Getting Your Bobwhite Quail Ready for Fall
As the days grow shorter and the air begins to carry a crispness, it's time to start preparing your bobwhite quail for the cooler months ahead. With a little extra care, you can ensure your flock thrives during this transitional season. I will show you on the vlog what I do and how I clean the barn and get them ready but for now you can read it all here. Don't forget the podcast show as we talk about many topics of interest.
Preparing Your Quail's Environment
Cleaning House: Fall is the perfect time for a thorough cleaning of your quail's barn. Remove all old bedding, and give the entire structure a good scrubbing with a mild disinfectant. This will help prevent the buildup of bacteria and parasites that can harm your birds.
Pest Treatment: I use permethrin spray that is safe for birds to treat the inside of the barn. Once that application is dry I use Diatomaceous earth food grade and poultry safe to sprinkle inside the barn and nesting areas to prevent pest, mites and other bugs.
New Bedding: Once the barn is dry, it's time to add fresh bedding. Pine shavings are a popular choice for quail, as they are absorbent and help to maintain a dry environment. Other options include cedar shavings and wood chips. You can use straw or other types of bedding if you feel like something different works better for your needs. You know your flock best so go with what you're comfortable with.
Creating Nesting Spaces: As the days shorten, your quail may start to exhibit nesting behavior. Providing ample nesting spaces can encourage egg production. Use covered nesting boxes or even repurposed containers filled with soft nesting material like hay or straw. I like to use and recycle my milk jugs by cutting them, filing the edges to prevent cuts or sharp points then placing them around the barn filled with nesting matering.
Egg Collection and Broodiness
Collecting Quail Eggs: Quail eggs are a delicious and nutritious treat, but it's important to collect them regularly. Check your nesting boxes daily and gently remove the eggs. Store them in a cool, dry place until you're ready to use them. If you want to know about storage or cleaning them just check the previous blog about washing vs. not washing eggs there.
Identifying Broody Quail: Some hens will become broody, meaning they have a strong desire to incubate eggs. Broody hens will often sit on their eggs continuously and become aggressive if disturbed. If you want to let your quail hatch their own chicks, you can identify a broody hen and allow her to nest. We do this from time to time to keep up our numbers for our flock. We have a large barn with plenty of space to run, play and eat good snackies so, we keep things going.
Allowing Natural Hatching: To allow a hen to hatch her eggs, isolate her in a quiet, draft-free area with her nest. Provide her with food and water, and avoid disturbing her as much as possible. Once the chicks hatch, the hen will care for them for the first few weeks. Quail are different than chickens as far as hatching and raising their young ones because they are a wilder type of bird. So, you may want to find a good place to sit and watch how they do this process because it is so interesting to see and compare them with chickens.
By following these tips, you can help your bobwhite quail transition smoothly into the fall season and enjoy a healthy, productive flock. Remember, every quail is different, so observe your birds closely and adjust your care accordingly. If you have any quail that is injured or sick remove them quickly and get them cared for in a separate area away from the healthy flock. I've tended to many sick or injured quail and they are very fragile birds from what I've handled and can either get better with no issues or cross the rainbow bridge with no warning.
The sounds a bobwhite quail makes is so pretty and all their call sounds and chatter among each other has caused other wild quail from our surrounding woods to come close and pitch on their barn. It's very soothing and pretty to sit in the quail barn and listen to them and watch them play and enjoy just being a little quail.
Do you have any other questions about caring for your bobwhite quail?
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