Thinking of keeping coturnix quail? here are the basics

There are a few different kinds of quail. Here at The Quirky Quail Homestead, we only deal in coturnix quail (also called common quail or Japanese quail). Although popular among homesteaders and small farmers, quail is still very much an up-and-coming phenomenon and some state and township regulations are vague about exactly where quail fit. In many states, coturnix quail are not regulated like poultry and they usually do not require permits, unlike the native bobwhite quail. *Check with your state wildlife organization as well as your township regulations* They are often classified as gamebirds, but may fall under the categories of poultry or livestock. 

In any event, coturnix is the simplest quail to keep, regulation wise, in most U.S. states. Here in New Jersey, no permit is required and the only regulation you will encounter is if you decide to pursue NPIP certification.

Coturnix quail reach full maturity 8 weeks after hatch. That means they are able to lay eggs, be processed for meat, and effectively breed at just two months old. That is a quick turnaround time for people interested in meat and egg production. This is one of the benefits of quail over other animals kept for meat and/or eggs like chickens-- you can produce a lot of quail very quickly. 

They do not need a lot of space. Make sure your quail have just enough room to be comfortable, like specially made stacked cage setups, or much more than they need, like an aviary or large coop setting. Anything in between can lead to territorial feelings and fighting  among your birds. 

As far as lifespan goes, coturnix quail can live several years. If being used for breeding and egg production, hens are most prolific in their first year and roosters in their first 6 months, but I have seen these birds lay and remain fertile for well over 2 years. They are best kept in breeding groups with a male:female ratio of 1:5, but that depends on the temperment of your birds. 

They are weather-hardy birds. In most climates, they do not require special accommodations. They need to be kept dry and out of the elements. In summer heat, as long as they have air flow and access to clean water, they fair very well. In the cold, they must be kept dry and ideally out of harsh winds. They are fully feathered at 4 weeks of age and are able to be outdoors without heat at that time. 

Coturnix quail are usually quite docile birds, though their temperament with each other can vary quite a bit-- find a breeder who breeds specifically for well-tempered birds. As far as their interactions with people, they are small, easy to handle, and not aggressive. Some people keep them indoors as pets, others keep them as livestock. 

Processing a quail for meat is very quick and simple compared to other poultry (see below). 

1. Keep collected eggs stored pointy-side down in a cool location for no longer than 10 days before incubating. If hatching shipped eggs, allow eggs to rest 24 hours before incubating to allow the egg to settle.

2. Set the incubator to 99.8 degrees and let it run for at least a few hours before setting the eggs to make sure it is maintaining temperature consistently. Generally, humidity should be around 40-50%.

3. The day you set the eggs is day ‘0’. On days 0-14, the eggs must be turned (either automatically or by hand) 3-4 times a day to ensure the air sac in the egg rotates to prevent the embryo from sticking to the sides of the shell during development. If turning by hand, limit the amount of time the incubator is open as drastic changes in temperature can lead to failure to hatch. 

4. On day 15, remove the automatic egg turner/stop turning the eggs manually. This is called ‘lockdown.’ You can also candle* the eggs at this point to see if they have developed, any that don’t show signs of development can be thrown away. The eggs should not be disturbed after this point and humidity should now be increased to 65-70% for the remainder of incubation to ensure there is enough moisture to soften the shell for the chicks to pip (break through the egg). 

5. Chicks should begin hatching around day 17. It could be a day sooner or later- or even more if the temperature was not stable during incubation. Most chicks hatch around the same time, but it is not uncommon for stragglers to hatch a day or two later.  

6. Keep chicks in the incubator after hatching until they are completely dry and fluffy—a minimum of 8 hours and a maximum of 48 hours is ideal (less can cause them to get a chill from the temperature shift and more can cause starvation- we like 24 hours as a rule of thumb). They do not need food or water during this time as they’ve received adequate nutrition from having absorbed their yolk sac.

7. When it’s time to transfer, be careful because those little goofballs will jump right out at you! If using a small incubator, it’s best to put the incubator directly in the brooder or on the floor or a large table to open and transfer them quickly to the brooder. Also remove empty eggshells.  

8. If you want to wait for stragglers, close the incubator and wait another day or two. You want to minimize the amount of time the incubator is open when removing the chicks, so the straggler eggs don’t experience a drastic shift in temperature.  

Notes

  -If there is an egg where the chick has pipped but not hatched, do not open the incubator unless completely necessary until it’s time to transfer the hatched chicks. The rush of cooler air will likely shrink the egg’s membrane and the chick will be ‘shrink-wrapped’ in and will likely be unable to hatch at that point.

-Sometimes there is a chick that has pipped but is unable to hatch completely. It is recommended by most reputable breeders not to help it. If you chose to do so, remove shell pieces slowly and with an abundance of caution and most importantly, wait until it is time to move the hatched chicks to the brooder to intervene, so the process doesn’t interfere with the healthy chicks. I have saved a few that would have otherwise died this way, but I will say, the ones that need help will often be weaker or malformed and sometimes don’t make it to maturity or you could injure it in the process of trying to help, so it is a gamble. Also consider that these generally are not the chicks you want in your breeding program (keeping them for pets or production would be fine.) 

-With incubators with larger grated floors, every so often a chick will get a toe stuck in the floor grate or will develop splayed legs from the slick surface. Splayed legs can be fixed if you act quickly, there are YouTube videos on the subject. But you can prevent these issues by adding non-slip shelf liner to the floor of the incubator when you put the eggs into lock down.  

* The term 'candling' refers to when light is passed through an egg so the contents can be seen to verify development. You can use your phones flashlight or other small light source to press gently against the egg, always holding it pointy-side down. Our favorite way to candle eggs is to use a laser pointer. See photo below. 

1. Quail chicks only require food, water, heat, and substrate. 

2. A heat plate or heat lamp will be necessary for 2-4 weeks after hatching depending on the ambient temperature. When they are fully feathered (around 4 weeks) they are safe to be in most temperatures. Start the heated area at about 98 degrees on one side of the brooder so they can move closer to or further from the heat as necessary (cold side should be around 85 degrees) and gradually decrease the temperature by about 5 degrees per week. We prefer heat plates to reduce the risk of fire and the quail seem more comfortable with them as opposed to heat lamps. 

3. A very shallow water bowl will have to be provided, it is a good idea to put rocks or marbles in the bottom, so they do not fall in and drown or catch a chill.

4. Shop towels, paper towels or puppy pads are great to line the brooder for the first week or so, after that pine shavings work well. 

5. Gamebird starter crumble (28-30% protein) is adequate for the first 7 weeks of life for chicks. After they begin laying eggs or turn 7 weeks old, they can be switched to gamebird layer formula (18-22% protein). Between 6-8 weeks is a good time to start introducing fresh vegetables, herbs, fruit, insects, oyster shells, etc. in moderation. Our favorite commercial food brand is Kalmbach gamebird starter for littles and all-flock for adults--and we recommend non-medicated feed. 

1. For wildtypes/pharaohs/jumbo browns and some other varieties, feather sexing can be done at 3-4 weeks to distinguish hens from roosters. For non-feather-sexable varieties, vent sexing can be done at 8 weeks when they’ve reached maturity. Roosters have a crowing noise they begin to make around 7-8 weeks (they are not as loud as chicken roosters' crows) and hens will begin to lay eggs around this time. Some males do not crow, others crow a lot, it depends on the bird and the conditions. 

2. Mature quail should be kept with male: female ratios of 1:5-7 or hens can be kept alone without a rooster if fertilized eggs aren’t desired. Very docile birds can be kept at lower ratios, you have to find what works best for your birds and their needs. If there are not enough females, the males can aggressively overbreed and injure or kill the females, so err on the side of more females when possible. 

3. A sand bath at least once a week keeps the quail healthy and happy. Sand, diatomaceous earth, ash, or untreated soil can be used. 

4. Coturnix quail can lay eggs year round, but they need 16 hours of daylight per day to accomplish this. Many keepers provide supplemental lighting for their birds in fall and winter where natural daylight hours may not be enough to promote regular egg production. Christmas lights or 'fairy' lights work well. We supplement lighting and our birds average an egg per bird per day year round without issue. 

5. For maximum fertility and production, it is recommended that roosters be replaced every 6 months and hens every 12 months, especially if they're laying year-round, but they can remain fertile much longer.  

Coturnix quail come in an incredible, beautiful assortment of varieties. Quail genetics is a fascinating science that we ourselves are still learning. There are many knowledgeable breeders out there who have put in the work to really understand the genetics of quail. Below are links to genetics pages of some of the wonderful breeders' we have worked with and who we suggest going to for more in-depth information. 

  Things you’ll need

o Ice water bath for meat

o Trash bucket

o Container for feathers (if desired)

o Container for feet (if desired)

o Container for organs (if desired)

o Sharp scissors

Steps to Processing a Quail

1. Hold bird firmly in one hand, with wings tucked in. Extend the neck and remove the head with scissors (or pull quickly and confidently with opposite hand)

2. Hold bird upside down to drain blood-- bird will twitch for 30 seconds or so, hold firmly

3. Carefully harvest feathers, if desired. The skin is very thin and rips easily. 

4. Cut wing tips and feet off at joints

5. Rip skin at breast area, pull skin away. It is very thin and pulls away in one piece. 

6. Cut off cloaca

7. If spatchcocking, cut along each side of the spine (skip this step if desired to leave whole)

8. Remove organs and entrails

9. Rinse carcass thoroughly

10. Place meat, organs, etc. in ice water in refrigerator. Change water 1-2 times per day until cooking or freezing. 

Uses for processed quail

The Meat can be eaten, of course. It is best to let it sit in ice water or salt water in the fridge for a few days before cooking or freezing to allow rigor mortis to subside completely. You can cook it immediately, however, waiting more than 20-30 minutes after death may result in tough and less flavorful meat due to the rigor that has set in. Be careful not to overcook the meat for best results, they are small and cook quickly. 

 The heart, liver, gizzard, lungs, kidneys, crop, intestines, reproductive organs, etc. are all considered offal-- The most common parts that are eaten are heart, liver, and gizzard (recipes can be found online). These parts are also frequently used for pet foods. The only parts that you really shouldn’t eat are the green parts of the gizzard, the reproductive organs of a hen, and the crop. Unless you have a lot of time, parts like the testes and intestines are so small, they may not be worth saving and cleaning for consumption, but they are edible for humans and pets. *Quail can also be fed deceased and intact to dogs and other pets, or you can offer them the remnants of what you won’t be using. 

Feet, head, spine, and other bones—These parts may be saved to create a broth that is great for use in soups, stews, bases or additions to just about anything you would use broth for.  

 Bones & Feathers—there are lots of crafts you can make with the bones, feet, and feathers left from the quail. From jewelry to ornaments to feathers used for pillow stuffing, the possibilities are endless if that is where your interest lies.  Everything will need to be properly sanitized before use. There are instructions online for sanitizing.  

 Blood & Manure—These may be added to your compost bin. Quail manure is very rich in nitrogen so adding it directly to plants will burn the roots. It does make fantastic compost once it is aged 6 months. 

Interested in selling eggs or birds? Unfortunately, each state has its own laws and regulations about selling eggs, birds, and meat so we cannot offer any specific advice here. 

If you are interested in selling hatching eggs or birds across state lines or through the mail, you will need to obtain National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) certification. This is a relatively simple process where testers will come and test your birds every 6-12 months to ensure they are free from disease. Fees and timetables vary by state, more information is available on the USDA website.