FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: What do quails eat?
A: Our chicks are fed game bird starter crumbles supplemented with extra protein and vitamins mixes.
Adults are fed gamebird layer crumbles with extra protein mix offered. Gamebird feeds can be purchased at your local stockfeed store.
We also supplement calcium for laying hens (you can feed their egg shells back to them. Bake them in the oven to dry then blend or crush and sprinkle over their feed. Do not do this for shop eggs).

All our birds are offered fresh greens and vegetables (corn is a favourite treat). They also enjoy crickets and mealworms (you can buy these at store such as City Farmers). Small snails and insects may be offered from the garden as long as you do not use poisons in your yard. Coturnix are also particularly fond of leafy green weeds and vegetables.

Q: How do I make my quails friendlier?
A: Hand feeding your quails their favourite treats will make them much friendlier toward you. The more time you spend with them the more tame they will become. Avoid looming over them as this scares them.

Keep in mind too many treats can be bad for your quails - mealworms may be nice but are also are quite high in fat.
Mealworm nutritional information: Protein: 20% Fat: 13%  Fibre: 2% Water: 62%

Q: What kind of cage should I buy for my quails?
A: The cage you need depends on the number of birds you want to keep and how/where you are going to keep them.
There are many cages suitable for keeping quails, they are easy birds to keep and they do not require a lot of attention. Think of them as tiny chickens.

Cages should provide shelter from wind and rain. It is important that coturnix do not get very wet and chilled. They have some water proofing on their feathers but try not to let them sit out in the rain all night. Coturnix require an enclosed pen as they can fly upward when startled. Also note that your cage roof may require padding to prevent head-boinking when birds are startled. If you find your birds are hitting the roof you can buy 1 inch sheet foam from Clarke Rubber and attach it to the ceiling to lessen the blow.


Q: Will my quail roost at night?
A: Coturnix do not perch nor do they have an instinct to roost at night. They like to sleep out in the open where they can see predators. If you are using a chicken pen for your quail, installing a solar spotlight inside the coop will encourage them to go in to the coop at night. When the light runs out they will stay in there and sleep. If your coop has a ramp you may need to attach a few extra rungs to make it easier for the quail to get up and down without slipping much.


Q: When and how often will my hens lay?
A: Coturnix hens will usually start laying from 8 weeks old. If they have recently moved homes it may take a little longer.
They will then lay an egg almost every day. Hens may reduce laying frequency or stop laying completely during winter due to decreased sunlight. Stress will also alter a hens laying frequency. If your hen has not laid for a while for no reason you should check her vent (bottom) to make sure she is not egg-bound or suffering from prolapse.


Q: Can my quails have babies?
A: Yes and no. You will need to buy an incubator and incubate the eggs yourself. Coturnix hens almost never go broody and sit their own eggs.

If you choose to have babies you need to be prepared to have to cull or treat any that hatch with curled toes, splayed legs or crooked necks. Treating imperfect chicks is a long and time consuming process and may result in sickly adults if they make it that far.


Q: If I have a male with my females can I eat the eggs still?
A: Yes! There is absolutely no difference between an unfertilised egg and a fertilised egg until they have been incubated. Eggs need to be incubated to start to develop in to a baby quail. If you gather your eggs every day they will never develop. There is not a baby bird already inside the eggs when they are laid.
This video may be helpful. Quails develop and hatch quicker than chickens but the same basics apply. https://youtu.be/PedajVADLGw


Q: There is a blood spot in my egg. What is it?
A: Just like chicken eggs, quail eggs can have blood spots. Blood spots do NOT mean you have a fertilised egg. The blood is actually the hen's blood, usually from a ruptured blood vessel in the oviduct. You can cook and eat the egg like any other or pick it out.


Q: Can quails fly?
A: Yes, quails have limited flight. Clipping the flight feathers on one wing will prevent them flying very high and getting away.  Larger, fatter birds will not fly as well as younger slim birds but they can still get some good distance and disappear over your fence. Our quail have one wing trimmed to limit flight while handling and free-ranging. The feathers will grow back- you will need to check and maintain your birds to avoid losing them. If one does escape its pen it usually will not go far as it will try to stay with its flock. If one does get away it will call out loudly to the other quails. If one of your quails gets away you should quickly and firmly pick it up without hesitation.


Q: How do I clip my quail's wings?
A: Firmly hold the bird and extend one wing. You may find it easier to press one side of the bird against you while you do it. Using scissors trim approx 2/3 off the primary flight feathers. Don't go too close to the base of the feather.

I personally usually leave the first 3 or 4 flight feathers to prevent the bird shattering/splitting the trimmed feathers by flapping and hitting its wings on the side of the cage. It also looks a little nicer and more natural on the quail. The bird will still not be able to fly but will have a little more control if it does try.

Make sure you DO NOT cut any blood feathers if any are present!

Q: My quail lost its feathers! What happened?
A: Young quails go through a number of moults before they gain their adult feathers. They grow back quickly. Once they are adults you will notice your quail moulting usually once a year when the days get shorter. This is normal. You may want to supply a little extra protein in their diet at this time.


Q: My birds have balls of dirt on their nails. What do I do?
A: Birds left to accumulate dirt on their toes grow deformed nails and prolonged exposure results in infection and amputation.
It is important to check your quail's toes and remove any dirt build-up if necessary. Build-up can be pulled apart carefully by hand or with tweezers if fresh and soft enough. If you cant break it easily, holding the feet in shallow warm water will help to soften the dirt. Try not to get the bird too wet.
Do not try pull the dirt straight off or you may pull the entire nail off with it.


Q: My quail has blood on it! What do I do?
A: Quails have quite thin skin. They bleed fairly easily and it can seem like a lot of blood. Do NOT panic. It may look like a lot of blood but usually isn't.
Small injuries will stop bleeding and heal quickly. If it has stopped bleeding already leave the bird and just keep an eye on it. If it is still bleeding you can dab a little 100% aloe followed by cornflour on the wound to slow the flow. If the bird will let you, apply light pressure to the wound.

The most common areas to bleed are the feet (cuts/broken nails), the beak (can break off at the tip), top of the head (from head-boinking, pecking or mating) and wing tips/blood feathers (from hitting a surface while flapping).

If your other birds peck the wound (they are attracted to the colour red) take the injured bird out and keep it in a cat carrier or box while it recovers.


Q: My Quail has a bald patch on its head. Why?
A: This is no surprise when you have a male in the cage. During mating the male will hold the females feathers in his beak and may peck her on the head which can cause feathers to fall out. Dominant females may also peck the male or other females to show them who is boss. The feathers will grow back quite quickly.

If there is injury to the skin from ongoing bullying you may need to remove the aggressive bird. It is best t remove the aggressive bird rather than the submissive bird. Overly aggressive birds should be housed alone or be culled. Aggressive birds should not be bred from.


Q: My Quail has been scalped. What do I do?
A: Scalping is not an uncommon occurrence in quail. The easiest option is to cull the bird to save it from suffering or getting an infection.
Your quail will likely be in shock and hiding in a corner when you find it. It will be lethargic and look terrible but should you choose to help it there is a decent chance of survival.

Dab off the blood if you need to and assess the damage. If the damage is deep with serious bleeding cull the bird. If the skin has been ripped cleanly take the bird and put it in a quiet, clean place with food and water where it can rest. It probably wont eat for a day or two. You can use a pipette to make the bird take water with vitamins or sugar dissolved in it by holding the bird and dripping a little on to the tip of its beak. If the bird does not perk up by 4 days it is best to cull it.

You can get various antibiotic powders and ointments for treating injuries in birds from stockfeeders and vets.


Q: I've decided to cull my bird. How do I do it?
A: It's never nice to have to do it, but for the sake of the bird sometimes it needs to be done. The fastest way is to use sharp garden shears and remove the head in one fast motion over a bucket lined with a plastic bag. The bird will flap about due to nerves but it does not bleed a lot nor take long to settle.


Q: Can I eat the Quails?
A: Yes! You can. I do not use medicated feed so they will not taste bad. My quails are safe to eat. If you would like to order some quails to prepare for eating, I am happy to provide some. Generally males are used as they are less popular than females and don't have a use laying eggs.

Q: Have you eaten your own quails?
A: I have. They make nice nuggets. I only prepare injured birds I have had to put down.
It really makes you appreciate where your meat comes from when it has not just been picked up from the store.

Q: How do I process quail for eating?
A: watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pswWBWbVro