5/4/2023 0 Comments Raising quailYou may have noticed that your quail sometimes look fluffed up during the winter time. So, if you’re not going to use supplemental heat, how in the world are your quail going to stay warm? Aside from getting out of the elements, your quail also have natural instincts for surviving cold temperatures. Having hardy birds that can handle cold climates without electricity is the best bet. However, if you do not use a heat source, your cold hardy quail will become acclimated to these colder temperatures. Your quail are not going to be able to survive easily without that heat source because they’ve become dependent on it. And with the power goes your quails temperature control. Everything is fine – but then you lose power for a few days. Let’s say you’ve been raising your birds with supplemental heat all throughout winter. If you have a breed that is naturally cold hardy, you may find it more beneficial to follow the quail care suggestions above instead of using a heat lamp. Why you don’t want to use supplemental heat… Making these few small changes allows for quail to stay dry, out of the wind, and warm. You also need to check your water supply regularly to make sure that it isn’t frozen. Providing a good high protein feed is beneficial during these times. Quail will use more energy staying warm during tough winters, so you may notice them eating more food. We made these houses out of scrap wood.Īnd as always, make sure your birds have continuous access to food and fresh water. If it is raining or snowing, it also provides an enclosure to keep them dry. This provides the quail a place to get out of the cold wind and huddle together. We use the same shelter in winter as in the summer months, but we do the following: When the temperatures start to drop during winter, we begin to make a few modifications to our Coturnix quails wire cages. ![]() (New to raising quail at home? Check out my beginners guide for quail supplies!) Winter Care of Quail A rapid move with drastic temperature changes will more than likely mean a death sentence for your birds. The easiest way to do this is to slowly move your heat source further and further back from the brooder. You will need to wean these birds off of the heat source. NOTE: Even if your young quail are fully feathered out, you do not want to take them from a brooder that is 80 degrees and put them straight outside in 20 degree weather. You will then continue to drop the temperature slowly, until your quail reach about 6 weeks of age or are fully feathered out. Due to this, young quail are kept separate from adult birds in a brooder with a supplemental heat source, such as a heat tray.ĭuring the first week, the proper brooding temperatures are between 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to note that age does affect a quails need for heat during winter.īaby quail, just like all babies, need to be kept warmer than older quail. Selecting a breed that is not cold hardy, such as button quail, will require a lot more care in order to survive. If you live in climates that the winter temperature regularly gets into these ranges, it is probably a good idea to stick with one of these two. ![]() When it comes to selecting quail (or any homestead animal for that matter) you need to take your climate in to account. Some individuals in online forums even state they keep their birds in temperatures down to -20 f. These two varieties of birds can handle temperatures down to the single digits (Fahrenheit) as long as you provide adequate shelter and bedding.
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