How Many Quails Can You Keep Together?
You can keep between five and ten quails together in one coop, depending on the coop size. Ideally, the standard coop should measure 15 x 18 inches to accommodate five to ten quails. The larger the coop, the more quails you can keep together.
Nonetheless, keeping too many quails in a small-sized cage can be problematic because it can lead to congestion in the coop.
How Many Quails Should I Start With?
The number of quails you should start with depends entirely on the available space. The more space you have, the more the number of quails you can begin with. It’s good to start with a few quails when breeding quails.
Depending on the available space, you can start with a small batch of 10 to 30 quails. You can increase the number as you continue breeding quails. Ensure you have at least one male quail for three females.
You can start with 100 to 300 quails if you have ample space. Your flock will expand as the birds multiply, and you will have a large flock if you start with many quails.
Keeping Quails for Eggs
People have been keeping quails for eggs for many centuries. Quails are productive layers and some of the best domestic birds to keep for eggs. Raising these birds can be profitable because quails produce many edible eggs.
Quails eggs are also a rare delicacy. Besides boasting high egg production capabilities, quails also need minimal care and management.
These tips will guide you on how to keep quails for eggs if you have been tossing with the idea of keeping these birds for eggs.
Select the Right Breed
Like other birds, quails come in different species. Some quail species are suitable for meat, while others are prolific egg producers. Other species are good for egg and meat production.
To raise quails for eggs, you have to choose the best egg-laying quail species. Some suitable species for people seeking to raise quails for eggs include Coturnix quail, mountain quail, blue-scale quail, and the California quail. Japanese quails are also good layers to keep for quail eggs.
Have More Females
Even if you keep a thousand quails, you won’t get enough quail eggs if the majority of the birds in your flock are males. You need more females in the flock to get many quail eggs.
The more females you have, the more quail eggs you will collect each day. Females will lay even if they don’t have males around. Therefore, reduce the number of males and add more females to your flock to get more quail eggs.
Start With Quail Chicks
Starting your quail egg farming venture with baby chicks is always the best idea. Chicks are easier to raise into dependable egg producers than raising older females that are almost to stop laying due to age.
Take good care of your quail chicks until they grow into young egg-laying quails. You can either buy quail chicks from a quail breeder or hatch quail eggs into quail chicks.
Provide the Quails With The Best Possible Environment
Although quails are terrific layers, they won’t lay efficiently when living in an inappropriate environment. You must ensure your quails live in a conducive environment to encourage them to produce more eggs.
A clean coop is ideal for encouraging the females to lay more eggs. The coop should be far from other animals that might distract the females while laying.
Ensure no predators threaten your birds because predator threats can stress the females, prompting them to halt egg production.
Adequate Feeding
Female quails need quality and adequate foods to produce eggs. Quails need at least 20% protein to produce eggs consistently. You can introduce various protein-rich foods to the females if they can’t get adequate protein from their regular quail feeds.
Some best protein-enriched foods to introduce to females include mealworms, fishmeal, and sunflower seeds. Your quails also need calcium in their daily diet.
Calcium is crucial for female quails because it promotes healthy and strong egg production.
Lighting
Adequate lighting helps stimulate egg production in birds, including quails. Artificial lighting is suitable for females when there isn’t natural lighting, particularly in the winter.
Your quails need at least 12 hours of lighting daily for egg production. However, don’t light the quail coop for more than 16 hours lest you deny your quails time to sleep.
Have Nesting Boxes
Quails are very strict when it gets to laying. These birds prefer laying in comfortable places, unlike ducks and chickens, which lay anywhere. Having enough nest boxes will give the female quails comfortable places to lay.
The nesting boxes shouldn’t be too large but comfortable for females. You can make the nesting boxes more comfortable for the females by putting in some soft materials such as wood shavings, hay, sawdust, or straw.
You can make the nest boxes for your quails. Alternatively, you can buy some pre-made boxes at a poultry store. Quails don’t need large nest boxes because of their small size.
Therefore, you can make enough nesting boxes for your quails without using plenty of material.
Keeping Quails for Eating
Besides keeping quails for eggs, you can also keep these birds for meat because they are dual-purpose birds. Quails may be small, but their meat is delicious and nutritious.
Some simple ideas can help you get maximum meat production per bird if you think of rearing quails for meat. Check these ideas to help you in your quest to keep quails for meat.
Select The Best Breed for Meat Production
Not every quail breed is suitable for meat. Some are suitable for eggs, while others are ideal for meat. Choosing the wrong breed will not help you get enough quail meat. Therefore, pick the best quail breed for meat.
Coturnix quails, for instance, are good for both eggs and meat. These birds have impressive body weight and size compared to other quail breeds. Bobwhite quails are also awesome meat producers.
These quails are much larger and heavier than other breeds, making them an ideal choice of quails for meat production.
Furthermore, Bobwhite quails boast a fast maturity rate since they are ready for slaughter within a couple of months after hatching. King quails are also relatively larger than most quails.
They are good for quality eggs and meat. Whatever quail breed you choose, ensure it is suitable for meat production.
Provide the Birds with Quality Feed
Introducing a quality grower feed to your meat birds would be great. The best grower feed should have a special formulation featuring protein and other essential minerals to promote fast growth.
Supplement the grower feed you give your birds with fresh plant material and bugs in your backyard. Protein is crucial for meat-producing quails because it helps them grow lean meat.
Proper Housing Conditions
Quails need to live in proper housing conditions to make excellent meat producers. Your meat birds won’t become efficient meat producers if they don’t live in good housing conditions.
For instance, your meat birds need to live in clean conditions to lower their chances of succumbing to dirt-related illnesses. Meat birds also require protection from predators to stop them from flying away while escaping from predators.
Your quails need enough space to help them move around. Movements will help promote good health and also reduce fighting between your birds.
Have More Males
Male quails are larger and heavier than female quails. For that reason, males make better meat producers than females. Therefore, keep more males in your flock if you want to raise quails strictly for meat.
How Much Space do Quails Need?
Quails are some of the easiest birds to raise because they don’t require more space than other birds, including ducks and chickens. On average, quails need approximately 1 square foot.
Since quails are territorial birds, you can provide them with an additional one square foot to ensure they don’t fight over space.
What is the Best Male to Female Quails Ratio?
The male-to-female ratio is a crucial factor that anyone should consider before keeping quails, either for meat or eggs. The best male-to-female ratio should be one male for three females.
Can You Keep Only 2 Quails?
Yes, you can keep only two quails because they will interact with each other. However, ensure one of the quails is male while the other is female for breeding purposes.
Can You Keep Only Female Quails?
Female quails are less aggressive, and therefore they can coexist together. Furthermore, keeping only female quails can work marvelously for those planning to keep quails for eggs. Female quails will lay without males around.
Can You Keep Male Quails Together?
No, it isn’t a good idea to keep male quails together. Males are pretty aggressive and territorial. They tend to fight each other to establish dominance. Some of the weaker and smaller males in your flock will suffer most if you keep males together.
Conclusion
You can keep as many quails as you can together. However, the number of quails you can keep together will depend on space. Those with more space can keep many quails together, while those without should only keep a few quails together.
Moreover, you can keep quails for either meat or eggs, depending on what you want to get from quails.