Housing & Feeding

Housing

Coturnix do well in wire-bottom cages, colony pens, or tractor-style setups. The primary requirement is protection from predators and weather, with adequate ventilation and a floor that drains or self-cleans.

For wire-bottom cages, use 1/2-inch hardware cloth for the floor. This gauge is small enough to support the birds but large enough to allow dropping to pass through. You can use smaller 1/4-inch hardware cloth, but more cleaning will be involved.

For walls and sides, 1/2 x 1-inch hardware cloth is acceptable. If the housing is outdoors and potentially exposed to raccoons, be aware that raccoons can reach through 1/2 x 1-inch mesh. Factor this into your predator management based on your specific setup — additional protection on the lower sections of outdoor runs may be warranted.

Provide at least one square foot of floor space per bird as a working minimum. More space reduces stress, feather pecking, and competition at feeders and waterers. Coturnix are not flyers in the true sense but will flush hard when startled - keep ceilings low at 12-14 inches to help avoid injury.

Colony Ratios

Coturnix do well in colony housing with multiple roosters and hens together, unlike some other quail species that require pair or trio management. The target ratio is one rooster per four to five hens.

At the right ratio, roosters coexist without significant fighting. Too many roosters and competition increases, hens are overbred, and feather condition deteriorates. Monitor the back and head feathering of hens — wear in these areas is a reliable sign the rooster ratio is too high.

Separating birds by parentage is only necessary if you are tracking specific breeding lines. For a production colony without pedigree tracking, mixed housing works fine.

Feeding

Feed high-protein game bird feed — typically 24–28% protein — throughout the life of the bird. Do not dilute it with scratch, layer pellets, or lower-protein feeds. Coturnix have higher protein requirements than chickens, and reducing protein shows up quickly in slower growth, reduced egg production, and poor feather condition.

Provide feed free-choice. Coturnix do not overeat significantly and do better with constant access than scheduled feeding.

Calcium Supplementation

Laying hens require additional calcium to sustain egg production. The correct approach is free-choice oyster shell in a separate container — not mixed into the feed.

Mixing oyster shell into feed removes the bird's ability to self-regulate calcium intake. Laying hens need more calcium than roosters and non-laying hens; when it's mixed in, everyone gets the same amount regardless of need. Keep it separate and let the birds take what they need.

Do not mix game bird feed with layer feed as a calcium strategy. Layer feed has lower protein than game bird feed — blending the two dilutes protein below what Coturnix need. Separate containers, separate feeds, separate supplementation.

Eggshell as Calcium Supplement

Crushed, baked eggshells from harvested quail eggs are a valid calcium supplement at small scale. Two conditions apply: the shells must be baked first to eliminate any association with egg flavor (raw or lightly dried shells can encourage egg-eating behavior), and they must be thoroughly crushed so they no longer resemble whole eggs.

This works well for small operations where oyster shell feels like overkill for a handful of birds. At larger scale, oyster shell is more practical and consistent. Use whichever makes sense for your operation — the birds don't care which source the calcium comes from.