Quail

Quail are generally very easy to keep and need little space making them great for the urban environment.

Quail should be kept in housing either less than a foot high like a rabbit hutch or over 5 foot like an aviary. This is because when spooked they fly up, hitting their heads and this can eventually lead to death . Quail's eggs are about the size of a 50 pence coin and are a delicacy in top restaurants.

Due to the size of the eggs, it is best to keep females in a rabbit hutch or similar to make collection of eggs easier. The males make a great addition to the bottom of an avairy eating the split seeds that the birds drop from above,without the problem of having to collect the eggs since female quail do not use nesting boxes but lay their eggs any where they like. It is best to provide them additional food and water so that they get a proper balanced diet. The male birds do not crow like cockerels but makes a chirrupping noise which fits in with wild birds.

When the chicks hatch they are very small. Most types of quail can be sexed by 6-8 weeks but the standard and Italian Japanese can be sexed at just 3-4 weeks as they have a different feather patterns on their front. The females are speckled and the males are a plain tanned colour. The hens start to lay at around 8 weeks of age meaning you can be back to producing chicks within about 12 weeks.