Keeping Quail: Coop, Feed and Eggs
Keeping quail — from the reporting requirement to the veterinary office to the correct ceiling height in the coop, as well as protein requirements, grit, and laying performance from six weeks of age — including the differences from keeping chickens.
Wachtels are considered the ideal beginner’s poultry: they need little space, start laying eggs early and reliably, and are quieter than any chicken. Even so, a quail is not a small chicken - some things work fundamentally differently with them. This text describes what needs to be done before they move in, what the coop must be like, and what quails eat.
Before moving in: Quail are subject to registration
This is a point many guides leave out: Legally, quails are classified as poultry. The way they are kept must therefore – even with three animals in the garden – reported to the veterinary office and depending on the federal state at the Reported to the animal disease fund becoming. Both cost little to nothing, but are mandatory. A housing requirement during avian influenza also applies to quail just as it does to chickens.
The stable: low or softly covered
The most important characteristic: Startled quail fly vertically upward – with astonishing force. If the ceiling is hard and one meter high, they can suffer head injuries. Therefore, the following applies to the ceiling height: either low (about 40–50 cm, then there is no run-up) or a softly stretched mesh instead of a fixed blanket.
- Place: at least 0.5 m² per animal; more is always better. A 2 m² coop is sufficient for a small group.
- Bottom: dry bedding, and a mandatory Sand bath – Quails care for their plumage by dust bathing. Low-dust bedding is suitable Pea straw. The sand bath is traditionally Flowers of sulfur mixed in; the guide explains how diatomaceous earth binds moisture as a litter additive Diatomaceous earth in the stable.
- No perches: Wachteln are ground-dwelling birds and sleep on the ground. Instead of perches, they need Hide – small shelters, branches, tufts of grass.
- Water: flat and clean – a small 0.6-liter chick drinker fits the body size better than a deep bowl; more models at Waterers & Troughs.
- Draft-free and dry then quails can also tolerate frost without any problems.
The group: hens preferred, rooster optional
Wachtels live in groups of around three hens. A rooster is only necessary if fertilized eggs are desired – is also laid without a rooster. If you add a rooster, count on one rooster for every three to six hens; two roosters in a small group means constant fighting.
Keeping them together with chickens in the same coop is not recommended: chickens are physically far superior to the small quails, and diseases can be transmitted between the two species.
Feed: more protein than chicken, more finely ground
Wagtails have a higher protein requirement than chickens – Laying quail are at around 20% crude protein. Pure chicken layer feed alone therefore falls short, and coarse grains do not suit their small beaks. Suitable options are finely cracked mixes such as the Gra-Mix Chick and Quail Mix, which are in the range Faisans & Quails there are. Similarly subtle is the cracked grain mix from Deli Nature for a mixed poultry flock, the Ardennes Gra-Mix Blend.
` Grit for digestion and a Source of calcium like shell limestone for the eggshells, both in separate bowls for free consumption. Greens (lettuce, herbs, dandelion) and occasional dried insects supplement the ration. Suitable for this is the Ida Plus Mineral Grit Mix and as a source of calcium Röhnfried Breed Mineral made from oyster shells, both under Grit & Minerals; dried Premium Herbs or the Eurital Herbal Mix of 16 Herbs can be sprinkled over the food.
For chickens, the same applies here: Kitchen and food waste are prohibited as feed (EU Regulation 1069/2009) – details can be found in the guide Feed chickens.
Eggs: early, many, light-dependent
Laying quail already begin with six to eight weeks to lay eggs – no other poultry reaches this stage so early. A good laying quail produces 200 to 300 eggs per year.
The laying rate depends on light: with fewer than about twelve hours of daylight, quail hardly lay at all. In winter, you can either accept this (a natural laying break) or use a timer to supplement the light to around 14 hours — however, constant maximum lighting takes a toll on the birds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do quails hatch their eggs themselves?
Practical laying quails do not brood at all—the brooding instinct has largely been bred out of them. If you want offspring, a brooding machine is pretty much essential; the incubation period is 17 to 18 days.
Can quail fly?
Yes—briefly, forcefully, and straight upward. That’s why every quail enclosure should have a low ceiling or a soft net above it, and when opening the coop, calm is essential.
How loud are quail?
Significantly quieter than chickens. The hens are almost silent; only the rooster calls—audible, but without the carrying power of a chicken rooster. If you want to avoid calls altogether, keep an all-hen group.
Can quail stay outside in winter?
Yes, as long as the stable is dry and free of drafts and the drinking water does not freeze. Moisture is the real enemy, not the cold.
Can quail be kept together with chickens?
In the same garden, yes; in the same stall, preferably not—because of the size difference and the transmission of diseases between the species.
Feed for quail and other poultry can be found under Faisans & Wachteln and overall Poultry Selection.
