Been a while since I posted, so thought I would begin with a post for folks looking to get started raising backyard quail for eggs and/or meat.
1) Cage or pen
You will need a minimum of a 2X2 area for each pair or trio of birds. This is a minimum and more is better. The needs here are pretty simple, something to keep the birds in and predators out. While there are a lot of crazy flight cages and things you could build, I recommend starting small and building up to it. Check Craigslist or eBay for a rabbit hutch or something similar. Place it in a location that gets good ventilation, but not direct sun in summer. I also recommend a raised cage with a screened bottom. This allows for a cleaner area for the birds to live in without you constantly needing to clean it.
2) Birds
OK, this seems obvious, but be careful. Some birds have specific requirements, limits, or permits in different states and locations. I recommend checking your state and local requirements before making any purchases. For beginners I highly recommend Jumbo Brown Cortunix quail. These birds are easy to keep and identify the male from the female based on feather color. Also, they usually have no state or local restrictions. They too can be found on Craigslist. If you are daring you can get an incubator and some hatching eggs, but might want to save that for later.
3) Feed
I recommend a good quality game bird feed of at least 20% protein, I use Purina brands. Some folks want to mix their own so they know what the birds are eating, but it is very hard to do this and provide proper protein and nutrition/vitamins needed by the birds. Just starting out go with store bought and if you want to mix your own, transition the birds to it slowly later so you can watch for any problems.
4) Water
Fresh clean water, fresh clean water, fresh clean water! Get it? The birds need fresh clean water at all times regardless of weather or season. In the heat of summer, fresh clean water. In the middle of an ice storm in winter, fresh clean water! It will depend on your cage setup how you do this, but give it some thought or try different things For me, down the length of the cages I added a piece of PVC pipe with a slot cut into it. This allows me to easily clean it out or remove ice.
5) Time
Lastly, anything you do requires some time. Quail do need much! Feed them once a day, fresh clean water twice a day, collect eggs and remove waste as it builds up. I can do all of this in about 10-15 minutes a day and 15-20 minutes extra on weekend to clean out from under the cages.
Hope this helps and inspires someone to get started raising quail! Go here for Quail FAQ – Simple answers to beginner questions
Hi, I’m getting me a pair of Mearn quail. Do you think they’ll do better in pairs. Or are trios ok?
I mainly raise coturnix quail, so honestly I don’t know a lot about the Mearn quail. I would have to do more in depth research to answer this question with a higher level of confidence.
That being said, what little information I could find indicated that Mearn are monogamous and should be raised in pairs not trios. What I also understand from a quick review is that in the wild the male Mearn may assist in egg incubation. This would again lead me to believe they might do better in pairs than trios.
For the coturnix I raise the birds in trios to insure fertilized eggs for incubation. Also since the males tend breed aggressively, having two or more females helps to reduce possible injuries to any one bird. Your mileage may vary.