Raising Texas A & M Quail

Quail are small, pretty birds that can be kept in a small area. The hens will produce 5-6 eggs a week starting at about 6 weeks. Some towns that do not allow chicken keeping do not have any regulations against quail. It’s best to check with your local town for permitting rules. Many people who are allergic to chicken eggs can eat quail eggs without any problem. Texas A & M quail are ready to be processed for meat at 8 weeks. To start your quail out right you will need the following supplies:

  • Brooder
  • Bedding
  • Feeder or bowl
  • Quail sized waterer
  • Heat lamp and bulb
  • Proper starter feed for quail
  • Grit
  • Cage or pen to keep them in as adults

BROODER:

A brooder can be anything from a large plastic tote to a kiddie swimming pool. Have a cover planned for when the quail start to grow feathers because they will fly out!

Set the brooder up before you bring your quail home and warm it using the heat lamp: 90° - 95° for the first week, lowering the temperature 5° a week until it reaches 70°. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature, do not guess. A red 250 watt heat bulb is good choice for the heat lamp. Place the heat lamp 18” from the floor and to one end of the brooder so quail can get away from it if they are too warm. The heat lamp has a clamp so it is easily repositioned. If they are all piled together directly under it – they are too cold; If they are all scattered away from it and spread out – they are too hot. Reposition the lamp until they are comfortable.

FEED:

Quail can use a shallow bowl or feed pan as a feeder. Feed should be available 24/7, a turkey starter feed of 28% is a good choice. Sprinkle some food around their brooder floor for a few days until you are sure they have all found the feed bowl. Quail also need grit to help them digest their feed. Grit is tiny rocks that they store in their gizzard. The grit acts like teeth to grind up the food so they can digest it.

0-6 weeks: Essex Co-Op carries these 28% starter feeds:

  • Blue Seal Home Fresh Multi-flock Turkey N Game Starter Crumbles & Meal
  • Poulin Organic 26% Turkey Starter
  • Poulin Turkey/Gamebird Starter Crumble

6+ weeks: Essex Co-Op carries these 18% layer feeds

  • Poulin Egg Plus Crumblets
  • Blue Seal Multiflock Breeder

WATERER:

As soon as you place your quail in the brooder take each one and dip its bill into the water. If the waterer is too deep put some small rocks in it to prevent drowning. Add vitamins and electrolytes to the water to give them a healthy start. They’ll be thirsty from their trip home and will need to be shown where the water is. Do this a few times for the first day until you’re sure they all know where the waterer is.

KEEPING ADULT QUAIL:

Quail can be kept in a colony or individual cages, a rabbit hutch or a floor pen. Cages should allow 6 square inches of space per bird. A floor pen is an enclosure that allows them to live more naturally on the ground. Floor pens should allow 1 square food of space per bird and make sure to offer some areas for cover, nesting boxes or some branches. Caged quail lay better than those kept in a floor pen. Fill their food and water bowls daily. Keep the quail together in a rooster to hen ratio of 1:4.