We began raising Coturnix quail in the fall of 2021. Our main goal was to replace store-bought eggs & at the time chickens weren’t a great option for us. We loved that just about anyone can raise Coturnix quail since they are not regulated the same way as traditional poultry. That coupled with their small size makes them great for the smallest backyard or even a patio we knew we needed to raise them & spread the word about them in our area where most people can’t have chicken.
Housing
Coturnix require a completely enclosed habitat less than 24 inches tall or more than 6 feet tall for safety. While quail can’t fly they do flush, which means they can easily escape & they will NOT come home like chickens.
We have a few types of enclosures- The Condo, The Aviary with added Condo, The Guy’s Cabin & The Hospital.
Each enclosure serves a purpose in our suburban breeding program. We try to give as many of our quail access to the earth as possible & when not possible we prefer to keep them on a non-wire surface. Condos floors are covered with pine shaving bedding.
Sexual Maturity
Coturnix incubate for 16-21 days. Then they require a brooder for 4-6 weeks depending on your climate. Here in Arizona, our babies are out of the brooder by 4 weeks easily.
Quail reach sexual maturity & begin laying eggs as early as 6 weeks but can take as long as 12 weeks (chicken take 6-9 months!)
Males begin crowing around 6-9 weeks. Their crow is more similar to the thrilling sound a wild bird makes than an actual cock-a-doodle-do. This quiet factor allows even suburban & urban homesteaders to keep roos for breeding, although a bunch of boys can be a little loud.
Male-Female Ratios
Coturnix can become incredibly aggressive if kept at the wrong male to female ratio. 1 male to 4-6 females for breeding groups is what works best for us. You can also house 1 male with more than six females but the fertility of your eggs could be low.
We have had success housing just males together in a bachelor pad type setting & a large covey of females is usually always an easy choice.
Colors
Coturnix come in a wide variety of colors ranging from black to white & brown and shades of grey. The science behind color genetics is mind-blowing. While we love science, color breeding is more of an art to me, mixing colors to see what magic happens.
Eggs
A quail hen lays on average an egg per day. An egg requires both a hen & a rooster to make it fertile for hatching. Coturnix are not known for going broody so it’s best to use an incubator to hatch eggs. Quail also tend to lay where ever they feel like rather than in a nesting box like chicken. Which makes for a fun egg hunt every day.
Some Coturnix carry a gene that causes them to lay blue eggs. This gene is called celadon. The blue can range in shade too! Quail without the gene lay eggs that are shades of tan & brown with speckles.
I could talk for days about raising Coturnix. They have truly brought our family so much joy & I can’t wait to share what we learn. Have questions about raising Coturnix? I’d love to hear from you, Let’s Chat!
