|
|
|
Author |
|
Message | |
|
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9702 Location: Devon, uk
|
|
|
|
|
Pel
Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 2366 Location: Sennybridge
|
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 09 9:29 pm Post subject: |
|
I've only kept 6 quails and they are now 13 weeks old, had them from 2 weeks old.
When i first got them had to have them under heat till 4 weeks, then i had them outside in a hen/rabbit hutch, they were ok up until about week 10. I learnt from the start, very quickly that quails are good helicopters, so a must have if using a hutch with a lift off lid is to have some wire mesh ontop of the box bit, so that when you lift the lid off there is still protection to stop them flying out... at 10 weeks the lovely big hen managed to helicopter up and push past the wire, after a mad 5 minute panick of trying to catch the quail and missing it we did eventually catch her.. at this point their indoor home was ready.
Quails or at least my japanese quails are dumb they roost where ever they may be sitting, so the majority of the time thats outside, which is fine in the warmer months, but a bit stupid in the cold months
Their new home is a 6ft x 4ft shed, there actual cage size is 2ft x 4ft, with each indivudal cage being 2ft square. They have loft insulation at the back and polysterene covered with metal at the sides, and on top of their cage is a wooden board, which inturn becomes the futures droppings board of the next cage, but at the moment has the left over insulation on. The shed also has a perspex window facing north... didnt put it faces south as it get too hot in the summer. The quails stand on wire which is sloped allowing the eggs to roll down (when they lay). Their feet are nice and clean and do not have cuts on. The quails' cages are made from pallet boards and my dad designed them in the same way as he did for his battery hens back in the 50's just smaller. The height at the front is 10½ inches high and at the back its 8½inches high.
The type of quail i have are ready to be eaten at 8 weeks old, thats what the breeder said we i got them off.
Yes quails do fight, however i'm not sure if the males started it or the hens, but the runty one got badly picked on, so i now have one cage with 2 males in and one cage with 1 male and 3 females in and everyone seems happy, the divider between the two cages is just wire mesh so they can still see each other.
Hens lay better if no males are around, but like with animals if you want to incubate you have to have both
The ones i have are easy to tell apart, white breast is female and browny red is male, males are a lot smaller than females.
Only live a couple of years, perhaps 3 at the most (don't know for sure, but this is what the breeder told me and a book)
Of course this is only in my experience which is very limited. |
|
|
|
|
Tavascarow
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 8407 Location: South Cornwall
|
|
|
|
|
Nicky cigreen
Joined: 25 Jun 2007 Posts: 9702 Location: Devon, uk
|
|
|
|
|
Pel
Joined: 29 Mar 2008 Posts: 2366 Location: Sennybridge
|
|
|
|
|
Tavascarow
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Posts: 8407 Location: South Cornwall
|
|
|
|
|
|
Archive
Powered by php-BB © 2001, 2005 php-BB Group Style by marsjupiter.com, released under GNU (GNU/GPL) license.
|