We have a small flock of quail. This was my introduction to poultry keeping as I was not sure chickens would work for our garden space. The quail only need a small enclosure compared to chickens and they are very quiet birds. Only the males make a slightly louder noise occassionally when they crow but this is still quieter than chickens.
I have kept quail since 2021 hatching out our first supermarket bought eggs, what an adventure. Since then I have added to our flock from other places and hatched from our own flock too.
Quail are lovely little birds and I’m so pleased I started with them. I have chosen to raise them in a natural as possible environment. My coop is on the ground and I use a deep bedding method to keep them warm and healthy. This has worked well for several years now. I may try different forms of bedding as my journey progresses. They have lots of plant pots and pipes to hide in as well as pots with grasses and herbs. Quail are small birds that will flush up if spooked so lots of places to hide and feel safe is very important, they are also ground sleepers and do not take themselves off to roost. So the enclosure must be very secure from preditors. I feed my quail on an organic feed from day one and get lots of lovely eggs in return.
Using our quail eggs
see our recipes here: