Quail | Characteristics, Diet, Size, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What is the feed size of quail? ›

A high protein feed especially formulated for quail. 2mm 'micro' pellets are easier for quail to eat and digest than standard 3mm pellets. With carefully balanced proteins, energy and amino acids, this ration keeps healthy quail laying larger eggs for longer.

Fortunately the list of food items taken by quail is extremely long. Various studies of fall and winter bobwhite food habits show seeds of native or naturalized forbs are those most frequently consumed. Of the various plant classes, the seeds of legumes are eaten in the largest amounts and greatest variety.

Your quail should be in a 4' or taller pen, or a small hutch no taller than 10 inches tall. Quail startle easy and will fly straight up quickly. If your enclosure is taller than 10 inches, that allows them to reach a velocity that they will hit the roof and they will likely sustain a lethal injury.

On average a quail will lay about one egg per day at peak production. Egg production will begin to slow down around the age of 2-3 years. Quail require about 14 hours of daylight in order to lay eggs. Their egg production can be extended by providing a light source during times of the year with shorter daylight hours.

They will readily eat seeds from many different forbs, including Annual Broomweed, Buffalo-bur, Annual sunflower, Cowpen Daisy, Croton, and Snow-on-the-Mountain. Grass seeds are another important element of a quail's diet, with Johnsongrass and Plains bristlegrass being a couple of their favorites.

Because quail grow so quickly, they benefit from high protein feed initially. You can use regular chicken layer feed, but we recommend a higher protein. Layer feed is 16-18% protein. We use a turkey starter feed with 28% protein.

A Coturnix quail hen will usually begin laying somewhere between 5 and 8 weeks of age. She will lay one egg almost every day. She will probably lay at least 300 eggs per year or more.

Know that some types of foods can be toxic to quail.

This includes avocado, caffeine, chocolate, grape seeds, meat, parsley, rhubarb, the stems and leaves of tomato plants, salty foods and treats, uncooked potatoes, and most citrus fruits. Quail will avoid anything toxic to them unless they are starving.

Small twigs, grass stems, leaves and feathers line the nest. Average life expectancy for a wild quail is 1.5 years although on occasion they may live for up to four years. Mature birds average eleven inches long and weigh from 5.1 to 6.5 ounces (160 to 200 grams.)

Raptors mainly prey on adult quail, but there has also been evidence of raptors targeting quail nests as well. Terhune et al. (2008) documented three cases of three different raptors depredating bobwhite nests (Barred Owl, Cooper's Hawk, and Great-Horned Owl) during incubation at their study sites in Georgia.

How much do quail eat per day? ›

Adult japanese quail eat between 14 g and 18 g of food per day. It is important to obtain fresh feed, and it should be stored in covered containers with tightly fitting lids in a clean, dry, cool area free from animals and vermin.

Coturnix Quail are an excellent option for both meat and egg production. They are quick to mature, require minimal space, and are great for beginners. Coturnix Quail also lay an impressive number of eggs yearly. They are a top pick for urban homesteaders.

This is also a great size if you ever plan on breeding your quail, because you should have about 4 females per male to ensure you are getting great fertility. 5 is a perfect number for a beginner quail-keeper to start with. The reason I love the rabbit hutch setup, is because it is very “cozy”.

Quails are very tasty. Also quail meat is high in iron, vitamin C, and other essential nutrients. It's also richer in vitamin A than chicken and duck meat. Quails are also good to eat because they have more amino acids and minerals than duck and chicken.

Quail live 2-3 years Quail cannot endure long flights, and they usually live their entire lives within a 40-acre radius. If startled, these birds explode into short rapid flight, called “flushing.” Quail have a lifespan of 2-3 years.

The oldest recorded Montezuma Quail was a captive individual that lived to be 8 years old; there is no age record for a wild individual.

Accipiters are considered some of the most efficient predators that quail face, with Cooper's hawks being touted as “the outstanding natural enemy of the bobwhite” (Stoddard 1931). Other raptors known to take grown bobwhites include various broad–winged hawks, a.k.a. Buteos (Buteo spp).