Would you love to have a source of eggs but the HOA has said chickens are absolutely out of the question? Coturnix Quail (also called Japanese Quail) are an extremely quiet and completely legal alternative. Here we’ll walk through how simple they are to keep, the items you need and how to find a local breeder. Fresh eggs – that scramble, cook and bake just like chicken eggs – are closer than you think!
This post contains affiliate and non-affiliate links to products I use for my quail.
Wonderful, Quiet, Legal Pet Coturnix Quail
In most states Coturnix quail are legally defined as pets. Unless your deed restrictions very specifically state quail are not allowed and forbids them by name, they are perfectly legal and your HOA can do nothing about you owning them. Quail are not poultry; they are game birds. Because of this quail do not fall under any poultry keeping laws in nearly every US state. (You will need to check the specific laws for your state and county to be on the safe side but you should find them delightfully exempt.) Because Coturnix quail have been domesticated in Asia for a thousand years, they are often classified as pet birds, similar to pet doves, pigeons and parakeets. Quail hens are nearly silent, making soft coos that are no louder than a small cricket. Your next door neighbors won’t even know they’re there.
Coturnix Quail: The Easy Going Daily Egg Layer
Coturnix quail are the most popular backyard breed of quail. They come in several feather colors, lay brown and white speckled or blue colored eggs and the tiny noises they make sound so much like the native song bird population that your flock won’t bother anyone. Because they are ground birds, they need hutches or pens that are 24 inches tall or shorter and each bird only needs 1 square foot of space. Their small droppings have little smell when kept outside and their food is sold by Tractor Supply, local feed stores and Amazon. Their gentle presence, soft spoken chirps and small size make them very easy to keep. Plus they lay eggs every day!
The Neighbors Won’t Even Notice
The hens chirp so softly that Cardinals in nearby trees seem deafening by comparison. The males, called roosters, “crow” a charming wild bird call that is similar in volume to a cat’s meow. Neighbors will only hear the distant call of a bird when your rooster crows if you even choose to keep a rooster. (Quail hens lay eggs with or without a rooster present so one is not needed unless you want to breed quail for yourself.)
Quail Eggs to Chicken Eggs
Standard quail lay a small egg that you can scramble, hard boil and bake with, just like a chicken egg. Except the quail egg is much more nutritious, has less egg white and is considered a super food! It generally takes 3-4 standard size Coturnix quail eggs to equal one USDA large chicken egg. Jumbo Coturnix quail lay a bigger egg and usually only 2 eggs are needed to equal one large chicken egg.
How Often Do They Lay?
Quail hens are wildly productive, laying 1 egg per day, about 300 days per year (usually late February through November in Texas). They don’t need a nest box either; they simply lay the egg wherever they happen to be standing when it is time, although some do seem to enjoy laying in any type of grass. A shallow box filled with straw and surrounded by tall natural grasses or a vining plant can help encourage the hens to lay in a clean spot if you prefer.
I’m Convinced. Where do I Begin?
As with all birds, it is best to start with the coop. Everything with quail is so much easier. Quail need a small coop, hutch or cage that is less than 30 inches tall inside. When startled, quail leap straight up into the air and flap wildly to escape whatever threat they believe is nearby. Because they quickly gain altitude with such strength, they can easily break their neck if the ceiling is greater than 30 inches tall and they get a good wing flap in before striking it. A low ceiling doesn’t allow them to get enough height and lift to injure themselves. You can also keep them in walk-in aviaries with ceiling heights of 5 feet or higher. Ceilings 3 feet high seem to do the greatest damage. Basically avoid the 36 to 50 inch “killer” ceiling height range and you’re good!
Coop or Hutch? You Pick!
Quail like to huddle with each other so a cozy coop with only two wire mesh sides is ideal. Many people keep them in large rabbit hutches, which they thrive in. Stacked quail cages can be purchased or built if you would like to keep different colors to breed. If all you want is eggs, keep hens in a coop where each bird has ½ to 1 square foot of space. You can even build your own quail coop much easier than a chicken coop. All they need is a rectangle less than 30 inches tall with a roof, 2 sides should be solid wood to protect them from rain storms with the other sides being 1/4 inch hardware cloth for air flow and predator protection.
Tip: If building your own, use pressure treated lumber, which is safe for quail to be in contact with, so the coop will hold up to the elements for years. Exterior paint will help the hutch last even longer.
How to Build Your Own
Search for quail coop or rabbit hutch building plans online or on Etsy to find the best structures to house your quail. Quail do not roost so any plans that have a second story roost or sleeping room create space that won’t be used. Pens should be squat and wide, with as much floor space as possible.
Always Use ¼ inch Hardware Cloth
If you’re keeping your quail outside, nocturnal predators will eventually come to investigate. You must use sturdy ¼ inch hardware cloth on the sides. Many a quail owner, including myself, have believed their quail safe behind ½ inch hardware cloth sidewalls only to find a bloody quail one morning. In my case a juvenile raccoon had climbed the pen where his long, thin fingers could easily reach through the hardware cloth to grab the head of one of my hens. (I was lucky that she survived her injuries.) Suburban rats can very easily reach all the way through ½ inch hardware cloth to kill and remove bite sized pieces of meat. ¼ inch hardware cloth is a must.
What to Use for a Hutch Floor?
If building a raised hutch, the wire floor can be ½ inch hardware cloth, which is large enough to allow poops to fall through but not so large that it hurts their feet. An area where the quail can escape the wire and rest their feet should be provided. This can be as simple as a piece of plywood or a leftover floor tile sitting on top of the wire floor of the hutch.
Note: Predator activity and attacks seem to be the worst in mid-fall as predators seek to eat as much as possible in preparation for the winter ahead. You’ll also notice an uptick in predator activity shortly before serious winter storms arrive and again in late winter or early spring when there is not yet enough new growth to support hungry omnivores.
Can Quail Be Kept in a Ground Pen?
Yes, quail can be kept on the ground in an aviary style enclosure! They enjoy scratching and pecking for tiny bugs and seeds in the dirt and they don’t ruin grass the way chickens do. The only catch is that you must protect them from predators that will burrow under the edge of the aviary. Using landscape rocks, heavy pressure treated 4×4 timbers or buried hardware cloth all the way around the edge of the ground pen is a must. Even rats want to eat quail and will dig all night to reach them.
Snake Prevention
Everything eats quail, including snakes. Any gaps larger than 1/2 inch in your pen will very easily allow rat snakes to enter and eat your quail. Worse, they won’t be able to escape with a full belly so you’ll have to remove them from the pen yourself. You can add 1/4 inch hardware cloth over any size cage wire your hutch comes with by using zip ties to secure it in place.
Sleeping Arrangements
Quail are ground birds in every sense of the word. They don’t roost at night, they actually sleep on the ground wherever they were standing when the daylight disappeared. Nocturnal predators can easily see them just on the other side of the wire and they will begin to dig and claw at the pen to reach them. Giving the quail a “hide” on the ground can help. A wood crate, a half buried flower pot, or shack made of scrap wood are all perfect. Since predators may not be able to see them as easily, it reduces the damage they will do to the outside of your coop as they attempt to reach your birds.
Water Needs
Quail are intelligent enough to learn to use water cups and nipples so use this to your advantage. These waterers are meant to hang from ½ inch hardware cloth but can be rigged to hang from ¼ inch hardware cloth or simply sit on a garden paver stone. They will keep your covey hydrated without creating a muddy mess. I use this half gallon waterer in my pen. (Affiliate link.) 10 quail will drink 1 quart of water per day so use the 2 quart/64 ounce version or more than one waterer if you have more birds or will be spending a weekend away.
Quail Food
Quail need a higher protein diet than chickens. It is generally understood that quail chicks need 24% or higher protein feed and adult laying hens need 16-18% protein chicken laying feed. (Many quail keepers feed 16% chicken laying crumbles to their quail with a little bit of 30% Game Bird crumbles mixed in.) You have several options of what you can feed chicks: 24% chick starter, 30% Game Bird crumbles, turkey polt feed and general quail feed all have the necessary protein amounts required.
Quail chicks need to have their food blended to a powder consistency for the first 3 weeks of life. To do this you place the food, which is already sold as crumbles, in a blender or small food processor and literally blend it to the powder consistency of corn meal. Quail chicks must never run out of food or their growth will be stunted so keep their feeders constantly full.
Do not use the chicken chick feeders with the jar attached, which tiny quail chicks can climb inside and become stuck in. Instead use triangular feeders in plastic or metal from which curious quail chicks can escape. (Quail chicks will repeatedly climb into any and all feeder holes.)
As an adult, quail can eat their crumbles from a shallow bowl, feeder pan or dish. I use this galvanized steel pan made by Behrens that will last for years. (Affiliate link)
Quail Need Access to Sand
All birds dust bathe to keep clean but quail especially enjoy frequent dust bathing. They need a deep dish of play sand in which to dust bathe and consume tiny pieces of grit to aid their digestion. You don’t need to give quail grit, but they should have sand. Play sand sold by your local Home Improvement store is great and a bag should last about a month. Clean beach or sandbar sand that you have screened free of glass shards can also be used.
Coturnix Quail Chick Needs
If you are purchasing quail chicks from a breeder, they are likely to be around 1 week old. If that is the case, you need a safe brooder, a heat lamp or warming plate and a blender in order to powder their food. These items are needed for the first 3 weeks of life. It may be easier to purchase 3 week old quail hens, which are ready to go into a coop if the weather is warm. They will huddle together for warmth at night and since they have most of their adult feathers already in, they won’t need supplemental heat.
Treats & Enrichment
Quail love freeze dried meal worms as a treat but they should only be given a tablespoon or two for the entire flock. Because they don’t destroy plants, you can actually add herbs, grasses and edible greens to ground coops for the quail to hide in. They love non-toxic tree branch clippings in their hutches to hide in and play around. Most hardwood tree branches are safe, as are rosemary, basil and lavender clippings. Never use oleander, it is poisonous to quail and you.
Veggie Lovers
Just like chickens, quail can help turn your kitchen scraps into eggs! They just can’t handle all your kitchen scraps. Instead offer ¼ to ½ cup of mostly leafy greens, slices of cucumber, zucchini, squash, and berries. Leaves from garden tomato and potato plants are toxic to them. Nightshade leaves and stems should not be given. Parsley, onion, garlic and raw potato are also on the do not feed list for quail.
Finding a Breeder
Craig’s List, Facebook groups and the MeWe app are going to be the easiest sources. You want to opt for Coturnix quail instead of other breeds that must be kept in pairs and only lay a few eggs during one breeding season window. Coturnix come in a huge variety of feather colors and can be bred to lay beautiful blue eggs. They also come in standard size or jumbo meat bird size.
Once you’ve determined the size, feather color and/or egg laying color you want, it is time to search for a breeder. The standard brown (called Pharaoh) color and jumbo English white (sometimes called Texas A&M) quail are usually the easiest to find locally. You might have to order hatching eggs online if you want rare feather colors. Rarest of all are jumbo birds that are bred to carry the celadon gene, resulting in jumbo blue egg layers.
Celadon Coturnix
If you see a breeder offering Celadon Quail or Celadon Coturnix this means those birds can come in any feather color but they all carry the celadon blue egg gene. Two copies of this recessive gene are necessary for a hen to lay a blue egg. Most eggs will have some brown speckles but a few will be solid light blue. Crossing celadon to standard quail will result in quail who lay the usual brown speckled cream quail egg and carry one copy of the recessive gene, usually tinting the inside of her eggs blue. Likewise, it is possible to have a celadon quail born from parents who you thought were standard but were carrying the recessive gene.
Hatch to Laying in Only 8 Weeks!
It will sound impossible but quail chicks hatch from an egg, grow to their adult size, mature and begin laying eggs in just 8 weeks. Some springtime hens can even accomplish it in 6 weeks. (Celadon quail tend to need 10 weeks to come into lay.) If you bring home started quail that are already 3 weeks old, your wait for eggs is nearly halfway over.
This speed comes with a disadvantage though. Quail only live for 2 to 3 years and do not lay as many eggs after their first year. You will need to develop a relationship with a breeder whom you plan to buy from yearly if you do not want to keep a rooster and breed your own quail.
How Many Hens do I Need?
Quail lay an egg every single day during the warm spring, summer and early fall months. They cease during late fall through the winter and begin again around the spring equinox when days lengthen. It takes 3 or 4 standard (non-jumbo) quail eggs to equal one chicken egg. For every 1 chicken egg you use per day, plan on keeping 4 hens.
If your family uses a dozen chicken eggs per week which you want to replace with quail eggs, you will need 6 or 7 hens.
If you really only use 4 eggs per week for baking, 3 hens will lay enough to meet your needs.
Most keepers calculate how many birds can comfortably fit in their hutch or coop and keep that number of birds. This will give you plenty of eggs to use and share.
Cracking & Using Quail Eggs
Quail egg shells are quite hard. Cracking them is difficult and typically results in the shell crumbling into the yolk, ruining the egg. These quail egg scissors make opening the eggs much easier. (Affiliate link.)
How do they Taste?
Quail eggs do not taste gamey at all. They have less egg white than a chicken egg and taste rich and creamy when scrambled. Baked goods typically turn out the exact same, but fickle recipes may seem a bit denser because there is less egg white. (Cookie recipes all seem to turn out the same.)
Quail live short lives and are not as personable as chickens. Because of this, unwanted roosters and aging hens are typically used as meat birds by their owners who find the processing easy and less heart-wrenching. Quail meat is delicious, with a unique flavor to their darker meat that is very similar to turkey leg meat.
If harvesting your birds is unappealing, you can allow them to live out their natural lives in a large coop or aviary where they will pass when it is their time and their softball-sized body can be buried.
Let’s Get Quail!
This paragraph contains affiliate and non-affiliate links to quail keeping products.
You’ll need:
A hutch or pen with ¼ inch hardware cloth (hardware cloth is sold at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Tractor Supply & Amazon)
A waterer for chicks or adults
A sand bowl
Coturnix quail from a breeder during spring or summer months (Craig’s List or Facebook local quail group)
That’s it! You’re only a weekend project away from providing your family with fresh, healthy homegrown eggs from your quiet backyard covey of coturnix quail.
THOMAS R BOND says
Hi:
I am going crazy trying to find simple European (Coturnix Coturnix) quail!
https://animalia.bio/common-quail?custom_list=734
There are thousands in the UK and in Europe and thought it wouldn’t be an issue here. I do NOT want the Japanese Coturnix, but the ‘Common quail.
Can you please direct me to who would have either chicks or fertile eggs for sale??
Thanks,
Thomas
Brandy says
This was the most comprehensive article for getting started raising quail that I have read. Thank you! Love your quail hutch plan too! Now if I could just find local breeders willing to sell chicks and not just the eggs I’d be set lol! Thanks again!
Tay Silver says
Hi Brandy!
It is not well known but there is a significant shortage of Coturnix quail breeders in the United States. Newly hatched quail chicks are fragile and cannot be easily shipped like chicken chicks. They simply die too quickly without warmth and food. Breeders are very willing to ship hatching eggs but the individual receiving them must be set up with an incubator and quail chick brooder supplies to care for them, which is an initial investment of around $250. And since quail don’t live for very long, breeders usually must hatch for themselves first, as soon as the hens come back into lay in early spring (sometimes not until March) to replenish their own breeding stock. Quail have a natural breeding season from April through June, where egg production is heavy, so you might have better luck finding someone with quail chicks during those months. Definitely join local FB groups and put your request for chicks out there so you can get on a wait list. Many breeders are happy to hatch if they know they have a guaranteed buyer! If all else fails, take it as a hint that your area is in need of a quail breeder, which could be a profitable springtime side hustle! A local feed store recently (last week of Feb 2023) had started quail chicks (3 week olds) for $8 each and people were happily paying that price because they were so hard to find, even where I’m at an hour outside Houston where there are plenty of experienced quail breeders. Feather sexable females are $10-$12 this year with rare feather colors and celadon layers being higher, around $15-$18 each if they can be found at all. Those prices would quickly return the investment made in hatching supplies within one or two hatches!
THOMAS BOND says
Hi, I am looking for REGULAR ENGLISH WHITE QUAIL. NOT jumbo. Do you have these available? IF NOT can you refer me to someone who does?
Tay Silver says
Hi Thomas,
I don’t sell quail eggs or chicks. The quickest way to locate a local quail breeder is to join a local Facebook group that caters to backyard poultry or chicken keeping. Many people keep both chickens and coturnix quail. Once you are in the group you can make a post asking for the contact info for someone with English White quail near you. It is currently breeding season so you should have good luck finding someone quickly who has room on their wait list!
Breanna says
Hi! Thanks so much for the detailed blog about quail. We’re not far from you in Tomball! Do you have photos of your quail coop with a place to rest and a dust bath area? I saw photos of your ground pen but were looking to build the raised one you have. Thanks!