How to Raise Quail in Texas

Quail is a popular game bird found in all parts of the United States. In Texas, the temperatures can range from extremely warm to freezing cold. These extreme temperatures can dictate how you raise your quail, whether its for the meat, hunting, or just for pleasure. Knowing the ins and outs of raising quail can help you provide the best environment for healthy and happy quail.

Things You'll Need

  • Quail feed
  • Food and water dishes
  • Water
  • Brooder
  • Quail pens
  • Soft quail litter
  • Incubator
  • Heat lamps
  • Nesting grounds
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Instructions

    • 1

      Obtain fertile quail eggs from a local breeder to get started. Preheat your incubator to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and 70 percent humidity. You will have to read the manual that came with your incubator to find out how to set the temperature and humidity. Place the eggs inside the incubator with the small end pointed down. If your incubator does not have an automatic egg rotater, then you must turn your eggs once a day 30 degrees to avoid the embryo growing to the side of the egg. Keep the incubator inside to promote healthy growing and hatching. Continue until your eggs hatch.

    • 2

      Move the hatchlings to a prepared brooder. Prepare the brooder by laying out soft litter for the chicks to lay in and keep warm. Spread out a small amount of starter quail feed for the baby quail, and a small bowl of water. Turn the humidity to 80 percent and set up the heat lamps to heat the brooder to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn the temperature down 5 degrees each week until you reach a comfortable room temperature, about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Again, keep the brooder inside while the chicks adjust to the Texas weather.

    • 3

      Build quail pens for the chicks. If you intend to breed them, make sure you have a section of the pen set aside for a nesting ground. Once the baby quail are used to the Texas weather in the brooder, you may put them in the quail pens. On cold nights and days, you may have to use a heat lamp to keep them warm or cover their pens with warm, opaque blankets, and set up heat lamps outside of the pens.

    • 4

      Continue feeding quail age-appropriate and purpose-appropriate food every day. Once they are full grown, then you can use them for their specific purpose.