Find Coturnix Quail Chicks During a Buying Panic

Quail chick buying panics tend to receive less media attention than chicken chick buying panics but they actually happen more often and last much longer. I believe it is caused by a long-running shortage of US Coturnix quail breeders coupled with the fact that more urban dwellers are opting to quietly keep Coturnix quail. Finding coop-ready juveniles at any price will be difficult but I will share my absolute best tips on how to find quail chicks and hatching eggs during a buying panic:

Find Coturnix Quail Chicks During a Buying Panic

Quail chicks are fragile and when shipped, they do best if arriving within 48 hours of hatching, which is difficult to do. Shipping juveniles that are around 3 weeks old is slightly easier but expensive. Because of this only a few large poultry hatcheries offer them. Coutrnix quail are one of the only species of game birds that are allowed in every large US city and suburb, so demand for them is forever increasing as more people discover them. Let’s begin looking at where you could find birds during a buying panic:

Hatcheries Offering Coturnix Quail Chicks and Adults:

Here’s an alphabetical list of the few hatcheries who will ship quail chicks, juveniles or adults. Since it is easier to find quail hatching eggs during a buying panic, I recommend considering getting an incubator with an add-on quail egg turner if chicks are sold out. (Amazon affiliate links)

Cackle Hatchery: Hatching Eggs, Chicks

Hoover’s Hatchery: Chicks

Meyer Hatchery: Hatching Eggs, Jumbo White Hatching Eggs, Adults

Murray McMurray Hatchery: Hatching eggs, Young Adults

Stromberg’s Hatchery: Hatching eggs, Chicks

Independent NPIP Breeders

There are a number of independent, small farm quail breeders selling eggs, chicks, juveniles and adults. You’ll need to own an incubator with a special add-on quail egg turner or jumbo egg turner if you want to purchase hatching eggs to hatch yourself. (Afflinks) The breeders will be NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan) registered to ship eggs and birds, which means they also undergo testing for Avian Influenza to qualify for NPIP and are held to the same requirements as a professional hatchery. Here are some independent NPIP breeders in alphabetical order:

Remember that hatching eggs and chicks will all be straight run, which means a mix of males and females. The list below is not every quail farm, just some of the most popular:

GetQuail.com – JUMBOS ONLY – hatching eggs, chicks, juveniles, adult birds

MyShireFarm.com – NO CELADONS – hatching eggs, juveniles, adults

SadieGirlFarm.com – CELADON & JUMBOS ONLY – celadon hatching eggs, jumbo hatching eggs, celadon juveniles, jumbo juveniles, female juveniles

SandySoilFarms.com – JUMBO ONLY – hatching eggs, chicks, adults

SouthwestGameBirds.com – CELADON + JUMBO + RARE COLORS – hatching eggs, adults

If the farm has a wait list, GET ON IT! 12 to 16 week long wait lists for hatching egg shipments are common in the spring, especially if there is also a chicken chick buying panic underway. If the wait list is less than a month, this may be your best option.

Splitting a Shipped Order

If you are able to locate hatching eggs or chicks to buy but will be shipped more than you need, consider splitting the order with someone. You may be able to post on a local quail Facebook group that you have an order coming from an NPIP breeder that you’re looking to split. You’ll need to be willing to provide your order confirmation showing what was ordered (standard, jumbo, celadon, rare feather color, etc.) so the person wanting to split the order with you understands what to expect when they pick up the eggs or chicks. Because quail chicks are so fragile, you need to plan to care for all of them immediately after unboxing and then split the order when the other person is able to come get their chicks. You should expect some loss in your shipment so you may want to have the birds arrive first before you list the extra chicks as being available.

Call Local Feed Stores to Find Quail Chicks

In the spring many local feed stores will offer limited numbers of quail chicks. They are usually $6-$8 each. Ask when they expect to have them and prepare to be in line at store opening to buy them. If they don’t have quail chicks right now, many feed stores keep contact info for local breeders that they can pass on to you if you ask! Use your map app and search for Feed Stores Nearby to begin locating them on the outskirts of town.

How to Find a Local Quail Breeder

Small local quail breeders who don’t advertise themselves may be nearby with hatching eggs or chicks available. Here is how to find them:

1. Join a local Facebook Quail Keeping group. You can do this by searching for your city’s name (or the name of the closest large city) + quail. Since quail and chicken keeping often go hand-in-hand outside of city limits, you may only be able to find local chicken keeping groups and that is okay! Request to join the groups that come up; there will be quail breeders in the chicken groups.
2. Post on the group page requesting contact info for a Coturnix quail breeder and list what type you’re looking for (standard, jumbo, celadon, specific feather colors, etc) and the number of eggs or chicks you want. Facebook frowns upon animal sales but you ARE allowed to ask for contact info. By listing that you’re looking for less than 2 dozen eggs or just a few chicks, you can more quickly find someone who has a few they may be willing to part with.
3. Arrange a pick-up time that you can make on time, text when you are enroute with your ETA and show up with a cat carrier or other transport cage, cash in exact change and/or ready to pay by their preferred cash app. Good communication and showing up prepared to transport your birds home is how you ensure the quail chicks you want are not sold to someone else. (Afflinks)

Etsy As a Last Resort

There are Etsy sellers who offer “fertilized quail eating eggs” which is a code-word for hatching eggs since the platform does not allow the selling of animals. Check shop reviews very carefully, look at the images provided closely and read every word of the listing description to ensure you understand what is being offered. Etsy sellers are famous for not using expensive foam shippers and instead opting for cheap packaging so anticipate 25% of the eggs being broken during shipping.

Craig’s List – Use Extreme Caution or Skip Entirely

Craig’s List might have some small-scale Coturnix quail breeders offering birds within a 3 hour driving distance but the platform is absolutely overrun with scammers. Do NOT reply to any messages where they want to “text you a code to ensure you are not a scammer” and do not text any codes to anyone. This is a scam used to steal your phone number in a backdoor way to use it to run more elaborate financial scams elsewhere online. If you make any kind of post on Craig’s List you WILL be contacted by scammers. If you are female, you should NOT meet anyone by yourself period; always take another adult with you. Exercise extreme caution on Craig’s List. It is generally not worth the exposure to the scammers using this platform.

Wait Out the Quail Chicks Buying Panic

Quail chick buying panics tend to subside in mid-June when families go on summer vacations and don’t want to have needy quail chicks still in the brooder. If you are not comfortable with any of the prices or options available in early spring, you have the option to wait it out. Hatcheries typically offer shipments of quail chicks and juveniles through August or September so adding new birds mid-summer after your own trips are finished can be a great option and good way to keep the kids busy!

I hope this article will help you find Coturnix quail chicks during a buying panic quickly!

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