How to Care for Quails
Quail chicks depend completely on your care. Adult quails are less fragile and can survive with less care than chicks, but they still need proper feeding, watering and shelter. Take necessary precautions when caring for your quails to avoid unfortunate results. Most accidents and fatalities involving young quails result from poor brooding areas and improper handling. Also, brood mismanagement and improper handling of quails often leads to sickness and injury, which can cause cannibalism amongst quail flocks.
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Things You'll Need
- Brooding area
- Heat sources
- Brooding litter
- Cleaning disinfectant
- Quail feed
Instructions
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Shelter your quails in appropriate brooding areas. Use heat sources inside the brooders, such as heat lamps, lightbulbs or electric hovers when raising quail chicks, advises Philip J. Clauer of the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Wooden brooders with regular lightbulbs work well for small quail flocks.
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Monitor the quail chicks' behavior in the brooding area to make sure the heat levels are appropriate. Cold chicks will huddle under the heat source, while overheated chicks will avoid the heat source, according to Clauer.
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Place at least a 2-inch layer of moisture-absorbent litter on the brooding area floor. Cripple Creek Quail Ranch suggests using pine shavings and builder's sand for litter.
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Clean the quails' brooding area with strong water pressure to dislodge dust and waste from the brooding equipment.
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Disinfect all parts of the brooding equipment with a commercial disinfectant only after you clean the entire area beforehand.
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Feed your quails commercial feed depending on their type and purpose. For instance, Cripple Creek Quail Ranch claims to feed bobwhite quail chicks starter feed for their first six weeks of life, and allow them to eat freely. But nourish meat quails with game bird grower from six weeks old to slaughter.
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Provide clean water for your quails daily. This includes cleaning and refilling their watering devices.
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Watch your flock carefully for odd behaviors, such as quails that avoid their feed or water.
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Treat your quails for blackhead, a common disease among quails living on farms, throughout their first eight weeks of life, suggests Clauer.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask a poultry or game bird equipment supplier about types of quail broods and feed.
Keep brooding litter dry from parasites and mold.
Avoid handling your quail unless necessary.
Consult a veterinarian about your quails' health.
References
Resources
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