are adult quails pond safe?

I'm starting to plan a fox/cat proof aviary to contain a few ducks (mini Silver Appleyards) and perhaps some quails. I was planning to have a small paddling pool with ramp to keep the ducks happy. Are adult quails safe from drowning? I could let the duck out to swim every so often, but it would be nice to have something in there that the ducks could access when they want.

2nd question, should the small ducks and quail get on ok and will it be feasible to keep them together?

3nd question, ducks need food that doesn't have anti-coccidiostat which I've read is harmful to ducks, so I'm going to use feed that does not contain this (I've bought some from Small Holder Range). Is that advisable for quail to eat the same? It will be difficult for me to keep them from eating separate food if I keep them together.

I use the A&P and I think because they don't put the meds in then it's okay for all poultry type birds. To be sure send them an email - I have several times and they're very helpful.

There's a few reasons why I wouldn't keep quail & ducks together -

1. I doubt a water logged quail would know how to rescue itself from drowning if it fell into the ducks pool.

2. Ducks tend to be bullies. When i first got my day old duckling they had to be removed from the 3wk old japs brooder within a few hours as they kept nipping the poor quail. Then when they were older I had to remove my big rabbits from the run as the ducks kept picking on them.

3. I wouldn't inflict duck mess on anything but other ducks.

4. Horny drakes seem to want to hump anything.

I fed the ducklings & quail chicks on A&P Small Holders range chick crumb. The chooks, quail & ducks still get fed the same feed, although the ducks now eat less pellets and more mixed corn & grains.

Cheers Suz,

Damn, I was hoping to keep a few more quail in my planned new duck enclosure. I used to keep ducks when I was a kid, I've never found them too smelly, but then they were completely free range (as were the chickens). So I guess the smell didn't accumulate. We didn't have a fox or cat problems in the Philippines, but we did have the occassional problem with snakes and large rats.

Maybe its just my lot Andoy, but I have to clean out there straw bedding daily, hose down there pen daily and scrub it out with jayes fluid twice a week. It doesn't take them long to churn all grass and earth into a stinky mud bath either. My ducks are quite big so have my cats & dogs well trained to keep there distance which made making their pen much easier (no roof)

ad not mix them ether av not had adult ducks but have reared ducklings and there messy when confined (sp) also quails will not get out the water if they become water loged as suz said i bathed mine one day and they took ages to dry never mind in a pond realy soaked

Dave, you cheeky monkey! :above:

Anyway, I'll show you... once I've perfected my GM mutant quail-ducks. Quacks for short

Maglets 2 and 3 can tell you quail get into water and don't get out...No matter how cold and frail they're getting.