In the first part of this interview, I introduced you to Jessi from Epic Quailblog and Marcy from High Lonesome Homestead, who were both kind enough to answer some questions for me. Marcy is a busy homeschooler and homesteader and offered very brief answers; Jessi went into some serious detail. So much so that I’ve divided this interview into three parts.
I recommend that you start with Part 1.
Now, for part 2:
AS: What kind of setup would you recommend for a household that wanted the equivalent of a dozen chicken eggs each week? How many quail, and what size cage would that require?
EQ: If the average size of a medium to large chicken egg is about 60g and the average size of a typical jumbo variety of quail is 12-13g, it would take 5 or 6 quail eggs to make the equivalent of one chicken egg. Quail are very regular and prolific layers, often laying well over 300 eggs in 365 days – out-doing most heritage breed chickens in egg production and right up there with your high-producing white leghorn. A dozen quail hens under the right conditions could be relied upon to give you about 9-12 eggs per day which would be the approximate equivalent of a dozen chicken eggs [per week]. Quail are like chickens in that they slow egg production during their molt, but they don’t seem to slow down as dramatically as chickens. They will typically lay almost as well in their second year as their first, so if egg production is what you’re aiming for, it is worthwhile to keep your layers for 2 years. Because they reproduce and mature so quickly, though, it is not unreasonable to replace layers with younger stock every year.
If a person wanted to keep a dozen hens with 2 roosters for egg fertility, your ideal model for a cage would be 14 square feet. It can be any dimension, but they tend to prefer long cages for more running room. A 2’ x 7’ cage would provide them with plenty of space. If your availability of space is very limited, you can pack them a little tighter, but you may find that your birds will be a little testier with one another, especially the roosters. It is certainly easier to pack birds into a smaller space when they are all hens that have been raised together.
Coturnix quail do not utilize vertical space much and they do not perch. It is usually recommended that the height of their cage not exceed 12 inches because of their tendency to explode upwards when startled or feeling frisky. By doing this they can break their necks on plywood or stiff wire if given enough space to wind up. I like to use corrugated plastic on the ceilings as it has a little bit of bend to it and is less likely to cut their heads than wire.
HLH: To get the equivalent of a dozen eggs, you need about 60 quail eggs a week. Nine or ten birds would be sufficient to meet that.
AS: Chickens like to lay their eggs in nesting boxes, but I’ve not seen any mention of nesting boxes for quail. Where do they lay their eggs?
EQ: Quail do use nest boxes, but not as diligently as chickens. They prefer their boxes to be at ground level, unlike chickens who tend to prefer them up a little higher. Hay or wood shavings make ideal bedding. They will also lay their eggs in sand boxes. It is not unusual for them to lay eggs wherever they happen to be when the time comes, though. This is why it can be easier to keep them in smaller cages than big runs.
HLH: Wherever they happen to be. If they are on [slanted] wire, the eggs roll to the front. Otherwise they will walk all over the eggs, dirtying them or breaking them. If you are raising birds for eggs, wire is the only way to go. We use 1/2″ x 1/2″ wire on the floor.
Image: Epic Quailblog
AS: What about keeping quail outside on an urban lot or apartment patio? Obviously they’d need protection from predators, but are there different considerations for keeping quail outdoors? Do they need supplemental heat during the cold months?
EQ: You might be able to keep a small handful of quail, say 6 or less, on an apartment patio, but your neighbors would have to be okay with it. I don’t think they create enough noise and mess to cause a disturbance in that regard, but many people have pre-conceived ideas about poultry and will not hesitate to file a complaint just because the mere idea of the neighbor having birds disturbs them. A budgie or cockatiel hanging it its cage outside on a summer day creates a lot more noise than half a dozen quail, but seems more acceptable in some people’s eyes.
The closer your neighbors are, the more crucial it is for you to keep them spotlessly clean and tidy and well taken care of. This means keeping your setup presentable as well. Quail don’t care if your pen is made from upcycled old pallets and scrap lumber sitting under a tarp, but to your neighbors it might look like an unsightly pile of junk and cause them more reason to make a complaint. If you have a small lot, it is best to keep your quail setup out of direct sight of your neighbors – you shouldn’t feel the need to hide them and keep them a secret (unless you know you have very testy neighbors!) but sometimes people who do not have poultry may not understand what they are seeing. Some people might see birds in a wire cage and think it abusive because they don’t know the reason for it. Also, if you have to cull or butcher your birds, it’s best not to have an audience as someone might not want to see that outside their kitchen window. Keeping a barrier between your setup and your neighbors in the form of a hedge or solid fence also acts as a sound buffer.
Quail are very hardy in low temperatures. They can handle temperatures down to -20 F in the winter as long as they are well protected from wind, rain, and snow and have plenty of bedding. Larger numbers fare better in colder temperatures because they pile up together and share body heat to stay warm. A 100w bulb or heat lamp can be used to provide extra heat, but it should be placed in an enclosed area so that the heat does not go to waste. When I lived in colder temperatures I had a 24×24 inch plywood house attached to my quail run that had two 40 or 60w bulbs in it. Some of the birds would huddle in here on cold nights, but even with this available a lot of the birds chose to sleep in hay filled boxes outside. Covering your cage with corrugated plastic during the winter will help keep the wind off. Better yet, move the cage to a garden shed or greenhouse during the winter if it is small enough. Moisture and wind will do more damage to your birds than the cold itself. I actually found that keeping the water thawed was the biggest challenge of keeping quail in sub-zero temperatures. Little Giant now puts out a heated poultry waterer that I have used with success.
Predation is another consideration when raising outdoors. All wire must be ½ inch hardware cloth and no larger. Raccoons are notorious for reaching through chicken wire and pulling the heads off of quail at night. Weasels can also fit through 1 inch mesh and will decimate a flock of quail overnight. Foxes and coyotes can rip through chicken wire easily. I even had a fox go beneath the cage and grab the toes of the birds standing on the wire and pull their legs right off. Roaming dogs can do damage to pens and scare birds literally to death. Ravens and crows can also reach into cages with larger wire and harass birds. I would recommend having a solid wood coop attached to the cage that you can herd your quail into at night and lock them up for their own safety.
Disease and parasite infections are not usually a problem if the birds are kept on wire. If you choose to keep your quail in ground pens, a movable pen is best so you can move the pen to a clean area every day, and keep them in a dry area. Do not encourage wild birds to come near your quail pen.
Watch for part three next week!
Jessi Lynn Bell is 27 years old and currently lives in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada. She has been raising quail for thirteen years. She is an advocate of humane agriculture, sustainable living, and outdoor stewardship, and a Registered Animal Health Technologist out of Thompson Rivers University. Epic Quailblog was created 2 years ago when she built an incubator and hatched some quail for her university class.
Marcy from High Lonesome Homestead raises quail for eggs and meat. She writes about her experiences raising quail both on her blog and at Lilly White Farm.
The post Raising Quail for Eggs: The Perfect Solution for Urban Homesteaders – Part Two appeared first on Attainable Sustainable.