How to Care for Coturnix Quails

Originally kept in Asia as pets, Coturnix quails are now raised primarily for their richly flavored eggs and meat. Because they are smaller, quails are an alternative to chickens if you have limited space to raise livestock. Coturnix quails require daily maintenance and care, including specific housing and feeding requirements.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 by 4 lumbar
  • Chicken wire
  • Staple gun
  • Screw gun
  • Galvanized wood screws
  • Food and water troughs
  • Commercial game bird feed
  • Florescent lights
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Instructions

    • 1

      Estimate approximately 2 square feet per bird when preparing pens for your birds. You can build cages yourself, or you can purchase pre-fabricated cages intended specifically for quail. If you decide to construct the cages, arrange lengths of 4-by-4-foot lumber on the ground in a rectangle of appropriate dimensions for the number of birds you intend to house. Use a screw gun and galvanized wood screws to secure the frame. Dig a trench around the frame.

    • 2

      Attach vertical posts spaced two feet apart to the base. Cover the top with chicken wire, and fasten with staples and a staple gun. Attach the sides in the same manner, allowing the wire to protrude into the trench, and then backfill with dirt. Add additional reinforcement to the cages by attaching thin pieces of lumbar at the bottom of the enclosure, to the height of approximately 8 inches. This will prevent predation from hawks and other birds of prey.

    • 3

      Feed quail a prepared food intended for mature game birds, containing approximately 24 percent protein and 2.5 to 3 percent calcium. Coturnix quail consume between 14 and 18 grams of food per day, and drink approximately twice that amount, especially in hot conditions. Provide ample clean water in a trough with a length of at least 2.5 inches per quail. Place food and water troughs in a covered area in the cage to prevent overflow during rainy conditions.

    • 4

      Handle birds carefully and take care not to startle them. Quail are fragile and rough handling may injure or kill them. Keep the cage, water and food troughs scrupulously clean to prevent diseases. Using a disinfectant regularly will decrease incidence of sickness. If a bird becomes ill, quarantine it and visit a veterinarian.

    • 5

      Provide artificial lights to ensure maximum egg yield during the autumn, winter and spring months. Coturnix quail will produce the most eggs when provided with 14 to 18 hours of light a day. Collect eggs regularly and store them in the refrigerator.