Essential quail care information

Welcome to Ruby's Quail Farm's comprehensive guide to quail care. Whether you're a seasoned enthusiast or just starting your journey, we're here to provide you with the knowledge and insights needed for successful quail keeping. From essential housing requirements to ethical breeding practices, discover how we can help you create a thriving environment for your birds.

What makes Ruby's Quail Farm's approach to raising quail special?

We specialize in high-quality breeding of Jumbo Coturnix "jumbo" strains, which provide a better yield per bird compared to standard Coturnix. We focus on hatching egg quality, offering fertile eggs with high hatch rates that are carefully selected, packaged, and shipped, providing a 70-90% success rate for customers. We uphold ethical welfare and health standards, using spacious aviaries that provide superior living conditions, such as large aviaries with natural sunlight, allowing birds to fly, dust bathe, and exhibit natural behaviors. We use no antibiotics or growth hormones, focusing on organic-quality and premium care. We gather and sell eggs daily for peak freshness. We maintain 2-3% calcium in their diet, adding crushed eggshells or oyster shells on the side if not using a specific layer feed. We also offer Celadon quail eggs, popular for their beautiful blue color and higher nutritional value.

How do I provide dust baths for my quail?
Provide a shallow container filled with fine sand or a mixture of sand and wood ash. This allows your quail to naturally clean their feathers, remove parasites, and maintain healthy skin. Ensure the dust bath area is dry and protected from rain.

What is the best way to feed quail chicks?
For chicks, use a game bird starter with 24-30% protein. Ensure it's finely ground to prevent choking. Offer it in a shallow feeder or dish, and always provide fresh, clean water with small rocks or marbles to prevent drowning.

How often should I clean my quail's enclosure?
Cleaning cages weekly is essential to prevent waste buildup, control odors, and minimize the risk of disease. A clean environment contributes significantly to the health and well-being of your quail.

Ready to start your quail journey?

Explore our breeds, hatching eggs, and live quail. At Ruby's we're dedicated to helping you succeed. Visit our Website [[www.Info@RobysQuail.com]] or contact us at 602-397-3420.

Frequently asked questions

At Ruby's Quail Farm, we are passionate about all things quail. As a small family farm in Queen Creek, Arizona, we pride ourselves on ethical breeding and raising practices. Our dedication ensures we offer high-quality quail, chicks, and fertile hatching eggs. We're glad you're here to learn with us!

What are the most common questions new quail owners ask?
Essential quail care involves providing a secure, predator-proof enclosure of 1 square foot per bird, with a height of 8-10 inches to prevent injury from upward flushing. Feed a high-protein game bird starter (24-30% protein) and ensure constant access to clean water. Keep them dry, provide dust baths for enrichment, and maintain a 1:4 or 1:5 male-to-female ratio to prevent fighting. Clean cages weekly to prevent waste buildup and disease.

What are the absolutely essential topics for proper quail care?
For waterers, use poultry cups or small opening waterers to prevent drowning, especially for chicks. Small rocks or marbles in water dishes are a must for chicks 0-10 days old.

What are some big mistakes people make when caring for quail, and how can they avoid them?

The biggest mistakes in quail care often involve housing design, social management, and hygiene. Because quail have specialized survival instincts and very high metabolic needs, errors that might be minor with chickens can be fatal for quail. For housing, avoid flush injuries; enclosures should NOT be between 2-5 feet. Keep ceilings either low (under 12-18 inches) so they can't gain speed, or very high (over 6 feet) with soft netting or brush at the top to soften impacts. Social and population errors include maintaining poor male-to-female ratios or overcrowding. Excess males will violently fight and can kill each other or scalp females during over-mating. Overcrowding leads to stress, cannibalism, and rapid disease spread. Inappropriate flooring, such as keeping birds exclusively on bare wire or rough concrete, frequently leads to bumblefoot (painful foot infections) or "mud balls" where waste hardens on their toes. If using wire floors for hygiene, provide a solid resting area (like a piece of plywood).