Quail care basics

Housing: think ground, not sky

Quail live on the ground. They don't perch and they don't need tall flight space — in fact, a tall cage is dangerous. When startled, quail flush straight up and can hurt their heads on a high ceiling. Keep enclosures either very low (around 12 inches for Coturnix) or tall enough to be a planted aviary with a soft netting roof.

Give each Coturnix about 1 square foot of floor, more for button quail kept in a planted setup. Solid floors with bedding (pine shavings, hemp or sand) are easier on their feet than bare wire.

Feed: high protein

Feed a game-bird starter or game-bird crumble at 24–28% protein. Ordinary chicken layer feed is too low in protein for quail. Chicks need the finer crumble; grind it if it's coarse.

Laying hens also need extra calcium — offer crushed oyster shell in a separate dish. Fresh water every day, in a shallow waterer with marbles or pebbles for chicks so they can't drown.

Light for laying

Coturnix hens lay close to an egg a day when they get 14–16 hours of light. Below about 12 hours, laying slows or stops. A simple timer on a low-wattage light works. Give them a proper dark period at night too — constant light stresses birds.

Dust baths

Quail keep their feathers clean and mites away by dust bathing. Give them a shallow tray of fine sand, or sand mixed with a little wood-ash-free soil. You'll see them flop, wriggle and fluff — that's healthy behavior.

Groups (coveys)

Keep one male to three to five females. Too few hens and the male over-mates them, causing bald backs and injuries. Two males in a small space will usually fight. The Breeding tab on each male's record lets you log the whole covey as one group.

Incubation basics

Coturnix eggs hatch in about 17 days and button quail in about 16. Set eggs at 99.5°F in a forced-air incubator with 40–50% humidity. Turn the eggs several times a day until lockdown — three days before hatch — then stop turning and raise humidity to 65–70%.

Chicks need a brooder at 95°F for the first week, dropping about 5°F each week until they're feathered. Log each batch on the Breeding tab to see your hatch rate and add the chicks as new animal records.

Celadon blue eggs (for breeders)

Celadon is a recessive gene in Coturnix that makes hens lay pale blue eggs. A hen only lays blue if she carries two copies. Pair a Celadon male with Celadon hens and every daughter will lay blue. Cross to non-Celadon birds and the offspring carry the gene but lay normal speckled eggs.

Legal status

Coturnix and button quail are domestic poultry and legal to keep in every state without a permit. Native wild species, such as Northern bobwhite, can need a state permit — check your state wildlife agency before buying those. Local city rules on backyard birds may still apply.