How to Raise Quail Chicks

Raising quail can be a fun and fulfilling experience.

Baby quail hatch from the egg fully capable of eating and drinking. Quail mothers and fathers are excellent parents. The female genuinely enjoys sitting upon the eggs until they hatch. She will rarely abandon the nest for any reason. Quail eggs are often incubated in large-scale breeding facilities if the female quail should perish or she simply will not take care of the eggs herself. Hobbyists can also purchase quail eggs from breeding farms to artificially incubate and hand raise the hatchlings.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard box or aquarium
• Indoor/outdoor carpet or rubber shelf liner
• 60-watt lightbulb
• 2 bricks
• Pine shavings
• Baby quail starter feed
• Small, shallow food bowls
• Syringe water dispenser

Instructions

1. Place the newly hatched baby quail in an aquarium or cardboard box. Place indoor/outdoor carpet or rubber shelf liner in the bottom of the aquarium, plastic tub or cardboard box so the baby quails do not splay. Baby quail cannot stand on a smooth surface because their small legs often slide out from under them. Continuous splaying of the legs can cause irreversible damage to the quail. Replace the carpet or rubber shelf liner with pine shavings when the baby quail are five days old.

2. Suspend a 60-watt lightbulb above the baby quail. Suspend the light at least 36 inches above the hatchlings. Keep the light on 24 hours a day so the baby quail do not become chilled.

3. Place two bricks into the quails' cage. The bricks will become warm and the baby quail will snuggle against them.

4. Maintain a temperature of 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the first weeks of the baby quails' life, according to the Game Bird and Conservationists Gazette. The quail can be removed from the heat when they are fully feathered.

5. Feed the baby quail starter quail feed. Starter quail feed is available at most farm and garden supply stores. Provide small, shallow bowls for the baby quail to consume food at their leisure. Keep the feed clean and free from feces. Feed starter quail feed until the young quail reach 8 weeks of age and than switch to adult quail feed.

6. Water the baby quail using a test tube water dispenser. The small water dispensers are available at most pet stores. Never use water bowls because the baby quail can easily become wet and chilled, which can result in their death. They can also drown in water bowls.

7. Move baby quail to outdoor cages when they reach 5 to 7 weeks of age and are fully feathered. Once the quail are moved outside they can be cared for the same as adult quail.

References

• Zebra Finch: Raising the Young
• Raise Quail: How to Raise Quail in Your Backyard
• Game Bird: Breeding and Marketing Quail
• Poultry One: Raising Quail in Your Backyard

Resources

• Bird Care: Quail