, or white) as a one-off instance. In this case, her shell gland "forgot" the outer coating. This is usually a fluke, not a difference in the genome.
Read more about egg coloration!
Can a hen change the color of egg she lays?
As noted above, they can sometimes lay a weird egg, but on a permanent basis, hens do not change the color of egg they lay. If they lay brown eggs, they will lay brown their whole lives. If they lay blue eggs, they will lay blue eggs their whole lives. They will not permanently switch from one to the other. Shell color is, to some degree, a heritable trait, however it's difficult to pick for shell color when the males contribute genes for it, but don't lay eggs to pick from.
Do you sell culls?
I'm going to let you in on a little secret: every bird you will ever in your lifetime buy from a breeder is a cull. That's because the term "cull" does not mean "garbage/bad bird," it means "an animal removed from the breeding pool." If a breeder had the single most perfect bird in the entire world, and sold it to someone else, that bird would still be a cull, because it was removed from that breeder's breeding pool. Every bird any breeder sells is a cull, because that breeder will not be breeding it (at all or anymore).
This decision can be based on any number of completely harmless factors! Maybe the bird is the wrong color, or the wrong sex. Maybe we already had enough to breed with, maybe more hatched than expected so we're making space. And yes, obviously, breeders (us included) are going to act in their (and your) best interests, and hold back the best of the best to continue breeding with. That is how a breeder's stock improves, and that improvement is passed on over time to buyers like you. What you do NOT want to do is buy from a breeder who never does that- because chances are good that their breeding stock isn't good, if they aren't keeping back the best to use.
Allow me to give you an example of what I mean, using my old CEX line. The CEX line parents are all het EB pattern het celadon birds. Of their offspring, 75% will be EB (het or homo), and I'm trying to breed pharaoh pattern, so I don't need any EB pattern birds. All of those birds are culls for being the wrong color, but there's nothing wrong with them if someone does want EB birds. Of the 25% of the OG hatch group left, 50% will be males. I do not need males, so all of them are culls for being the wrong sex, but there's nothing wrong with them for someone that wants males. Of the 12.5% of the OG hatch group left, 75% of them (all hens) will lay wild color (brown) eggs. I am using this line to get celadons, so I do not need any brown egg layers. All of these birds are culls for laying the wrong color egg, but there's nothing wrong with them for someone that wants brown eggs. If the original hatch had been 100 birds, I would be left with 3, MAYBE 4 birds (if I'm lucky) that I can use (if they are sound birds of otherwise good quality). There are 97 other perfectly fine birds that I can't use, and therefore they are all "culls" from my breeding pool. There is nothing wrong with being EB, being a rooster, or laying a brown egg. These are culls, but they are not bad birds. However, if I'm trying to breed to get roux pharaoh celadon hens, those 97 birds are also just not useful to me, and that is when they get soft culled for sale or hard culled to be frozen feeders.
And that is the difference between a soft cull (removing the bird from the breeding pool alive) and a hard cull (removing the bird from the breeding pool via death). A good breeder will not be selling live birds that should be hard culls. Hard culls are things like deformities, failure to thrive, behavioral issues like aggression, illnesses, or similar, and these birds can have uses still (we sell healthy hard culls as feeders, donate healthy hard culls as feeders to a local wildlife rescue, and give culled birds that are cosmetically unsuitable for sale to our local murder of crows... we haven't had ill birds yet, but we would dispose of those responsibly). Soft culls are generally birds that are perfectly fine and healthy, just not suitable for the breeder's needs. They may still suit someone else's needs just fine!
So yes, we do sell our soft culls. And they're good birds! Just not what we need for our projects or breeding cages.
This decision can be based on any number of completely harmless factors! Maybe the bird is the wrong color, or the wrong sex. Maybe we already had enough to breed with, maybe more hatched than expected so we're making space. And yes, obviously, breeders (us included) are going to act in their (and your) best interests, and hold back the best of the best to continue breeding with. That is how a breeder's stock improves, and that improvement is passed on over time to buyers like you. What you do NOT want to do is buy from a breeder who never does that- because chances are good that their breeding stock isn't good, if they aren't keeping back the best to use.
Allow me to give you an example of what I mean, using my old CEX line. The CEX line parents are all het EB pattern het celadon birds. Of their offspring, 75% will be EB (het or homo), and I'm trying to breed pharaoh pattern, so I don't need any EB pattern birds. All of those birds are culls for being the wrong color, but there's nothing wrong with them if someone does want EB birds. Of the 25% of the OG hatch group left, 50% will be males. I do not need males, so all of them are culls for being the wrong sex, but there's nothing wrong with them for someone that wants males. Of the 12.5% of the OG hatch group left, 75% of them (all hens) will lay wild color (brown) eggs. I am using this line to get celadons, so I do not need any brown egg layers. All of these birds are culls for laying the wrong color egg, but there's nothing wrong with them for someone that wants brown eggs. If the original hatch had been 100 birds, I would be left with 3, MAYBE 4 birds (if I'm lucky) that I can use (if they are sound birds of otherwise good quality). There are 97 other perfectly fine birds that I can't use, and therefore they are all "culls" from my breeding pool. There is nothing wrong with being EB, being a rooster, or laying a brown egg. These are culls, but they are not bad birds. However, if I'm trying to breed to get roux pharaoh celadon hens, those 97 birds are also just not useful to me, and that is when they get soft culled for sale or hard culled to be frozen feeders.
And that is the difference between a soft cull (removing the bird from the breeding pool alive) and a hard cull (removing the bird from the breeding pool via death). A good breeder will not be selling live birds that should be hard culls. Hard culls are things like deformities, failure to thrive, behavioral issues like aggression, illnesses, or similar, and these birds can have uses still (we sell healthy hard culls as feeders, donate healthy hard culls as feeders to a local wildlife rescue, and give culled birds that are cosmetically unsuitable for sale to our local murder of crows... we haven't had ill birds yet, but we would dispose of those responsibly). Soft culls are generally birds that are perfectly fine and healthy, just not suitable for the breeder's needs. They may still suit someone else's needs just fine!
So yes, we do sell our soft culls. And they're good birds! Just not what we need for our projects or breeding cages.
My god there's so much poo, what do you do with it?
Giant compost pile. Compost it with wood shavings or straw, and/or start yourself some quail poop soup buckets. QPS is just a scoop of poop put into a 5g bucket of water, and fermented for a couple days before spreading it evenly over your lawn or garden as fertilizer. Offer it to neighbors! Join some local gardening groups. Invest in a worm farm. You'll have to discover what works best for you. Good luck, godspeed.