2025 Coturnix Quail
Our Coturix Quail hatched between February 17th and March 3rd and will be just under 7 weeks to nearly 5 weeks of age by our first Hen Sale. Our quail are an assortment of colors, largely “standard sized” and most apt to lay brown speckled eggs. Color sexing varities are favored for male and female selection. We cannot guarantee specific color varities.
Quail will be availible for the first two weekends of Hen Sales.
- All quail must be picked up by Saturday April 19th by 2 p.m.
Coturnix Quail also known as Japanese Quail are a small domesticated bird that matures rapidly and requires little in relation to feed and space, though more is appreciated. Between 6 to 8 weeks of age hens start laying small eggs with extra males being ready to be processed. We tend to affectionately refer to them as “potatoes”.
By 4 weeks of age they are fully feathered and can be gradually introduced outside. Certain color varieties can be sexed by color starting at three weeks of age while others can be vent-foam checked around 8 weeks of age. With their quick growth and quick metabolism they benefit from a higher protein feed; 28% game bird feed for the first 6-8 weeks. Feed fed to laying chickens can be used but, for the best egg production a chick starter, 20 % protein diet can be fed . Supplemental calcium should be offered as hens come into production.
Eggs vary in the degree of speckling with the majority being creamy brown with darker patches. Special quail with the celadon gene, lay blueish eggs. Their eggs are about a quarter of the size of the average chicken egg and thus for every chicken egg one would eat they should plan for 4 quail eggs. Hens often do not use nest boxes but, favor more secluded spots.
For quail raised on the floor we allot 1 square foot per bird at maturity. One can keep 3-4 quail hens in the space, they could keep one chicken though added space is appreciated. Like chickens, quail are sensitive to light changes and come fall and winter when the sun sets sooner, egg production decreases and hens often molt. Coturnix quail do not home like chickens and should be kept confined.
Quail are easy to process. Their meat is darker in color with little fat. Coturnix quail may be used for dog hunting and retrieving training.
Quail are sometimes kept with pigeons and other small birds in aviaries, they are ground birds and clean up spilled seeds. The keeping of quail with large fowl chickens is controversial due to the drastic size difference potentially resulting in casualties. We have kept them with chickens in the past but they had a divided area that was only accessible to them with their own supplemental feeder and water though they spent most of their time underfoot.