# raising my own quail



## Wiggy (Feb 13, 2011)

Any ideas on what kind of pens to build or plans on them. New to this but it figures to be a good chore for me and the kids.


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## Pittard (Feb 14, 2011)

I don't have any experience raising quail but I'm sure you'll get some pm's or responses on the logistics.

I do have experience buying birds.  Just make sure your flight pen is big enough unless you are only interested in chasing birds around that won't fly.


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## Luke0927 (Feb 14, 2011)

I've got a 30'x10'x8' flight pen (old dog run converted) that when I buy adult birds and can't use them right way I use.  I'm thinking about expanding it out, to make it a little higher and wider.  my biggest thing is I don't have a feed and water solution where I can feed from the outside of pen so If have them for very long they get used to me and it makes them run...I started just throwing their feed over the roof (chicken wire) on the ground and then would water at night, so they have as little human contact as possible.  I have mine wrapped in tin and chicken wire on top so they can get elements (which doesn't matter since birds I get were raised with sprinklers).

I'm thinking of trying to do some on my own as well but would just have to make something to keep them in until they are big enough to go in the flight pen.


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## bbducks (Feb 14, 2011)

Raising quail isn't easy but I raised quail for 6 years and I've got a 15 by 20 barn on the end of a 150 foot flight pen. I have 6 of those. The barn is where I keep them under heat untill I let them out. And I just open the big door into the flight pen and leave it open. Feed and water inside the barn


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## Michael (Feb 14, 2011)

Killin quail is hard... Keeping them alive is even harder!

I once hatched 400 quail. Only got ONE of them old enough to shoot. I now leave the growing to the vendors. I'll stick to guiding the killing side of the game.


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## CAL (Feb 14, 2011)

I have 2 surrogators that are used for raising quail.I put 125 day old birds in each one.It has heat,water,and feed.The idea is to not have but very minimum contact with them till they are 6 wks.old and turn them out.I have raised about 600 this way.Everything I read says the birds will become tame very easily if too much contact is done.I get my chicks from a person that hatches out 40,000 chicks every other week during the laying season.I get them the morning they are hatched,pretty neat operation.

I do think what you wish to do with your kids would be a fun project but I doubt the birds would ever fly right because of the human contact.Good luck with your decision.


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## Spotlite (Mar 8, 2011)

Are you raising them to eat or hunt?

Raising them to eat is easy. I have 3x3x20 pens, auto water and feed.
After hatching them and letting them dry, place them in a round brooder box (so they dont congregate and smother each other on the corners) under a red heat lamp. Keep the starter feed on newspapers etc and put terymicine for their first watering(spelling)in their water and dip their beeks in the water as you place them in the brooder box. Keep the water and feed out from under the light so the birds have to move around and in and out of the heat as needed. After the 1st week is complete, move them to a 3x3x10 pen with a heat lamp and start placing the feed in a feeder, clean water. After the 2nd week is complete, start them on wild game bird feed, turn the light off during the day and leave on at night as long as you have 60 plus weather during the day. After the 3rd week is complete, the birds are weathered enough to survive without a light unless you have temps are around freezing or alot cool wind. After they are about a month old, you want them to have enough room so they dont peck each other. I kept 20 to 30 birds to a 3x3x20 pen. I hatched 500 to 600 per year to put in the freezer for cookouts.   

I never raised flight birds so no advise there. 

Good luck!


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## goose buster (Mar 9, 2011)

I raise 400 a year. My pen is 5w.x10h.x40L.The books I've read say's they need one sq.ft.per bird so mine are a little crowded.I've had good success over the past few years though.The darker you can keep them and the less contact you have with them the better.The first ones I raised I went in the pen so much they became like chickens.They would fly to the back when I went in then turn and walk right up to me. So VERY LITTLE CONTACT.


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